Page 12 - link magazine

12 swindonlink.com • July 2011
Nigerian electorate better informed thanks to Peatmoor engineer

Broadcast engineer Brian Barber got it working just before the fi rst report it at all,” said Brian. “It’s so important to know what
from Peatmoor spent March and round of the election, only to fi nd Sadly the elections were accom- is really happening, and it’s our job
much of April in West Africa, out that voting had to be delayed panied by violence which was not to provide the means for people to
setting up a mobile phone based by a week.” reported on national news, but was know the truth.
Interactive Voice Response system “The system is still functional, broadcast over IVR by IWPR trained “The next application for the IVR
for daily news reporting to keep and local journalists continue to journalists. system is likely to be for delivering
the electorate informed during the submit stories each day.” Reflecting on the importance health information, and to provide
Nigerian elections. Brian described an incident of independent news sources, a safe way of reporting incidents of
Working on behalf of the Insti- where a female presidential can- Brian said, “the protests across gender-based violence,” said Brian.
tute of War and Peace Reporting, a didate ran up huge bills at a fi ve the Arab world have highlighted “But I am supposed to be retired.”
charitable organisation that trains star hotel in Lagos, the importance of Retired or not, Brian is available
local journalists to gather genuine before disappearing sustainable means to give talks to groups about his
news stories and broadcast them without paying. She of communication experiences in Africa, including the
uncensored, Brian said the trip to then turned up at a such as community time he was airlifted from a Liberian
the Nigerian capital Lagos was ‘a TV station to broad- radio, which is less radio station that was under fi re.
bit of a nightmare.’ cast her speech, only vulnerable to shut Contact [email protected]
“It’s a good job I took some to be arrested imme- down by the state www.iwpr.net
temporary kit with me because the diately afterwards. than the internet
hardware was two weeks late and “Yet the Nigerian and mobile phone
broken on arrival,” he said. “We newspapers didn’t networks.” Veterans’ trauma
conference takes
place on 5 August
Swindon Trauma Group, estab-
lished in 2009 to provide support
to military veterans and sufferers
of post-traumatic stress disorder
and Gulf War syndrome is holding
its annual conference, followed by
an evening cabaret, on 5 August, to
coincide with the 70th anniversary
of the opening of Princess Alexan-
dra RAF Hospital in Wroughton.
Group chairman and Gulf War
veteran Richard Hilling said, “our
conferences have been very well
attended in the past by forces’
veterans from the UK and overseas.
“Our keynote speaker will be
Frank Parkinson, who is a PTSD
expert and author of numerous
books on the subject. We will also
look at appropriate treatments and
therapies that are available on the
NHS, as well as what the govern-
ment is doing to support veterans.”
Frank, a supporter of Swindon
Trauma Group since it began, said,
“there is still a long way to go for
the government and the medical
profession to develop a healthy
acceptance and understanding of
post traumatic stress.”
Singer, actress
and former TV
game show host,
Isla St Clair, right,
ends the day with
her musical trib-
ute to the Forces
entitled Eyes Front.
A joint ticket for the conference
and the evening costs £90, available
from [email protected]
Meet members of STG
Swindon Trauma Group is holding
a free launch event on Monday 11
July, 3pm to 5.30pm, at Basepoint
Business Centre, Rivemead Drive.
Sponsored by Swindon and Wilt-
shire Foundation Trust. Details from
Richard Hilling.
www.SwindonTraumaGroup.org.uk

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