Archive for February, 2009
Jenny Andrew asked:
It is the family that many tourism operators are hoping will be returning to holiday in the UK. For the last 20 years, more and more families have been going abroad to Europe for their summer holiday and year on year the UK market has been decreasing. The UK seaside used to be thriving and although such places as Devon and Cornwall are still busy in the summer, on the whole, it is less popular. The UK has so many fantastic places like Scotland and Wales for walking, the Northumberland coast where there is 10 miles of coast with some of the cleanest and whitest sand in the country, down to Dorset and the Isle of White.
The UK of course does have a downside in the weather but what the UK lacks in sunshine, it makes up for in activities and good old fashioned fun. The Lake District is especially suited to families with its vast choice of activities. Firstly there are the fells. Walking and taking in the spectacular scenery in the Lake District is not only good exercise but it is free. Other activities in Cumbria and the Lake District are Muncaster Castle, the World Owl Trust, Ravenglass Steam Railway, Lake District Coast Aquarium, Puzzling Place and Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick, Beatrix Potter Museum and cycling tours at Grizedale Forest. A trip to the Lakes isn’t complete without a boat trip. Windermere, Coniston, Ullswater and Derwentwater are the main lakes for boat trips. It gives a different perspective on the fells from the water than on land.
An organized family holiday break takes away all the stress of having to think of what to do each day. An organized package takes care of all the booking of venues and has an itinerary each day. This kind of holiday helps families get the most out of their Lake District holiday and can include activities such as sailing, walking, museum trips, picnics and cycling. Many have been designed to enable families to spend time together but also making consideration for the parents by giving them a few hours of freedom with the children only activities.
The Euro is not the only reason UK family holidays are predicted to increase. The awareness of climate change and the impact of flying on the environment is something that is making families think twice about going abroad. A return flight from London to Barcelona for example produces half of tonne of carbon dioxide per person. That is an awful lot when compared with a return car journey from London to the Lake District which creates a 10th of a tonne of carbon dioxide.
Eugene
It is the family that many tourism operators are hoping will be returning to holiday in the UK. For the last 20 years, more and more families have been going abroad to Europe for their summer holiday and year on year the UK market has been decreasing. The UK seaside used to be thriving and although such places as Devon and Cornwall are still busy in the summer, on the whole, it is less popular. The UK has so many fantastic places like Scotland and Wales for walking, the Northumberland coast where there is 10 miles of coast with some of the cleanest and whitest sand in the country, down to Dorset and the Isle of White.
The UK of course does have a downside in the weather but what the UK lacks in sunshine, it makes up for in activities and good old fashioned fun. The Lake District is especially suited to families with its vast choice of activities. Firstly there are the fells. Walking and taking in the spectacular scenery in the Lake District is not only good exercise but it is free. Other activities in Cumbria and the Lake District are Muncaster Castle, the World Owl Trust, Ravenglass Steam Railway, Lake District Coast Aquarium, Puzzling Place and Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick, Beatrix Potter Museum and cycling tours at Grizedale Forest. A trip to the Lakes isn’t complete without a boat trip. Windermere, Coniston, Ullswater and Derwentwater are the main lakes for boat trips. It gives a different perspective on the fells from the water than on land.
An organized family holiday break takes away all the stress of having to think of what to do each day. An organized package takes care of all the booking of venues and has an itinerary each day. This kind of holiday helps families get the most out of their Lake District holiday and can include activities such as sailing, walking, museum trips, picnics and cycling. Many have been designed to enable families to spend time together but also making consideration for the parents by giving them a few hours of freedom with the children only activities.
The Euro is not the only reason UK family holidays are predicted to increase. The awareness of climate change and the impact of flying on the environment is something that is making families think twice about going abroad. A return flight from London to Barcelona for example produces half of tonne of carbon dioxide per person. That is an awful lot when compared with a return car journey from London to the Lake District which creates a 10th of a tonne of carbon dioxide.
Eugene
Simon Perkins asked:
Q. What happens when we feel the need to impress by trying to “do it all” ourselves? We let ego get in the way of reality, and subsequently place pressure on ourselves.
The result? We take on too much and end up making mistakes or failing to get things done “as and when expected.” In turn, we invite ridicule and judgment from ourselves, our friends and family, and our colleagues. The solution? To build relationships with those around us so to collectively share our skills, experience and resource.
Q. Are You?
- Constantly Trying To Impress By Taking On Too Much?
- Thinking You Can “Do It All?”
- Listening To Your Ego Instead Of Your Integrity?
Begin making the transformation today!
Q. What’s In It For You?
- Develop And Strengthen New And Existing Relationships
- Discover The Benefits Of Sharing Wisdom And Responsibility
- Learn How Collaboration Is Key To Success
By learning to work and share with others, we develop greater trust and understanding in ourselves, and greater respect and appreciation for our environment. In turn, we build positive and constructive alliances that produce valuable and proactive solutions for all concerned.
How do we achieve this? Simple – we push our ego to one side and acknowledge what it is we “bring to the table” and what it is we need assistance with. In doing so we move ourselves into a place of integrity that encourages genuine results through collaboration, thus preventing our ego dictating what we must to do to impress (either ourselves or someone else). Result – our natural-self radiates both within and without, attracting both greater relationships and greater opportunities.
INQUIRY: Take a look back at some recent occasions where you tried “doing it all” for the sake of making an impression. How often and how much did you let your ego dictate? What were the outcomes? Had you been coming more from a place of integrity what could you have done differently?
ACTION: For the next thirty days, be open and honest with yourself when faced with such opportunities. If your ego leaps in asking to be fed, shove it to one side and look at where you can collaborate for greater success. Notice how by revealing your integrity you naturally develop a stronger relationship with yourself and with those around you.
I wish you every success as you Learn To Build And Trust In InterDependent Relationships …
Best Wishes
Simon
“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful,” Samuel Johnson
Gerardo Wilczewski
Q. What happens when we feel the need to impress by trying to “do it all” ourselves? We let ego get in the way of reality, and subsequently place pressure on ourselves.
The result? We take on too much and end up making mistakes or failing to get things done “as and when expected.” In turn, we invite ridicule and judgment from ourselves, our friends and family, and our colleagues. The solution? To build relationships with those around us so to collectively share our skills, experience and resource.
Q. Are You?
- Constantly Trying To Impress By Taking On Too Much?
- Thinking You Can “Do It All?”
- Listening To Your Ego Instead Of Your Integrity?
Begin making the transformation today!
Q. What’s In It For You?
- Develop And Strengthen New And Existing Relationships
- Discover The Benefits Of Sharing Wisdom And Responsibility
- Learn How Collaboration Is Key To Success
By learning to work and share with others, we develop greater trust and understanding in ourselves, and greater respect and appreciation for our environment. In turn, we build positive and constructive alliances that produce valuable and proactive solutions for all concerned.
How do we achieve this? Simple – we push our ego to one side and acknowledge what it is we “bring to the table” and what it is we need assistance with. In doing so we move ourselves into a place of integrity that encourages genuine results through collaboration, thus preventing our ego dictating what we must to do to impress (either ourselves or someone else). Result – our natural-self radiates both within and without, attracting both greater relationships and greater opportunities.
INQUIRY: Take a look back at some recent occasions where you tried “doing it all” for the sake of making an impression. How often and how much did you let your ego dictate? What were the outcomes? Had you been coming more from a place of integrity what could you have done differently?
ACTION: For the next thirty days, be open and honest with yourself when faced with such opportunities. If your ego leaps in asking to be fed, shove it to one side and look at where you can collaborate for greater success. Notice how by revealing your integrity you naturally develop a stronger relationship with yourself and with those around you.
I wish you every success as you Learn To Build And Trust In InterDependent Relationships …
Best Wishes
Simon
“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful,” Samuel Johnson
Gerardo Wilczewski
Neil Hastings asked:
only certainties in life are death and taxes, there is no reason not to be prepared when both come around. Nobody likes to think about his or her death, but as a responsible individual, you should make an effort to set your house in order so your family is protected.
Wills and trusts are vehicles to help you disperse your property when you die. Both wills and trusts fall under the broad category of estate planning, and are valuable tools in ensuring your wealth is passed down to your heirs. Both wills and trusts are blueprints for the probate court that spell out how you want things done. When you die, there are two possible states.
1. Testate – having a will
2. Intestate – dying without a will or trust
The probate court honors the wishes spelled out in your will, if one is present, but will resort to intestate law to disburse assets in cases where no will is set. Your family will already be upset and distraught over your departure, so you should plan ahead to keep them out of extensive court proceedings and bitter arguments.
Wills
You should definitely have a will if you meet any or all of the following conditions.
• You have one or more children
• You have assets that you care about, and want to go to certain individuals
• You care about who represents you when you are gone
If you die intestate, the court will appoint an executor and distribute your property the way they think is best. Families can be torn apart by infighting if things are not clearly delineated in a your will.
If you have children, your spouse will automatically gain custody of those kids. In a divorce situation, the parent with legal custody will usually name a guardian. If someone other than the other parent is named, guardianship may be determined by the court.
Trusts
Trusts are not just for the super wealthy. If you are want to spell out more succinctly where specific assets are to go when you die, a trust might be better for your needs. If you die when your children are young, even with a will, your assets may be in jeopardy. A trust will ensure that your assets are not touched until your kids reach a certain age, or meet some other criteria like graduating from college.
There are many ways to write up a will or establish a trust. In order to ensure that your documents are done properly and in order, it is best to seek out an attorney who can help you with your estate planning. Other factors go into estate planning that you should consider, such as life insurance, pensions, tax shelters, and end of life decisions. A good estate planning attorney will be able to help you draw up a plan to help ease the cares and worries of those you leave behind.
Joslyn Powers
only certainties in life are death and taxes, there is no reason not to be prepared when both come around. Nobody likes to think about his or her death, but as a responsible individual, you should make an effort to set your house in order so your family is protected.
Wills and trusts are vehicles to help you disperse your property when you die. Both wills and trusts fall under the broad category of estate planning, and are valuable tools in ensuring your wealth is passed down to your heirs. Both wills and trusts are blueprints for the probate court that spell out how you want things done. When you die, there are two possible states.
1. Testate – having a will
2. Intestate – dying without a will or trust
The probate court honors the wishes spelled out in your will, if one is present, but will resort to intestate law to disburse assets in cases where no will is set. Your family will already be upset and distraught over your departure, so you should plan ahead to keep them out of extensive court proceedings and bitter arguments.
Wills
You should definitely have a will if you meet any or all of the following conditions.
• You have one or more children
• You have assets that you care about, and want to go to certain individuals
• You care about who represents you when you are gone
If you die intestate, the court will appoint an executor and distribute your property the way they think is best. Families can be torn apart by infighting if things are not clearly delineated in a your will.
If you have children, your spouse will automatically gain custody of those kids. In a divorce situation, the parent with legal custody will usually name a guardian. If someone other than the other parent is named, guardianship may be determined by the court.
Trusts
Trusts are not just for the super wealthy. If you are want to spell out more succinctly where specific assets are to go when you die, a trust might be better for your needs. If you die when your children are young, even with a will, your assets may be in jeopardy. A trust will ensure that your assets are not touched until your kids reach a certain age, or meet some other criteria like graduating from college.
There are many ways to write up a will or establish a trust. In order to ensure that your documents are done properly and in order, it is best to seek out an attorney who can help you with your estate planning. Other factors go into estate planning that you should consider, such as life insurance, pensions, tax shelters, and end of life decisions. A good estate planning attorney will be able to help you draw up a plan to help ease the cares and worries of those you leave behind.
Joslyn Powers
David B Smith asked:
Because the person suffering from the addiction acts untrustworthy, the family stops trusting the person, and the members consciously or unconsciously start to distance themselves… When the person starts to act like his or her self again, not like an Addict, the family feels ashamed for having distanced themselves. They decide to reach out once more, only to feel betrayed once again.
Addiction never simply affects the addict alone. The addict pulls friends and loved ones into the vortext of their addiction, which can easily consume them all.
Friends and family try to make sense out of what is happening to their addicted loved-one. In trying to understand, people around the addict inevitably label him or her in an effort to cope with the changes.
What is really being labeled is the addictive personality. The addicted person may get labeled as ‘irresponsible,” ‘troubled,” ‘tense,” ‘strange,” or ‘weak.” If people suspect the true source of the problem, addicts will be labeled more aggressively, to reflect what is happening, and how others perceive them. Family members use many labels when speaking about the addict:
He’s a bum.
He eats too much.
She’s so irresponsible.
All he does is buy, buy, buy!
All she does is work, work, and work!
He does drink a little too much.
He’s oversexed.
You just can’t trust her anymore.
When the labeling process occurs, it’s a sign that the illness of addiction has progressed to the point where family and friends have noticed it and must protect themselves from the addictive personality. People sense that the addict doesn’t care about others. They will protect themselves by either removing themselves from his or her presence or trying to control the addicted person.
Thus, for families, the labeling process is an attempt to control what is happening. Addicts react in turn to protect themselves. In doing so, the addictive defensive system becomes even better developed.
For the addictive process to continue, the addicted person must learn how to deflect the concern of others. One of the most dangerous aspects of the labeling process is that, once the addicted person is given a new label, the family starts to adjust to the ‘new person.”
The ‘new person’ can indeed be given a significant place within the family, who adjust and may even become dependent on having him or her around! ‘The Addict” becomes a role within the family and starts to serve a vital purpose. Family members are caught in a dilemma: they **** the Addict but still love the person they once knew, who still exists within the addict. It’s not typical for family members to realize they’re dealing with an illness; as the addiction progresses within the family, everyone slowly adjusts to it.
Family members or others, such as co-workers, start to see what a good scapegoat a person suffering from addiction can be. They start to **** the Addict. As family members feel attacked, used, and abused by the Addict, they want to get even and fight back. Family members then become locked into the same fight that the Addict and the Self are locked into. The family tries to make the addict more responsible and respectful, but fails because a practicing addict is not able to change. The struggle continues, becoming a ritual embedded within the fabric of the family.
For example, suppose you love a family member who suffers from an addiction and is unable to love you back. You have deep mood swings, as the person you love swings from the Self to the Addict. One minute you may be relating quite well to the person’s Self; then something is said that awakens the Addict. The personality shift occurs, and the next minute you are hating the person, trying to figure out what happened. Perhaps you made a caring statement that triggered feelings of shame in the person and out came the Addict to protect his or her territory.
Because the person suffering from the addiction acts untrustworthy, the family stops trusting the person, and the members consciously or unconsciously start to distance themselves. This is a natural means of protection. When the person starts to act like his or her Self again, not like the Addict, family members start to feel ashamed for having distanced themselves. They decide to reach out once more, only to feel betrayed once again. This goes on and on until a family member cannot take it anymore and gives up trying to have any relationship with the person. But whenever family members feel the person’s Self trying to emerge, they will feel a longing to connect, but also a sense of shame for not wanting to for fear they will be hurt once again.
Dale Palazola
Because the person suffering from the addiction acts untrustworthy, the family stops trusting the person, and the members consciously or unconsciously start to distance themselves… When the person starts to act like his or her self again, not like an Addict, the family feels ashamed for having distanced themselves. They decide to reach out once more, only to feel betrayed once again.
Addiction never simply affects the addict alone. The addict pulls friends and loved ones into the vortext of their addiction, which can easily consume them all.
Friends and family try to make sense out of what is happening to their addicted loved-one. In trying to understand, people around the addict inevitably label him or her in an effort to cope with the changes.
What is really being labeled is the addictive personality. The addicted person may get labeled as ‘irresponsible,” ‘troubled,” ‘tense,” ‘strange,” or ‘weak.” If people suspect the true source of the problem, addicts will be labeled more aggressively, to reflect what is happening, and how others perceive them. Family members use many labels when speaking about the addict:
He’s a bum.
He eats too much.
She’s so irresponsible.
All he does is buy, buy, buy!
All she does is work, work, and work!
He does drink a little too much.
He’s oversexed.
You just can’t trust her anymore.
When the labeling process occurs, it’s a sign that the illness of addiction has progressed to the point where family and friends have noticed it and must protect themselves from the addictive personality. People sense that the addict doesn’t care about others. They will protect themselves by either removing themselves from his or her presence or trying to control the addicted person.
Thus, for families, the labeling process is an attempt to control what is happening. Addicts react in turn to protect themselves. In doing so, the addictive defensive system becomes even better developed.
For the addictive process to continue, the addicted person must learn how to deflect the concern of others. One of the most dangerous aspects of the labeling process is that, once the addicted person is given a new label, the family starts to adjust to the ‘new person.”
The ‘new person’ can indeed be given a significant place within the family, who adjust and may even become dependent on having him or her around! ‘The Addict” becomes a role within the family and starts to serve a vital purpose. Family members are caught in a dilemma: they **** the Addict but still love the person they once knew, who still exists within the addict. It’s not typical for family members to realize they’re dealing with an illness; as the addiction progresses within the family, everyone slowly adjusts to it.
Family members or others, such as co-workers, start to see what a good scapegoat a person suffering from addiction can be. They start to **** the Addict. As family members feel attacked, used, and abused by the Addict, they want to get even and fight back. Family members then become locked into the same fight that the Addict and the Self are locked into. The family tries to make the addict more responsible and respectful, but fails because a practicing addict is not able to change. The struggle continues, becoming a ritual embedded within the fabric of the family.
For example, suppose you love a family member who suffers from an addiction and is unable to love you back. You have deep mood swings, as the person you love swings from the Self to the Addict. One minute you may be relating quite well to the person’s Self; then something is said that awakens the Addict. The personality shift occurs, and the next minute you are hating the person, trying to figure out what happened. Perhaps you made a caring statement that triggered feelings of shame in the person and out came the Addict to protect his or her territory.
Because the person suffering from the addiction acts untrustworthy, the family stops trusting the person, and the members consciously or unconsciously start to distance themselves. This is a natural means of protection. When the person starts to act like his or her Self again, not like the Addict, family members start to feel ashamed for having distanced themselves. They decide to reach out once more, only to feel betrayed once again. This goes on and on until a family member cannot take it anymore and gives up trying to have any relationship with the person. But whenever family members feel the person’s Self trying to emerge, they will feel a longing to connect, but also a sense of shame for not wanting to for fear they will be hurt once again.
Dale Palazola
Joe Collinsworth asked:
Clark Griswold may have been a crazy man, but he sure could’ve used our family travel tips when it came to their family vacations.
When you bust your **** (well, some people) working hard throughout the year, always going, never stopping, ensuring a smooth family vacation is something that you must have. Otherwise you will be excited to go back to work just to get a break.
Although vacation time is coming to an end, family travel and the holidays are right around the corner and planning those vacations now along with spring breaks are always a smart way to go.
Therefore, we have listed discount Florida vacations top family travel tips and how to make sure your vacation is memorable, not disastrous.
We know all families differ in size, age, and such so these will be generalized and common sense tips anyone can use.
**Start planning early and make sure you use lists. If this is mom reading, then you know how important this tip is. This will also help you do things in stages, make sure you have everything, and you aren’t pulling your hair out just for vacation.
**Be sure you have tools to keep everyone happy. Airports have long lines and delays and driving can be wearing on any of us. Toys, games, videos, music, books, magazines, ipods, etc.
**Know your destination well. Are you taking small children to a place like Vegas where you plan on gambling the whole time? That personally doesn’t make much sense to me even though there’s a lot to do. Be sure there are things to do so that everyone enjoys each experience.
**Travel with all the latest gear. Update your luggage, be sure everything is in a safe, secure place, invest in a GPS unit (this will save you tons of time and headaches), and so forth. Traveling will be a lot more fun if it’s easy and you understand where you are heading.
**Take care of your home before you go. Items such as mail, pets (if they don’t go), a trusted person to watch for things, and more can help you relax without worrying about what’s going on miles and miles away.
**Don’t and I repeat, don’t take your work with you. This is time to enjoy family and quality time together. Personally, the only reason I go to work is for my family and to take care of them. The last thing I want to do on vacation (especially since you usually get paid), is work.
**Be safe. This is a no brainer, but we all know that bad things happen to good people. The more well-prepared you are, the better your vacation will be.
**Finally, have fun. Our biggest of the family travel tips is to have fun throughout the whole process. Get everyone involved. Get excited. There is nothing like vacation time and to make it memorable means enjoying yourselves!
This is just a start for family travel tips. We know how much fun going on vacation is and we also know the nightmares that can happen thereby ruining your once exciting trip. Just remember, no matter what happens, you’re still on vacation!!
Keven Chrones
Clark Griswold may have been a crazy man, but he sure could’ve used our family travel tips when it came to their family vacations.
When you bust your **** (well, some people) working hard throughout the year, always going, never stopping, ensuring a smooth family vacation is something that you must have. Otherwise you will be excited to go back to work just to get a break.
Although vacation time is coming to an end, family travel and the holidays are right around the corner and planning those vacations now along with spring breaks are always a smart way to go.
Therefore, we have listed discount Florida vacations top family travel tips and how to make sure your vacation is memorable, not disastrous.
We know all families differ in size, age, and such so these will be generalized and common sense tips anyone can use.
**Start planning early and make sure you use lists. If this is mom reading, then you know how important this tip is. This will also help you do things in stages, make sure you have everything, and you aren’t pulling your hair out just for vacation.
**Be sure you have tools to keep everyone happy. Airports have long lines and delays and driving can be wearing on any of us. Toys, games, videos, music, books, magazines, ipods, etc.
**Know your destination well. Are you taking small children to a place like Vegas where you plan on gambling the whole time? That personally doesn’t make much sense to me even though there’s a lot to do. Be sure there are things to do so that everyone enjoys each experience.
**Travel with all the latest gear. Update your luggage, be sure everything is in a safe, secure place, invest in a GPS unit (this will save you tons of time and headaches), and so forth. Traveling will be a lot more fun if it’s easy and you understand where you are heading.
**Take care of your home before you go. Items such as mail, pets (if they don’t go), a trusted person to watch for things, and more can help you relax without worrying about what’s going on miles and miles away.
**Don’t and I repeat, don’t take your work with you. This is time to enjoy family and quality time together. Personally, the only reason I go to work is for my family and to take care of them. The last thing I want to do on vacation (especially since you usually get paid), is work.
**Be safe. This is a no brainer, but we all know that bad things happen to good people. The more well-prepared you are, the better your vacation will be.
**Finally, have fun. Our biggest of the family travel tips is to have fun throughout the whole process. Get everyone involved. Get excited. There is nothing like vacation time and to make it memorable means enjoying yourselves!
This is just a start for family travel tips. We know how much fun going on vacation is and we also know the nightmares that can happen thereby ruining your once exciting trip. Just remember, no matter what happens, you’re still on vacation!!
Keven Chrones
Patrick Omari asked:
The Supporter Trust movement is funded and supported by the Labour Government through Supporters Direct. Amongst the aims are to give supporters the right and the power to protect the clubs they love from unscrupulous owners who do not care for the interests of the club and who wish to exploit their assets for profit. Supporters Direct help to advise and establish supporters’ trusts, aiming to deliver responsible, democratic representation at football clubs to help promote the highest standards of governance, financial accountability and community re-orientation.
Supporters Direct provides advice to supporters’ trusts on how to organise and acquire a collective shareholding in their football club. They offer guidance on governance and financial accountability to its members and to play a valued and responsible role in the running of their clubs, improving communication and building a better relationship with the local community.
Supporters’ trusts have now been established at over 140 clubs, with a total of over 120,000 members. Thirteen clubs are owned by supporters’ trusts, including the World’s oldest professional club, Notts County. At least 100 supporters’ trusts have a shareholding in their club.
There have been two high profile examples of supporter-owned clubs that have been formed from scratch as a result of problems at the club they used to follow. The first example is AFC Wimbledon, who were formed after Wimbledon FC were franchised to Milton Keynes to form MK Dons. The club were only formed in 2002 and have impressively climbed to the Conference South, just two leagues away from the Football League.
The other example is FC United of Manchester. The club was formed in a reaction to the takeover of Manchester United by the Glazier family, who saddled the club with millions of pounds of debt. Formed in 2005, FC United won promotion in their first three seasons and are currently one step below AFC Wimbledon.
At a time when the Premier league has become a billionaire’s playground, it seems that fans are starting to take control of lower league clubs. The most recent example is an interactive website in Kent, run by Get Kent United Supporters Association, that is attempting to create an online community to takeover a non-league team, arguing that the club would be truly representative of the community that it serves.
It seems that community-run clubs offer stability and openness that seems to be missing from the top flight of english football. It could be argued that Premier League clubs have been taking advantage of their fans loyalty. Disillusioned fans will certainly find mainly well-run clubs, where they can play an active role and where their voice is heard, in the lower leagues.
Jonah Stuck
The Supporter Trust movement is funded and supported by the Labour Government through Supporters Direct. Amongst the aims are to give supporters the right and the power to protect the clubs they love from unscrupulous owners who do not care for the interests of the club and who wish to exploit their assets for profit. Supporters Direct help to advise and establish supporters’ trusts, aiming to deliver responsible, democratic representation at football clubs to help promote the highest standards of governance, financial accountability and community re-orientation.
Supporters Direct provides advice to supporters’ trusts on how to organise and acquire a collective shareholding in their football club. They offer guidance on governance and financial accountability to its members and to play a valued and responsible role in the running of their clubs, improving communication and building a better relationship with the local community.
Supporters’ trusts have now been established at over 140 clubs, with a total of over 120,000 members. Thirteen clubs are owned by supporters’ trusts, including the World’s oldest professional club, Notts County. At least 100 supporters’ trusts have a shareholding in their club.
There have been two high profile examples of supporter-owned clubs that have been formed from scratch as a result of problems at the club they used to follow. The first example is AFC Wimbledon, who were formed after Wimbledon FC were franchised to Milton Keynes to form MK Dons. The club were only formed in 2002 and have impressively climbed to the Conference South, just two leagues away from the Football League.
The other example is FC United of Manchester. The club was formed in a reaction to the takeover of Manchester United by the Glazier family, who saddled the club with millions of pounds of debt. Formed in 2005, FC United won promotion in their first three seasons and are currently one step below AFC Wimbledon.
At a time when the Premier league has become a billionaire’s playground, it seems that fans are starting to take control of lower league clubs. The most recent example is an interactive website in Kent, run by Get Kent United Supporters Association, that is attempting to create an online community to takeover a non-league team, arguing that the club would be truly representative of the community that it serves.
It seems that community-run clubs offer stability and openness that seems to be missing from the top flight of english football. It could be argued that Premier League clubs have been taking advantage of their fans loyalty. Disillusioned fans will certainly find mainly well-run clubs, where they can play an active role and where their voice is heard, in the lower leagues.
Jonah Stuck
Trevor Price asked:
Estate planning and trusts are all about planning, not only for your own future, but also the financial well-being of your family and loved ones after you’re gone. However, the reality of life can often get in the way of a smooth transition – divorce, second marriages, step kids, long-term illness and other family changes make life and estate planning sometimes a little unpredictable.
Remember, protecting your wealth and the financial well-being of your family is about a lot more than simply splitting up your assets – it’s about providing for your family members in a way that’s responsible and speaks in detail to your situation. To learn more about how trusts can help you do that, read on.
Trusts are for Everyone
Many people make the assumption that estate planning and trusts are the domain of the incredibly rich or people looking to lower their inheritance tax. However, in the real world, that isn’t accurate.
A trust is an incredibly versatile estate planning tool that allows you to address inheritance goals for your heirs – who may still be children, are disabled, are from a mixed family or answer difficult questions like who will manage your trust if you become incapacitated (a living trust).
How to Set Up a Trust
Setting up a trust will involve the assistance and services of an estate planning attorney. By consulting a legal professional, this person can help you create a trust that speaks to your specific family needs. For these services, you’ll likely pay between $1500 to $5000. Some trust costs are based on a percentage of the total estate value.
Setting up Trusts for Children
Typically, when a child inherits, the money is placed in a custodial bank account and held until he or she turns 18 or 21. Of course, giving a young person access to a large amount of money at the age of 18, or even 21, can be both dangerous and detrimental to their long-term financial health if they lack maturity or sufficient financial wisdom.
Instead, a well-set-up trust for minors will not only hold the assets until the child comes of age, but it also allows you to stipulate at what age they may receive the funds, whether those funds will be given at once or in installments and how the inheritance can be used. For example, many people stipulate that trust funds must be used for expenses associated with education until the child turns 25.
Trusts for People with Special Needs
If you are caring for a child or a dependent with special needs (mental or physical) whom you expect to outlive you, then setting up an inheritance trust should be a critical part of your estate planning. It’s also important to ensure the trust is not set up as an income source as this can interfere with Social Security and Medicaid benefits.
Instead, a special-needs trust will protect your heir’s eligibility for financial assistance, but continue to provide support. It will also legally protect the inheritance from potential squandering or mismanagement.
In short, estate planning and trusts can help address a number of familial issues, but don’t ignore your own inevitable mortality and leave such planning until it’s too late.
Regena Gerdes
Estate planning and trusts are all about planning, not only for your own future, but also the financial well-being of your family and loved ones after you’re gone. However, the reality of life can often get in the way of a smooth transition – divorce, second marriages, step kids, long-term illness and other family changes make life and estate planning sometimes a little unpredictable.
Remember, protecting your wealth and the financial well-being of your family is about a lot more than simply splitting up your assets – it’s about providing for your family members in a way that’s responsible and speaks in detail to your situation. To learn more about how trusts can help you do that, read on.
Trusts are for Everyone
Many people make the assumption that estate planning and trusts are the domain of the incredibly rich or people looking to lower their inheritance tax. However, in the real world, that isn’t accurate.
A trust is an incredibly versatile estate planning tool that allows you to address inheritance goals for your heirs – who may still be children, are disabled, are from a mixed family or answer difficult questions like who will manage your trust if you become incapacitated (a living trust).
How to Set Up a Trust
Setting up a trust will involve the assistance and services of an estate planning attorney. By consulting a legal professional, this person can help you create a trust that speaks to your specific family needs. For these services, you’ll likely pay between $1500 to $5000. Some trust costs are based on a percentage of the total estate value.
Setting up Trusts for Children
Typically, when a child inherits, the money is placed in a custodial bank account and held until he or she turns 18 or 21. Of course, giving a young person access to a large amount of money at the age of 18, or even 21, can be both dangerous and detrimental to their long-term financial health if they lack maturity or sufficient financial wisdom.
Instead, a well-set-up trust for minors will not only hold the assets until the child comes of age, but it also allows you to stipulate at what age they may receive the funds, whether those funds will be given at once or in installments and how the inheritance can be used. For example, many people stipulate that trust funds must be used for expenses associated with education until the child turns 25.
Trusts for People with Special Needs
If you are caring for a child or a dependent with special needs (mental or physical) whom you expect to outlive you, then setting up an inheritance trust should be a critical part of your estate planning. It’s also important to ensure the trust is not set up as an income source as this can interfere with Social Security and Medicaid benefits.
Instead, a special-needs trust will protect your heir’s eligibility for financial assistance, but continue to provide support. It will also legally protect the inheritance from potential squandering or mismanagement.
In short, estate planning and trusts can help address a number of familial issues, but don’t ignore your own inevitable mortality and leave such planning until it’s too late.
Regena Gerdes
Joshua Keleske asked:
An increasing number of people are utilizing the revocable living trust as the primary document in their estate plans. A revocable living trust is an entity created during lifetime in which an individual (called a trustee) holds legal title to property on behalf of a beneficiary, who is typically the individual establishing the trust (or the grantor).
It is a revocable trust because the grantor, at all times and for any reason, retains the absolute power and right to revoke the trust, or to otherwise amend or change the trust terms in any fashion. In addition, the grantor may withdraw the trust assets at anytime by taking the properties back into his or her individual name.
The living trust is beneficial because it permits an individual to transfer title of his or her assets now, but that transfer is not to the individual’s beneficiaries, but rather to the trust entity. In fact, the re-titling of assets during lifetime is generally considered to be the revocable trust’s principal advantage since assets held by the trust will not be subject to court supervision. Furthermore, the grantor typically serves as initial trustee so as to maintain complete control over the management of the assets.
In the event of an incapacity or illness, a successor takes over as trustee to manage the trust and otherwise provide for the grantor, without the necessity of seeking the appointment of a legal guardian to take title to his or her assets.
Upon death, the successor trustee would be in charge of the assets without the necessity for probate proceedings. If probate were required, delays in transferring the properties to one’s family and the potential for additional legal, accounting and court costs could result. Without court involvement, the trustee can expeditiously transfer the assets in accordance with the grantor’s wishes, which will remain private, as a trust agreement need not be deposited with the probate court at death.
The trust will often contain significant tax planning provisions as well as terms of ongoing trusts for the grantor’s family. This arrangement could permit the grantor’s assets to be kept together in one piece for the family’s benefit for a period of years. In addition, the trust could also provide for the protection of the properties from creditors or claims against the family.
While the revocable trust will, in effect, take the place of a Last Will and Testament, in that the trust will provide for the disposition of the grantor’s assets at death, a Will is nonetheless a necessary instrument in every estate plan. If a trust is established, but one’s assets are not properly transferred to the trust during lifetime, a Will would be required to direct the disposition of assets at death. In an estate plan that includes a revocable trust, a Will could merely provide that any assets that might be titled in a grantor’s individual name pass to the trust to be held by the successor trustee under the general provisions of the grantor’s estate plan. Moreover, a Will would name a guardian for any minor children.
Notwithstanding the advantages of the revocable living trust, it is not appropriate or necessary in every instance. Therefore, any person interested in exploring the applicability of a revocable trust in their estate plan should consult their attorney.
Amanda Wen
An increasing number of people are utilizing the revocable living trust as the primary document in their estate plans. A revocable living trust is an entity created during lifetime in which an individual (called a trustee) holds legal title to property on behalf of a beneficiary, who is typically the individual establishing the trust (or the grantor).
It is a revocable trust because the grantor, at all times and for any reason, retains the absolute power and right to revoke the trust, or to otherwise amend or change the trust terms in any fashion. In addition, the grantor may withdraw the trust assets at anytime by taking the properties back into his or her individual name.
The living trust is beneficial because it permits an individual to transfer title of his or her assets now, but that transfer is not to the individual’s beneficiaries, but rather to the trust entity. In fact, the re-titling of assets during lifetime is generally considered to be the revocable trust’s principal advantage since assets held by the trust will not be subject to court supervision. Furthermore, the grantor typically serves as initial trustee so as to maintain complete control over the management of the assets.
In the event of an incapacity or illness, a successor takes over as trustee to manage the trust and otherwise provide for the grantor, without the necessity of seeking the appointment of a legal guardian to take title to his or her assets.
Upon death, the successor trustee would be in charge of the assets without the necessity for probate proceedings. If probate were required, delays in transferring the properties to one’s family and the potential for additional legal, accounting and court costs could result. Without court involvement, the trustee can expeditiously transfer the assets in accordance with the grantor’s wishes, which will remain private, as a trust agreement need not be deposited with the probate court at death.
The trust will often contain significant tax planning provisions as well as terms of ongoing trusts for the grantor’s family. This arrangement could permit the grantor’s assets to be kept together in one piece for the family’s benefit for a period of years. In addition, the trust could also provide for the protection of the properties from creditors or claims against the family.
While the revocable trust will, in effect, take the place of a Last Will and Testament, in that the trust will provide for the disposition of the grantor’s assets at death, a Will is nonetheless a necessary instrument in every estate plan. If a trust is established, but one’s assets are not properly transferred to the trust during lifetime, a Will would be required to direct the disposition of assets at death. In an estate plan that includes a revocable trust, a Will could merely provide that any assets that might be titled in a grantor’s individual name pass to the trust to be held by the successor trustee under the general provisions of the grantor’s estate plan. Moreover, a Will would name a guardian for any minor children.
Notwithstanding the advantages of the revocable living trust, it is not appropriate or necessary in every instance. Therefore, any person interested in exploring the applicability of a revocable trust in their estate plan should consult their attorney.
Amanda Wen
Barbara Beccari asked:
As parents we all want to have strong and happy family relationships. Here are some ideas and questions you may like to consider to give your family a healthy boost this year!
Make listening to your children a priority. When you listen using open questions you can really learn how your children are feeling and can see the situation more clearly from their point of view. One of the healthiest messages you can give our children is that it is absolutely ok to talk about feelings. This is particularly so for boys, as they are sometimes conditioned to keep their feelings to themselves. How can you build more discussion about feelings into your interactions with your children? Open questions such as “How did you feel about that?” are a wonderful way to really understand what is going on for your children.
Concentrate more on the positive behaviour you see. Parents are often quick to comment on any misbehaviour, but do we really take time to notice the positive behaviour our children show us every day? Parents may say 5 to 7 times as many negatives to their children in a day as they do something positive! If we could turn this around what a much more positive environment we would create! Take some time to think about how you communicate with your children. Can you include more positive comments and reduce some of the negative, by ignoring, diverting or structuring what you say differently?
Respect each family member for “who” they are. Family members are all different. How can you show your family that you value these differences? How do you let your children know that you value their individual strengths and qualities? Do you tell them? Do they get to demonstrate these strengths through their responsibilities at home? For example, your daughter is a very organised person. Do you get her to help organise part of your upcoming holiday? When we build on our children’s strengths, like this, we give a boost to their self-esteem!
Offer your children some choice. When we make a conscious choice to share some of the power in the family we build closeness and trust, as well as children who are more able to make decisions! For example, you have trouble getting your son dressed for preschool. Instead of going into battle over the outfit can you give him a choice of two outfits from which he can choose? Your teen has the job of washing up but doesn’t want to do it directly after dinner. Can she do it within an agreed time frame instead? How much choice do you offer your children?
Make time to be together. Strong, connected families are ones who do things together. What regular family time together can you plan for the coming year? Will it be a family meal each evening with the TV off so precious conversations can happen? Will it be a special outing once a month? Is this something you could get the children’s opinions about?
Whatever you choose, may 2009 bring you healthy and close family relationships!
Tiffany
As parents we all want to have strong and happy family relationships. Here are some ideas and questions you may like to consider to give your family a healthy boost this year!
Make listening to your children a priority. When you listen using open questions you can really learn how your children are feeling and can see the situation more clearly from their point of view. One of the healthiest messages you can give our children is that it is absolutely ok to talk about feelings. This is particularly so for boys, as they are sometimes conditioned to keep their feelings to themselves. How can you build more discussion about feelings into your interactions with your children? Open questions such as “How did you feel about that?” are a wonderful way to really understand what is going on for your children.
Concentrate more on the positive behaviour you see. Parents are often quick to comment on any misbehaviour, but do we really take time to notice the positive behaviour our children show us every day? Parents may say 5 to 7 times as many negatives to their children in a day as they do something positive! If we could turn this around what a much more positive environment we would create! Take some time to think about how you communicate with your children. Can you include more positive comments and reduce some of the negative, by ignoring, diverting or structuring what you say differently?
Respect each family member for “who” they are. Family members are all different. How can you show your family that you value these differences? How do you let your children know that you value their individual strengths and qualities? Do you tell them? Do they get to demonstrate these strengths through their responsibilities at home? For example, your daughter is a very organised person. Do you get her to help organise part of your upcoming holiday? When we build on our children’s strengths, like this, we give a boost to their self-esteem!
Offer your children some choice. When we make a conscious choice to share some of the power in the family we build closeness and trust, as well as children who are more able to make decisions! For example, you have trouble getting your son dressed for preschool. Instead of going into battle over the outfit can you give him a choice of two outfits from which he can choose? Your teen has the job of washing up but doesn’t want to do it directly after dinner. Can she do it within an agreed time frame instead? How much choice do you offer your children?
Make time to be together. Strong, connected families are ones who do things together. What regular family time together can you plan for the coming year? Will it be a family meal each evening with the TV off so precious conversations can happen? Will it be a special outing once a month? Is this something you could get the children’s opinions about?
Whatever you choose, may 2009 bring you healthy and close family relationships!
Tiffany
Ellen McNulty asked:
Anyone who has traveled in near home with the kids knows how hard it can be to research the area, plan interesting activities for the family, and at the same time, relax and enjoy your vacation, too. But when you plan your family vacation to Ireland with a travel professional, it can be worry-free.
Traveling with a family requires a different type of vacation. I have thought a lot about family travel and specialize in creating departures that account for up to three generations of needs. Ireland comes to mind as stress-free family vacation destinations.
There’s no doubt about it – the Irish love children, and your will find lots of child-friendly hotels and activities available in Ireland. The Irish are very family-oriented. Did you know? You can generally bring a child into a pub at any age. Here is the actual law: If you are under 14 (18 in Northern Ireland) you cannot normally go into a pub or other licensed premises where alcohol is sold and consumed during opening hours unless you are the landlord’s child or live on the premises. However, a publican can apply for a children’s certificate that will allow children under 14 to be taken into a pub by an adult. Children would normally have to leave by 9pm. Most pubs have these licenses, and are gathering spots for the local Irish community, not alcohol-fueled. Pubs are great places for a quick meal or for tea or coffee or sodas.
If your ancestry is Irish , nothing can be more rewarding than sharing your cultural heritage with your children or grandchildren. Planning a special multi-generation adventure will build on your relationship with your sons and daughters, and their children, with activities that will interest the young and the young at heart.
Find out if your family is among the many millions of Irish-Americans whose ancestors emigrated directly from Ireland or via Liverpool to North America during the Great Famine (1845-50)? Did they sail on the trusted Jeanie Johnston, on one of the infamous coffin ships or on one of the several hundred other cargo/passenger vessels that sailed from Ireland before, during or immediately after the potato famine? Your genealogy can be researched for you before you go, if you are sketchy on the facts. Details: http://www.lynotttours.com/i-gen.htm. When you walk into an Irish pub, you will find the place where your grandfather or great grandfather sat around and listened to
the local musicians. You are walking through the door of history. You will find
a friendly and family atmosphere that you can’t create anywhere else. In
Ireland, find the pub where the your family name is proudly painted
on the outside. But, even if you hail from other parts of the world, your family will enjoy their time in Ireland.
But what will you eat? Fortunately, the days when Irish vegetables are cooked for an entire
week are long gone. Most people are very impressed at the quality of new Irish
cooking. About the only thing that is not readily available is peanut butter. Bring your own.
Lynott Tours arranges everything for your family travel packages, so there is nothing for you to do but enjoy yourself. Here are just some suggestions for your family travel packages in Ireland:
Irish Melody Escorted Tour
It is difficult to find a coach tour that will take children, but we take children as young as 5 on this tour, because we have activities for them. Fun adventures include boat trips, bicycling, horseback riding and traditional music. Your children will meet other children on this tour. Sit back, relax, and leave the driving to our driver/guides. Our Irish Melody is a family tour, so we are well accustomed to handling kids and short attention spans. The most you are on the coach is 3 hours, but
there is usually a coffee stop or sightseeing stop en route. If you have just six or more persons, Lynott Tours can customize a trip for you, in a minicoach just for your family.
Self Drive Ireland
Select from B&B’s, working farms with animals to entertain the young folks, even a castle stay. Is a hotel with a pool a “must have”? Lynott Tours knows them all. Go wherever you please with a open prepaid voucher program, or we will pre-plan your itinerary for you. Know that the properties where you’ll stay have been inspected and are up to your standards, and ours. The choices are endless.
Rent a cottage or a castle in Ireland. When you’d like to be on your own, in a village of 8-10 identical cottages with other vacationers from around the world. Walk to the local store, cook your own meals for that finicky eater, and have your own home away from home for a week or more. Be the lord of the manor, or part of the village life atmosphere. A car is at your disposal, or Lynott Tours can arrange a driver
Grandparent Travel to Ireland. Do you relish the idea of having your children and their children all together at one time? A family trip to Ireland is the answer, with something to delight every member of the family, from school-age children to grandparents. Plan your own, special itinerary with the help of Lynott Tours, or choose from one of our well planned, well tested plans. We can work with any budget, planning memories that will last a lifetime and beyond.
Contact the family travel specialists in Ireland, Lynott Tours 1 (800) 221-2474 or email: ireland@lynotttours.com.
Elwood Rados
Anyone who has traveled in near home with the kids knows how hard it can be to research the area, plan interesting activities for the family, and at the same time, relax and enjoy your vacation, too. But when you plan your family vacation to Ireland with a travel professional, it can be worry-free.
Traveling with a family requires a different type of vacation. I have thought a lot about family travel and specialize in creating departures that account for up to three generations of needs. Ireland comes to mind as stress-free family vacation destinations.
There’s no doubt about it – the Irish love children, and your will find lots of child-friendly hotels and activities available in Ireland. The Irish are very family-oriented. Did you know? You can generally bring a child into a pub at any age. Here is the actual law: If you are under 14 (18 in Northern Ireland) you cannot normally go into a pub or other licensed premises where alcohol is sold and consumed during opening hours unless you are the landlord’s child or live on the premises. However, a publican can apply for a children’s certificate that will allow children under 14 to be taken into a pub by an adult. Children would normally have to leave by 9pm. Most pubs have these licenses, and are gathering spots for the local Irish community, not alcohol-fueled. Pubs are great places for a quick meal or for tea or coffee or sodas.
If your ancestry is Irish , nothing can be more rewarding than sharing your cultural heritage with your children or grandchildren. Planning a special multi-generation adventure will build on your relationship with your sons and daughters, and their children, with activities that will interest the young and the young at heart.
Find out if your family is among the many millions of Irish-Americans whose ancestors emigrated directly from Ireland or via Liverpool to North America during the Great Famine (1845-50)? Did they sail on the trusted Jeanie Johnston, on one of the infamous coffin ships or on one of the several hundred other cargo/passenger vessels that sailed from Ireland before, during or immediately after the potato famine? Your genealogy can be researched for you before you go, if you are sketchy on the facts. Details: http://www.lynotttours.com/i-gen.htm. When you walk into an Irish pub, you will find the place where your grandfather or great grandfather sat around and listened to
the local musicians. You are walking through the door of history. You will find
a friendly and family atmosphere that you can’t create anywhere else. In
Ireland, find the pub where the your family name is proudly painted
on the outside. But, even if you hail from other parts of the world, your family will enjoy their time in Ireland.
But what will you eat? Fortunately, the days when Irish vegetables are cooked for an entire
week are long gone. Most people are very impressed at the quality of new Irish
cooking. About the only thing that is not readily available is peanut butter. Bring your own.
Lynott Tours arranges everything for your family travel packages, so there is nothing for you to do but enjoy yourself. Here are just some suggestions for your family travel packages in Ireland:
Irish Melody Escorted Tour
It is difficult to find a coach tour that will take children, but we take children as young as 5 on this tour, because we have activities for them. Fun adventures include boat trips, bicycling, horseback riding and traditional music. Your children will meet other children on this tour. Sit back, relax, and leave the driving to our driver/guides. Our Irish Melody is a family tour, so we are well accustomed to handling kids and short attention spans. The most you are on the coach is 3 hours, but
there is usually a coffee stop or sightseeing stop en route. If you have just six or more persons, Lynott Tours can customize a trip for you, in a minicoach just for your family.
Self Drive Ireland
Select from B&B’s, working farms with animals to entertain the young folks, even a castle stay. Is a hotel with a pool a “must have”? Lynott Tours knows them all. Go wherever you please with a open prepaid voucher program, or we will pre-plan your itinerary for you. Know that the properties where you’ll stay have been inspected and are up to your standards, and ours. The choices are endless.
Rent a cottage or a castle in Ireland. When you’d like to be on your own, in a village of 8-10 identical cottages with other vacationers from around the world. Walk to the local store, cook your own meals for that finicky eater, and have your own home away from home for a week or more. Be the lord of the manor, or part of the village life atmosphere. A car is at your disposal, or Lynott Tours can arrange a driver
Grandparent Travel to Ireland. Do you relish the idea of having your children and their children all together at one time? A family trip to Ireland is the answer, with something to delight every member of the family, from school-age children to grandparents. Plan your own, special itinerary with the help of Lynott Tours, or choose from one of our well planned, well tested plans. We can work with any budget, planning memories that will last a lifetime and beyond.
Contact the family travel specialists in Ireland, Lynott Tours 1 (800) 221-2474 or email: ireland@lynotttours.com.
Elwood Rados