New year - new experiences. My first ever blog post from my lovely SIII. I wish you all loads of new experiences in 2013. Here are a few pics to get you in the mood.
Housing Survival Guide
Here's something that never got published, may be because this information will hurt the real estate business. Well, no matter what I believe we should all know our rights. So read on for a few tips I can offer from my own struggles.
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| Image courtesy of Jeroen van Oostrom at FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
Living in town? Looking for a house to share with your mates next year? Then read on. By now most of us should have settled in our new student accommodation wherever it may be. However, if you are experiencing some issues with your new house or have already started looking for a new student pad for next year, then the following tips are for you.
1. Shop around. With so many student accommodation websites and lettings agents this may seem like a tedious task. But it does pay off to spend some time on finding out what the average market rents for shared houses in different areas are. There are very good deals if you start looking early and are willing to pay a deposit. Alternatively, you can wait until prices drop for a bargain last minute deal just before term starts.
2. Don’t skip viewings. These provide the best opportunity to get down to the nitty gritty of housing matters. Be prepared to ask important questions, such as utilities and maintenance arrangements, and look for causes of concern, especially mould marks and wall cracks which could get worse once you start living there.
3. Read your tenancy agreement carefully. Then read it again. It is possible to be put on a separate agreement even if you are sharing the house with your friends. In this way you will not be liable for any damages caused by others. Pay particular attention to the utilities, communal areas maintenance and landlord’s responsibilities clauses. These will tell you who is responsible for repairs and maintenance and help you avoid any fines.
4. Protect your deposit. Under the Housing Act 2007 all private landlords and/or lettings agents are obliged to protect your deposit in a government approved deposit scheme. This should be done within 14 days of the landlord receiving the deposit and you should receive notification that this has been done. Contact your landlord or lettings agent if you have any questions regarding this as soon as possible so that you won’t have to deal with problems when the time comes for getting your deposit back.
5. Seek help. If you are having any trouble with your accommodation, think you are treated unfairly by your landlord or are unsure of your responsibilities and contract obligations, then speak up! There are a number of people and organisations that you could turn to. The university has appointed several community wardens for popular student housing areas in Loughborough. If you have any questions you can find contact details and advice at www.lboro.ac.uk/services/community-wardens/. There is also a Citizen Advice Bureau in the town centre which can help you with a wide range of housing matters. It also provides expert advice on certain issues by telephone, drop in appointments or at www.citizenadvice.org.uk.
Finally, if you just want to know more or prefer seeking advice online don’t forget to check www.direct.gov.uk’s section on student housing under the Education and Learning tab.
Good luck!
It's All About the Ethics
OK, so what if I haven't been posting for over a month? Who cares right? What? What's that I hear? Are you saying that you've missed my antics?
Jokes aside, I do have a genuine excuse, as always, for not showing up here. Apart from being busy with life and academics (that word definitely sounds more posh than 'uni'), I have dived head first into my university's media centre. You'll hear more about this later though...
Today I want to talk to you about fashion and ethics. As it is one of the busiest shopping periods of the year thanks to Christmas and New Year, it is only right that we take a step back and think.
We are all aware to some extent about the negative impacts of consumerism - the demand for cheap mass produced items has forced retailers to save on ethics. Be it underpaying workers in sweat factories or dumping toxic sludge in our environment, we think we have heard it all.
But there is more to that. I'm not here to tell you about that - although you can read about it in my soon-to-be-published article in Label, which I will upload in my yet-to-be revamped about me page.
I'm here to tell you about the good stuff that's out there. Shopping for presents does not have to be a negative thing. Fashion does not have to be a bad thing either. As established designers and retailers gradually overhaul their ethical frameworks, new 'social entrepreneurs' are setting the industry standards.
Is it all too good to be true? Workers, or rather artisans, designers, directors and consumers all satisfied at once? Well it is very much possible and even one person can make an impact. Take a look at Liz Bohannon's Sseko Designs.
The company employs young Ugandan women during their 9 month gap between high school and university, thus helping them save money for tuition fees and gain skills. How can they be so sure? Sseko Designs put half of their employees' salaries into savings accounts which are only accessible when tuition fees are due. In this way, the youngsters avoid the family and peer pressure of spending the money elsewhere and remaining into a vicious cycle of poverty.
After those 9 months, the girls are free to go on and become professionals in a field of their own choice. They are given an opportunity to earn and save and succeed. To become empowered women. And so they have.
Just like Rose. After having to work at a rock quarry with her parents to pay off her school fees, Rose was determined to continue her education. Thanks to Sseko Designs, she is now studying computer sciences at Makarere University.
There are many others like Rose who have managed to further their education by helping Sseko Designs create unique sandals.
So you see fashion can be ethical. It is just a question of awareness. Do you know of an ethical fashion concept near you? Feel free to share in the comment box below.
P.S.
As mentioned earlier in this post, I am going to revamp the 'About Me' page to include links and files of all the lovely stuff have been up to - online and print articles, videos and possible radio show recordings. So you won't have to miss a thing any more.
Much love x
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