Responding today (8 May) to the Queen's Speech, which did not include legislation enshrining in law the UK's commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income on international development assistance, VSO UK Director Angela Salt said:
“We’re disappointed that the Coalition Government has not enshrined in law Britain’s welcome continued support for poor and marginalised communities around the world.
A UK midwife who volunteered with international development organisation VSO in Cambodia is calling for more in her profession to use their skills overseas on International Day of the Midwife (Sunday 5 April).
Angela Oxley, 56, from Kendal, Cumbria, volunteered for two years with VSO, helping staff in rural Health Centres in northern Cambodia improve infant and maternal health. She trained midwives, who she described as “inspirational” for their dedication to patient care, running courses and ‘skill drills’ in dealing with childbirth emergencies.
With 1,000 days to go today (6 April) until the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expire in 2015, VSO is calling for UK midwives to volunteer in sub-Saharan Africa, as the region faces the very real prospect of failing to meet its target to reduce the number of women and babies who die in childbirth. (1)
Globally, each year approximately 350,000 expectant mothers die in childbirth or during pregnancy and of these women, 99 percent die in developing countries (2). Many of these deaths could be prevented by improving the training and skills of health workers.
Curry-lovers in East London will get a surprise on Wednesday (3 April) when their take-aways come with a personal "Marathon Masala" touch courtesy of marathon fundraiser Mo Al-Haque.
Mo - Mohibul Haque - who is the front-of-house at the Al-Amin Restaurant on Cambridge Heath Road in Bethnal Green, is running the Virgin London Marathon for international development charity VSO in April. As part of his fundraising efforts, on 3 April he will do the take-away delivery run on foot in full marathon kit.
A 32-year-old consultant living in Borough, London, will race 600km to the North Pole from Canada on March 31st in the first stage of a bid to complete two of the world’s toughest challenges for charity. His ‘Fire and Ice Challenge’ will culminate in a 260km ultra marathon in the Sahara Desert.
A new Global Partnership for development must have partnership with citizens and marginalised women at the core, said VSO today (27 March) in response to the communiqué from the Bali meeting of the High Level Panel advising the UN on the post-2015 development framework.
VSO UK Head of External Affairs Jo Lofthouse said:
“We welcome the Panel’s agreement on the need for a renewed, transformative Global Partnership, based on ownership and cooperation between civil society, government and the private sector.
Senior politician Margaret Hodge today spoke out about the need for global action to increase women’s empowerment, ahead of a volunteering placement in Nepal with VSO. Travelling to Nepal this week, Margaret will work with local women’s organisationsand political parties to help them increase women’s participation and representation in politics.
In a new paper released today (22 March), entitled ‘Women in Power’, VSO sets out a three pillar approach to placing women’s empowerment at the centre of plans to combat global poverty when the framework to follow the Millennium Development Goals is discussed at a key conference in Bali, Indonesia, from 25 to 27 March 2013.
International development charity VSO today (20 March) welcomed news in the budget that the UK will meet its commitment to spend to spend 0.7% of gross national income on international development assistance.
VSO UK Director Angela Salt said:
“Today’s budget confirms the UK’s position as a world leader in fighting global poverty.
“The UK Government has shown international leadership by remaining committed to supporting people in the world’s poorest countries to lift themselves out of poverty.
Responding to a speech today (11th March 2013) from International Development Secretary Justine Greening, on the role of the private sector in development, VSO UK Director Angela Salt said:
“The private sector plays an important role in international development and we welcome DFID’s commitment to promote greater involvement of business in fighting poverty.