24/03/2014 South Today

chilly old week, George. Rais thank you. That's all from the BBC news

Hello, I'm Laura Trant. Welcome to South Today.

In tonight's programme: We look at why workers on the Isle of Wight

have some of the worst salaries in the country.

An urgent plea for help ` the Rainbow Centre which supports people

with neurological disorders says it has one month to raise ?150,000.

It's heartbreaking, devastating, the fact that this lifeline might stop.

I can't imagine a life without the Rainbow Centre.

Hidden secrets of the Holocaust ` a theatre group in Guildford reveals

the horrors of a concentration camp in their latest production.

Underneath, it's about the triumph of the human spirit.

And they may have failed their university challenge but Gosport

fans are still revelling in the biggest day in their history.

Behind the idyllic beaches and picture`postcard villages, a battle

began today over the rights, and possibly wrongs, of the Isle of

Wight economy. The Trades Union Congress has begun a two day visit

to the island, saying that island workers are among some of the worst

paid in the country. The TUC says that, last year, on the island: 25 %

of all employee jobs paid less than ?7.45 per hour ` the Living Wage at

the time. 30 % of all women employed earned less than the Living Wage.

And 37 % of all part time jobs paid less than the Living Wage. But

business leaders point out that this is still higher than the minimum

wage of ?6.31. And that raising salaries in the current climate is

fraught with difficulty. Sean Killick reports.

The Isle of Wight relies on tourism. It's the largest employment sector.

But jobs tend to be seasonal and often low`paid. Today, the TUC

launched a nationwide campaign for better pay, and focused on the Isle

of Wight where it says, last year, a quarter of workers were paid less

than the Living Wage of ?7.45. This year, it's ?7.65.

They paid, I trust, the legal minimum wage, but below the Living

Wage. People can't live on below a Living Wage, so it's not good for

anybody. Equally, we've seen some diminution of the important area of

manufacturing on the island. These things need to be addressed.

In West Cowes, workers had various ideas on how to improve the economy

and wages. Exempt the VAT on the island. Why

not? Be like Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.

So many young people on the island have to move away to get a decent

job. Part of the zero hours contracts is part of that ` if they

had proper contracts they would stay on the island.

Why can't many employers pay the current Living Wage?

I think it's economic conditions, the moment. We would all want to pay

our staff more ` they are worth more, but the economy is slowly

growing. If we get a more vibrant economy than we would all pay more.

Hopefully, in the coming few years, we can get there.

In July, the government is set to announce whether the Isle of Wight

is to be included in its final draft of new places to be granted assisted

areas status. Tomorrow, the TUC campaigners meet councillors to

discuss how that move could potentially unlock millions of

pounds to help generate the economy and increase employment.

The TUC claims that the Isle of Wight lags behind most other parts

of the country in a measurement of economic prosperity, called the GVA,

or Gross Value Added. This shows that, per head of population, the

island produces half as much wealth as, for example, Berkshire, and is

even beaten by economies in Wales and the North East. Conor D'Arcy is

from the independent think tank the Resolution Foundation. How good an

indicator of prosperity is the GVA ` and what does that mean for the

island? The GVA tells us about the amount of

equity created in the area. A lot of the economy of the Isle of Wight is

dependent on terrorism. But it doesn't generate as much value as we

would see in some larger cities. `` dependent on tourism.

How difficult will it be for wages to be increased in an area like the

Isle of Wight? It varies from firm to firm. The

Living Wage campaign has made a really good arguments of where firms

can afford to pay they should. The minimum wage is there as an absolute

minimum, but for some firms it will be difficult to go higher. The

minimum wage is rising in October. Most firms will be able to manage

that, especially in sectors where it is an easy burden, but for a lot of

people that small increase will put a lot of pressure on.

What advice would you have for the island?

It's about identifying where the blockages may be. In social care,

the funding needs to be looked at to see how social workers can go

higher. It's about listening and talking with unions and businesses

to see what would be possible, and encouraging people where they can to

go further. Higher paid does result in higher productivity.

At its height, 11 of its 13 wards were affected ` and five wards

closed. A two`week virulent sickness

outbreak caused the loss of 20 % of hospital beds at the Isle of Wight's

St Mary's Hospital. The norovirus bug has also caused more than 40

operations to be cancelled, leaving a backlog for surgery on the island.

And the hospital says the crisis isn't over yet. James Ingham

reports. This is one of the worst outbreaks

of norovirus the Isle of Wight's health trust has ever seen. At its

peak, one in five beds at St Mary's Hospital was affected `` with five

wards closed and more than forty operations cancelled.

The trust was just a few steps away from declaring a major emergency.

Operations had to be reduced by 50%. It was one of the biggest crises we

had seen for five years or more. Patients with norovirus have been

isolated as much as possible `` with nurses taking steps to protect

themselves from infection. But still at its peak 26 staff were off sick

with norovirus `` adding to the difficulties for managers.

What we have seen with this strain is rebound. Patients have got

better, and then some days later they have got sick again.

We need to keep up these stringent regimes we have in place.

The hospital is trying to reduce the movement of people visits to

patients are only allowed if it's vital. Norovirus is highly

contagious leading to vomiting and diarrohea. Most people recover

within 48 hours but more vulnerable people can be worse hit.

People who have underlying diseases, particularly the elderly, it can be

quite severe for them. The problems come when people get dehydrated,

which is a problem when you are vomiting a lot. That can lead to

problems tipping over other diseases.

The hospital trust believes the outbreak has now peaked, but with

five new cases reported in the past 24 hours it continues to be

cautious, and it is likely that restrictions will remain in place

here released another week. `` for at least another week.

Thousands of pounds have been paid out to criminals operating an

elaborate phone scam in Dorset over the last few days.

The fraud involves men and women posing as police officers, bank

staff I was surprised by the complexity

and the sheer brilliance to it `` of it. They were very clever. They were

very convincing. It started with a phone call from

someone posing as a police officer, advising Brian to contact his bank.

But the fraudsters didn't hang up their end of the call. And every

time Brian made a phone call it was actually going through to the

criminals. They were using telephone technology

in a way that made it comparatively easy for them to convince me they

were genuine. The elaborate story had Brian

convinced he was helping police solve a case. He went into

Bournemouth and withdrew ?6,000 in cash from his bank, and handed it

over to the fraudsters. Even if you are 100% sure that you

are talking to police, or talking to your bank, check and check again.

You can never be sure. Dorset Police fear a gang is

targeting the county ` in the last week there have been 22 incidents

reported to them, with up ?18,000 stolen. They say there are things

people can do to try and beat the fraudsters.

Police would give a proper identification number. I would

encourage people to check that the line is cleared before they bring

back. Walk into a police station and ask to speak to an officer. Under no

accounts, send the money, send the pin number.

For now the advice is to be extra vigilant when dealing with anyone on

the phone. A 22`year`old man arrested over the

murder of a grandmother who was killed as she house`sat for friends

has been released without charge. 55`year`old Valerie Graves was found

dead in the village of Bosham, near Chichester in December last year.

Today, the 22`year`old, who was due to answer bail, was released by

Sussex police. Despite a ?10,000 reward, no`one has been charged.

Hampshire Police have confirmed they are assisting an investigation into

the alleged rape of a British woman in a luxury hotel in Sharm`el`Sheikh

in Egypt. The woman from Hampshire, who is in her 40s, has reported that

she was sexually assaulted by a guard who had escorted her to her

room at the hotel in the popular holiday resort.

Still to come in this evening's South Today: Anything exciting

planned for your holiday? This family have! They set sail on a

round the world adventure. We'll be closed by Easter. That's

the message from a charity helping hundreds of children and adults

across the south, unless it can find ?150,000. The Rainbow Centre in

Fareham ` which helps people with severe neurological impairment ` has

relied entirely on charitable donations for nearly 25 years. But

it says the aftermath of the recession has left it with no cash

reserves ` and its usual donors are strapped for cash. It's a familiar

story. A recent survey found one in five charities said they faced

closure if their finances didn't improve. In a separate survey, 88%

of charities said they noticed a rise in demand in the last year. But

less than a third felt that could be met. Ena Miller reports.

What is the bear's name? Hannah was told by doctors her son

would never be capable of saying these three words:

I love you, mummy. She was also told he would never

stand ` but he does. Rueben has quadriplegic cerebral

palsy. He came to the Rainbow Centre when he was one`year`old, and he has

developed skills I could only ever have hoped for, and that is because

of the hard work, effort and the expertise that they put into this.

He's now got a bright future. The Rainbow Centre supports children

and adults with a range of neurological impairments. It teaches

a Hungarian technique called conductive education, which helps

patients develop control of their muscles. It's been open for 25

years, but might have to close in the next month.

It's heartbreaking, devastating, the fact that that lifeline might

suddenly stop if the doors have to close. I can't imagine a life

without the Rainbow Centre, and everything it gives us and our

family. To survive, the charity needs to

raise ?150,000. We got through the recession by the

skin of our teeth. We've used up all of our cash reserves to get to this

point, as many charities and businesses have. We have just

reached the point where the money is not coming in quick enough, so we

need a serious injection of cash to get us through a point in time where

the pipelines we are developing come good.

The Rainbow Centre isn't the only charity finding it tough. A survey

found that one in five charities fear that they might close due to a

lack of funding. The Rainbow Centre really wants to continue helping all

these little ones. They say they just need time to ensure they never

find themselves in this position again. They just don't have very

much time left. The Government says it may change

its policy on complaints after allegations of sexual abuse at an

independent school in Hampshire. The Stanbridge Earl's School ` for

children with learning difficulties ` closed last year after being

criticised over its handling of a claim of rape made by a girl against

other students. The head teacher resigned but no prosecutions were

brought. The Labour MP Tom Watson told the Commons today the school

had been slow to act and that a further child was then

I wrote to the Secretary of State the same month to warn him that the

situation was urgent. Despite this, a further child was sexually abused

in July 2013. The school has now closed. Ofsted have apologised for

their failures. Will ministers now urgently consider adequate research

into the funding of mandatory reporting in regulated settings?

She may be only three years old but Sienna Brown is embarking on the

journey of a lifetime. Sienna and her parents Kim and Simon left their

life in Gosport and are today flying to Gibraltar to join their 56`foot

yacht Britican and set off on a voyage around the world. They have

sold their home and all their possessions and plan to spend three

to five years on their journey. Sienna will be educated through

onboard home`schooling and Simon says it will be an amazing education

for the whole family. A large rescue operation at Shiplake

Loch near Henley has been under way after a rowing boat with ten pupils

from a nearby school got into difficulty.

We understand the boat, from Shiplake College, became trapped on

a weir upstream from the loch, but that all the crew and young children

are now safe. Our reporter Nikki Mitchell is at the scene ` Nikki

what do you know? This is really quite an

astonishingly narrow escape. There were a couple of support boats with

them, and the boat got pinned up against an area about 100 metres

from the Wear. Someone from the college went in to help them, but

the support vessel then got swept under the chain. The man on boards

had to cling on to the Wear for dear life. They think that his boat went

through the weir weir first, and then he was pulled through the tiny

gap in between. The commander here from the Fire Service says he has no

idea how the man survived. He has survived with very few injuries. The

eight pupils in the rowing boat had actually managed to get to safety,

they had clung on the chain and managed to climb to safety. The

eight pupils did manage to get to safety, but one man was swept

through the weir and made an astonishing escape. There will be a

massive investigation into how something like this could happen.

They went to Wembley knowing they were the underdog, but despite a

four`nil defeat to Cambridge United, it's a day Gosport Borough fans will

never forget. Ryan Bird opened the scoring before the break with a tidy

lob over Nathan Ashmore when put clear. Ryan Donaldson made it 2`0

when rounding Ashmore and tapping home. Donaldson got his second after

tucking home from 12 yards following a goalmouth scramble, before Luke

Berry made it 4`0 from the penalty spot.

Well, maybe it was a university challenge too far. But Gosport

Borough will never forget the day they took on Cambridge at Wembley.

Lewis Coombes had behind`the`scenes access as he followed the team on

the biggest day in their history. The day they have dreams about had

finally arrived. At the Windsor Hotel spirits are high.

18 meeting is called and everyone is nervous. Four players will miss out.

It's probably the hardest thing I've done in football.

The disappointment will be there for the lads who aren't even in the

sport. It's a tense time. You hear your

name and you switch off. Your shoulders drop, you are relieved.

You can start focusing on the game. Suited and booted ` it's all aboard

the team coach. Layers are relaxed and just want the

game to start. `` the players. This is an absolutely great

experience. They are absolutely buzzing. The scene is set.

You can't comprehend how quiet it is.

With preparations complete, it's now down to business. Walking out of the

tunnel, the dream is now real. On the field, it was disappointment

for Gosport. But in the stands, the fans applauded.

I'm devastated. The boys should be proud.

It was a great effort getting this far.

We knew it would be tough. We are disappointed.

For the fans, this was far from disappointing. They had just played

at Wembley. They did great in the competition.

But very bad luck. Reading moved back into the

championship play`off, after winning at Birmingham. The Royals took the

lead when Jimmy scored his first goal for two years. Arming equalised

after a foul. Reading extended their run with a late winner. Reading are

aiming to reinforce their position in the top six, with victory over

Barnsley tomorrow. The Yorkshire side lost at Bournemouth on

Saturday. A late goal from Steve Cook means the cherries going to

tomorrow's match with Leeds. Just five clean sheets in their last six.

Huge concern over reports that's place in the league after their loss

to your. It's by without a victory now, and just one place above three

in the relegation zone. Swindon are eighth in league one after a penalty

from Michael Smith gave them victory over Preston North End.

Drama at Stevenage where MK dons are to nail down with 90 minutes to go.

They claimed all three points which keeps dons in the play`off race.

Southampton have now lost more points from winning positions than

any other team in the Premier League after letting a two goal lead slip

against Tottenham. An assured start saw Jay Rodriguez cooly slot home to

put Saints one up. Then Rickie Lambert fed ` another of those

hoping to go to Brazil ` Adam Lallana to make it two. But a

mistake from Nathaniel Clyne let in Christian Eriksen to score before

half`time. The Dane then drew Spurs level shortly after the re`start.

Just when Saints thought they'd earned a point Gylfi Sigurrdson

rifled home this shot with just seconds left on the clock.

Lots more football tonight at 11:20pm.

It's perhaps one of the lesser known stories of the Holocaust.

Terezin`Stadt in Czechoslovakia was a concentration camp specifically

built to house artistic and musically`gifted Jewish people. It

was heavily used as part of the Nazi propaganda machine. But many of

those there later perished. Now a group of young people from the

Yvonne Arnoe Theatre in Surrey are retelling their story for the stage.

Sarah Farmer reports. The dancing.

Yiddish is actually a mixture of Hebrew, which is what they speak in

Israel... The language. The conventions.

In the music, you've got these sighs and expressions that are very, very

Jewish of that time, and I think that will help them to feel less

English and a bit more like they're from Eastern Europe.

These performers are learning about the heart and soul of the Jewish

people to prepare for Welcome to Terezin.

I became fascinated by this place where the Nazis held the Jewish

writers, singers, composers, actors, dancers, which became a show camp.

In 1944, there was a Red Cross inspection of the camp or ghetto,

which was heavily stage`managed so that you only saw what the Germans

wanted you to see. They made a propaganda film which was made by

the Jews for the Germans, and as soon as they'd finished they were

shipped off to Auschwitz. Audition time ` and then select a

cast to bring the roles to life. It is nerve wracking because you're

not actually performing in front of a crowd, you are being chosen for

something. Singing in front of your friends is

really different. Some of these performers are not

long out of school. You ask where is God in a place like

this? But the real question is, where is man?

They have learned about the Nazis and concentration camps and the fate

of millions of Jews in their lesson time.

But to be a part of the performance and to submerge themselves in the

role is really bringing home the realities of the wartime terrors.

I need food for my little girl, Major. She's dying! I beg you!

How dare you speak to me? Everyone says, you're doing a

musical about a concentration camp? Well, yes, but we are celebrating

life. Underneath, it's about the triumph

of the human spirit. This wonderful group are taking the play to the

Edinburgh Festival in the summer. As the curtain comes down, a lasting

memory of the characters who made up the camp, and a longer lasting

question ` who will survive? Capturing some of the hidden horrors

of concentration camps, and the survival of the human spirit. Let's

get the weather. It's generally stays and settles

through the course of this week. Tonight won't be as cold as it was

last night. Generally a cloudy night with some rain at times. Moving its

weight used words, there may be a few heavy bursts in their bad

generally light and patchy. Dorset and Wiltshire will possibly have a

dryer ends tonight. Temperatures around five or six. Elsewhere, five

to seven. Tomorrow, it will start on a down notes, particularly for

eastern areas. That rain band makes its way back west during the course

of the afternoon. Around lunchtime onwards. A damp end to the day.

Maybe some heavy bursts of rain at times. Tomorrow, temperatures below

their seasonal average, reaching nine to ten. There will be a brisk

wind. That rain will gradually clear tomorrow night. It may linger in

western areas through the course of the night, but clear skies and the

risk of a touch of frost first thing Wednesday. Temperatures falling just

above freezing in some towns and cities, perhaps below freezing in

the countryside. Also the risk of ice. For the rest of the week, we

are expecting some rain. A damp and dismal day tomorrow. Rain on and off

through the day. Sunshine and showers on Wednesday and Thursday,

and further showers on Friday. That's all from us. We will be back

at APM. `` 8pm.