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The Trumpet Newspaper Issue 555 (October 6 - 19 2021)

Beaten and detained. Metropolitan Police celebrates black officers

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<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

Africans now have a voice... Founded in <strong>19</strong>95<br />

V O L 27 N O <strong>555</strong> O C T O B E R 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />

PEER & CO<br />

IMMIGRATION SPECIALISTS<br />

15 Years experience with UK<br />

Immigration, Appeals,<br />

Deportations, and Removal cases.<br />

* Judicial Review. * Prison and<br />

Detention Centre Legal Visits.<br />

* British Citizenship Applications.<br />

* Visas and more...<br />

Free Initial Consultation and Competitive Legal Fees<br />

Birmingham: 0121 554 0565<br />

London: 020 7183 3706<br />

Watford: 0<strong>19</strong>23 901150<br />

Emergency: 07833 675415<br />

Email: shiraz@peerandco.com<br />

Head Office: 420 Witton Road,<br />

Aston, Birmingham B6 6PP<br />

Metropolitan<br />

Police<br />

celebrates<br />

black<br />

officers<br />

Beaten<br />

and<br />

detained<br />

In the past three days, at least 5,000 migrants<br />

and refugees have been rounded up across<br />

Tripoli by government security forces<br />

Continued on Page 2><br />

PC Bilal Sani-Mohammed<br />

Personal and unique stories<br />

of officers proud to work<br />

for London’s Metropolitan<br />

Police are being showcased in a<br />

series of public blogs during<br />

<strong>October</strong> to mark this year’s Black<br />

History Month.<br />

Each blog will detail a<br />

different individual’s story and<br />

tie into the <strong>2021</strong> theme of ‘Proud<br />

to be’<br />

<strong>The</strong> past contributions and<br />

achievements of black employees<br />

throughout the history of the Met<br />

will also be celebrated, and it is<br />

hoped that the range of different<br />

tales will help inspire other black<br />

Londoners to consider pursuing a<br />

career in policing.<br />

Acting Police Sergeant<br />

Richard Gayle will be one of<br />

those opening up about his own<br />

experiences. He embodies the<br />

link between past and present<br />

having been impressed when he<br />

was growing up by older<br />

relatives who were police<br />

Continued on Page 4>


Page2 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />

News<br />

Thousands beaten up, detained<br />

following days of mass arrests in Tripoli<br />

Continued from Page 1<<br />

Following five days of mass arrests of<br />

migrants and refugees from the streets of<br />

Tripoli, the number of people being held<br />

in detention centres has exploded; the<br />

arrests and treatment during detention<br />

have often been violent, with multiple<br />

people beaten, injured and even killed;<br />

people are being crammed into cells – in<br />

sometimes so little space, they’re forced<br />

to stand – in disgracefully unhygienic<br />

conditions; MSF calls on the Libyan<br />

authorities to halt the mass arrests and to<br />

release all people unlawfully held; MSF<br />

also urges the authorities to identify<br />

dignified alternatives to detention and<br />

allow the immediate resumption of<br />

resettlements flights.<br />

<strong>The</strong> numbers of migrants and<br />

refugees held in detention centres<br />

in Tripoli, Libya, have risen<br />

dramatically – to more than threefold -<br />

over the past five days, say teams from<br />

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). MSF –<br />

which provides medical care in three<br />

detention centres in the city – is<br />

profoundly disturbed by the increase,<br />

which is the direct result of five days of<br />

random mass arrests of migrants and<br />

refugees, including women and children,<br />

carried out in the city since 1 <strong>October</strong>.<br />

In the past three days, at least 5,000<br />

migrants and refugees have been rounded<br />

up across Tripoli by government security<br />

forces. During the raids on their homes,<br />

many of those captured were reportedly<br />

subjected to severe physical violence,<br />

including sexual violence. One young<br />

migrant was killed and at least five others<br />

sustained gunshot wounds, according to<br />

the UN.<br />

“We are seeing security forces take<br />

extreme measures to arbitrarily detain<br />

more vulnerable people in inhumane<br />

conditions in severely overcrowded<br />

facilities,” says Ellen van der Velden,<br />

MSF’s operations manager for Libya.<br />

“Entire families of migrants and refugees<br />

living in Tripoli have been captured,<br />

handcuffed and transported to various<br />

detention centres.”<br />

“In the process, people have been hurt<br />

and even killed, families have been split<br />

up and their homes have been reduced to<br />

piles of rubble,” says van der Velden.<br />

As a result of insecurity caused by the<br />

ongoing raids, our teams have been<br />

unable to run their weekly mobile clinics<br />

across the city for vulnerable migrants<br />

and refugees needing medical care. <strong>The</strong><br />

raids have also impacted people’s ability<br />

to move freely around the city and seek<br />

medical care, as those who have evaded<br />

arrest are fearful of going out of doors.<br />

“Armed and masked security men<br />

raided our house where I was living with<br />

three other people,” says Abdo*. “<strong>The</strong>y<br />

tied our hands behind our backs and<br />

dragged us out of the house. We were<br />

pleading for them to give us time to<br />

collect our belongings and important<br />

papers, but they wouldn’t listen.”<br />

“We were beaten in the process. Some<br />

people were beaten on their legs and<br />

suffered fractures,” says Abdo. “<strong>The</strong>y hit<br />

me on the head with the butt of a gun and<br />

I suffered serious injuries. [Later] the<br />

doctor had to stitch the wound and wrap<br />

it with 10 different dressings.”<br />

“<strong>The</strong> masked men led us all into<br />

vehicles, then we found ourselves in<br />

Ghout Sha’al Detention Centre. I was<br />

there for four days and experienced a<br />

very difficult time, seeing helpless people<br />

being beaten with weapons,” Abdo<br />

continues. “On the fourth day, I managed<br />

to escape. I am free now. I am free.”<br />

Those arrested have been taken to<br />

State-run detention centres and locked up<br />

in insanitary and severely overcrowded<br />

cells, with little clean water, food or<br />

access to toilets. After the violence of the<br />

arrests, it is likely that many are in need<br />

of urgent medical care.<br />

In the past two days, MSF teams have<br />

managed to visit two detention centres in<br />

the capital where people arrested in the<br />

recent raids are being held: Shara Zawiya<br />

and Al-Mabani (also known as Ghout<br />

Sha’al).<br />

In Shara Zawiya Detention Centre,<br />

which normally accommodates 200-250<br />

people, an MSF team witnessed more<br />

than 550 women and children crammed<br />

into the cells, including pregnant women<br />

and new-born babies. Around 120 people<br />

were sharing just one toilet, while<br />

buckets filled with urine were lined up<br />

near the doors of cells. When food was<br />

distributed, a commotion broke out as the<br />

detained women protested against the<br />

conditions in which they were being held.<br />

In Al-Mabani Detention Centre, our<br />

teams witnessed hangars and cells so<br />

overcrowded that the men inside them<br />

were forced to stand. Outside the cells,<br />

hundreds of women and children were<br />

being held in the open air, without shade<br />

or shelter. An MSF team spoke to men<br />

who said they had not eaten for three<br />

days, while several women said all they<br />

had received was a piece of bread and a<br />

triangle of processed cheese once a day.<br />

Our team found several men in an<br />

unconscious state and requiring urgent<br />

medical attention.<br />

During their visit to Al-Mabani, our<br />

team witnessed a group of detained<br />

migrants and refugees attempting to<br />

escape. <strong>The</strong>y were met with extreme<br />

violence: our team heard two rounds of<br />

heavy gunfire at very close range and<br />

witnessed the indiscriminate beating of a<br />

group of men, who were later forced into<br />

vehicles and driven to an unknown<br />

destination.<br />

In these very tense conditions and<br />

with the time of their visits severely<br />

limited, we treated 161 patients,<br />

including three for violence-related<br />

injuries. We also facilitated the transfer of<br />

21 patients in need of specialist medical<br />

care to clinics supported by MSF in<br />

Tripoli.<br />

MSF recently resumed medical<br />

activities in Shara Zawiya, Al-Mabani<br />

and Abu Salim Detention Centres in<br />

Tripoli after almost three months of<br />

suspension following repeated incidents<br />

of violence against migrants and refugees<br />

held in the facilities. <strong>The</strong> resumption of<br />

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“Instead of increasing the number of<br />

people held in detention centres, efforts<br />

should be made to put an end to arbitrary<br />

detention and close these dangerous and<br />

uninhabitable facilities,” says van der<br />

Velden. “More than ever before, migrants<br />

and refugees are living in danger and are<br />

trapped in Libya with very limited<br />

options for a way out - as humanitarian<br />

flights have been unjustifiably suspended<br />

for the second time this year.”<br />

MSF calls on the Libyan authorities<br />

to halt the mass arrests of vulnerable<br />

migrants and refugees, and to release all<br />

people unlawfully held in detention<br />

centres. MSF also urges the authorities,<br />

with the support of relevant<br />

organisations, to identify safe and<br />

dignified alternatives to detention and<br />

allow the immediate resumption of<br />

humanitarian evacuation and<br />

resettlements flights out of Libya.<br />

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* Judicial Review. * Prison and<br />

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* British Citizenship Applications.<br />

* Visas and more...<br />

Free Initial Consultation and Competitive Legal Fees<br />

Birmingham: 0121 554 0565<br />

London: 020 7183 3706<br />

Watford: 0<strong>19</strong>23 901150<br />

Emergency: 07833 675415<br />

Email: shiraz@peerandco.com<br />

Head Office: 420 Witton Road,<br />

Aston, Birmingham B6 6PP


OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

Page3


Page4<br />

<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />

News<br />

PC Bilal Sani-Mohammed<br />

<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> Group<br />

Field: 07956 385 604<br />

E-mail:<br />

info@the-trumpet.com<br />

<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong>Team<br />

PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:<br />

’Femi Okutubo<br />

CONTRIBUTORS:<br />

Moji Idowu, Ayo Odumade,<br />

Steve Mulindwa<br />

SPECIAL PROJECTS:<br />

Odafe Atogun<br />

John-Brown Adegunsoye (Abuja)<br />

DESIGN:<br />

Xandydesigns@gmail.com<br />

ATLANTA BUREAU CHIEF:<br />

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BOARD OF CONSULTANTS<br />

CHAIRMAN:<br />

Pastor Kolade Adebayo-Oke<br />

MEMBERS:<br />

Tunde Ajasa-Alashe<br />

Allison Shoyombo, Peter Osuhon<br />

<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> (ISSN: 1477-3392)<br />

is published in London fortnightly<br />

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Continued from Page 1<<br />

officers.<br />

He now hopes to inspire other<br />

black Londoners to join up. PS Gayle,<br />

who works in Specialist Operations,<br />

said: “I’m proud to be black and<br />

following in the footsteps of my dad<br />

and my great-uncle.<br />

“When I was a kid they inspired<br />

me to want to protect people and to<br />

take pride in my Caribbean heritage. I<br />

believe that you can’t be what you<br />

can’t see, so every day I go to work<br />

knowing I am potentially giving other<br />

young black people the courage to<br />

pursue their dreams.”<br />

Another officer who will share his<br />

story, PC Bilal Sani-Mohammed, a<br />

black Londoner working in the Met’s<br />

PC Bilal Sani-Mohammed<br />

Professionalism department.<br />

PC Sani-Mohammed said: “I love<br />

being a police officer and serving<br />

London every day. Currently, I’m part<br />

of the Deputy Commissioner’s<br />

Delivery Group, where I work to<br />

improve the Met’s relationship with<br />

our many communities. It’s a great<br />

role, where I’ve directly influenced<br />

change from within the organisation<br />

and for my community too.”<br />

This month will see a range of<br />

internal and external communityfocused<br />

initiatives to mark the <strong>2021</strong><br />

event, including one organised by the<br />

Met’s Black Police Networking<br />

Strand on Thursday 7 <strong>October</strong>. “Black<br />

History in Policing” will involve a<br />

special exhibition and senior black<br />

officers speaking about their journeys<br />

at Scotland Yard.<br />

Meanwhile the Met’s Black Police<br />

Association is also putting on a<br />

variety of talks and special events,<br />

including a probationer conducting an<br />

interview with a long-serving black<br />

special constable who has now served<br />

for an incredible 42 years.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re are more than 5,000 officers<br />

from under-represented groups –<br />

more than half of all the officers in<br />

England and Wales – now working in<br />

the Met – 450 of whom joined in the<br />

last financial year. Around 1,000 of<br />

those are black.<br />

While the Met is pleased at the<br />

progress made to date towards<br />

increasing representation in the<br />

workforce, it acknowledges there is<br />

still much work to be done to achieve<br />

its aim of fully reflecting the diversity<br />

of all the capital’s many communities.<br />

<strong>The</strong> force’s latest recruitment<br />

campaign, ‘Now More than Ever’,<br />

which launched over summer, hopes<br />

to aid this process. It foregrounded<br />

ambassadors from a range of ethnic<br />

groups who are enjoying varied and<br />

successful careers in the Met, and<br />

shared their personal experiences, in a<br />

bid to both reassure and encourage<br />

other members of under-represented<br />

communities to join up.<br />

This followed the announcement<br />

earlier in the year of the bold<br />

recruitment aspiration for Black,<br />

Asian and Multiple Ethnic Heritage<br />

officers to make up 40% of all new<br />

officers recruited from April 2022.<br />

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick<br />

has previously expressed her personal<br />

commitment to this goal. She said:<br />

“<strong>The</strong> Met already has so many<br />

brilliant black officers and staff,<br />

enjoying and contributing to a wide<br />

variety of roles. I want to increase<br />

their numbers and ensure that they all<br />

really thrive, together with all our<br />

colleagues, in a healthy and inclusive<br />

workplace.”<br />

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OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

Page5


Page6 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong>


OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

Page7


Page8 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />

News<br />

Men sentenced for £5,000 bitcoin scam<br />

Two men who conned a man into from City of London Police, said:<br />

cash before Oluwasegun ran from the<br />

handing over £5,000 in a bitcoin “Billions and Oluwasegun conspired to<br />

hotel and no bitcoins were ever<br />

scam at a City of London hotel trick the victim into thinking they were<br />

transferred to him. Billions did not meet<br />

have been sentenced.<br />

25-year-old Samuel Billions of<br />

going to receive a deal on bitcoins, but<br />

the reality was it was all an elaborate lie<br />

with the victim at the hotel but arranged<br />

everything in the background as part of<br />

Hackney and 24-year-old Samuel to get the victim to hand over his money.<br />

the conspiracy.<br />

Oluwasegun of Gravesend, conspired to <strong>The</strong>se two criminals will now pay the<br />

After a complex investigation,<br />

falsely lead the victim to believe that he<br />

was purchasing bitcoins from them.<br />

<strong>The</strong> pair were sentenced at Inner<br />

London Crown Court on September 22,<br />

<strong>2021</strong>. Billions was ordered to carry out<br />

price for their dishonesty.<br />

“If someone offers you something<br />

which seems like it is too good to be true,<br />

the chances are it probably is. Always<br />

stop and take a moment to think before<br />

Billions was identified through his profile<br />

on a bitcoin trading website and<br />

subscriber checks on his mobile phone.<br />

Oluwasegun was identified through<br />

fingerprints left at the scene.<br />

100 hours of unpaid work over the next parting with your money or information<br />

<strong>The</strong> victim went to the hotel thinking<br />

During police interviews,<br />

12 months, given a 12-week curfew order as it could keep you safe and protect you<br />

that he was purchasing bitcoins at an<br />

Oluwasegun and Billions both answered<br />

and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of from criminals carrying out fraud.”<br />

agreed exchange rate and he was told by<br />

no comment to all questions asked.<br />

£90. Oluwasegun was ordered to Billions, who used bitcoin trading<br />

Oluwasegun, who he had had no previous<br />

Oluwasegun pleaded guilty to<br />

complete 80 hours of unpaid work over websites, had contacted the victim to set<br />

contact with, that he was there to collect<br />

conspiracy to defraud in July <strong>2021</strong> and<br />

the next 12 months and must also pay a up the trap, but the victim met<br />

the cash so that the bitcoin transfer could<br />

Billions was found guilty of conspiracy<br />

victim surcharge of £90.<br />

Oluwasegun at a hotel in the City of<br />

take place.<br />

to defraud at Inner London Crown Court<br />

Detective Constable Ufuk Ekbic, London on <strong>October</strong> <strong>19</strong>, 20<strong>19</strong>.<br />

<strong>The</strong> victim handed over £5,000 in<br />

on August 11, <strong>2021</strong> following a trial.<br />

Technology<br />

Digital players shine at Africa Digital<br />

Manager Award<br />

<strong>The</strong> Africa Digital Manager Award<br />

(ADMA) organized by Inetum<br />

(formerly Gfi) brought together<br />

various African digital players and<br />

rewarded the three winners from <strong>2021</strong>.<br />

Building on the success of this first<br />

competition, ESN is launching the second<br />

one, in partnership with the Ecole<br />

Centrale de Casablanca again, to reward<br />

companies and managers who have led<br />

digitalization projects in Africa.<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>2021</strong> ADMA awards ceremony<br />

took place on Inetum’s new premises in<br />

Morocco, in Casanearshore (Casablanca).<br />

This ceremony closed the first year of this<br />

competition which brought together<br />

candidates from all over Africa. This<br />

event also made it possible to encourage<br />

digital projects that participate in<br />

economic development across the African<br />

continent today and inspire the initiatives<br />

of tomorrow.<br />

Saloua Karkri-Belkeziz, President of Inetum in Africa<br />

<strong>The</strong> meeting was also a platform for<br />

discussion on digitalization issues in<br />

Africa, and the trends revealed by the<br />

candidates’ projects. Vincent Rouaix,<br />

Chairman and CEO of Inetum says: “We<br />

believe in Africa, which is a growing<br />

continent; digital represents an<br />

opportunity for its economy. Hosting the<br />

ADMA and the opening of our FabLab in<br />

Casablanca are proof of our commitment<br />

and our desire to shine on the continent.<br />

We are present in close proximity there,<br />

to support the digital transition of<br />

companies, the economy and, more<br />

generally of society, to make the most of<br />

digital flow.”<br />

Saloua Karkri-Belkeziz, President of<br />

Inetum in Africa announced: “We are<br />

pleased that ADMA is meeting with such<br />

enthusiasm. Thanks to this project, Inetum<br />

is at the heart of a dynamic for the<br />

development of innovation ecosystems on<br />

the continent. It is an enriching experience<br />

thanks to the exchanges we share with<br />

talented managers around ambitious<br />

projects carried out by African companies<br />

and institutions. And we will be keen to<br />

make this initiative last, so that it<br />

constitutes a real platform for identifying<br />

the best digital projects in Africa, every<br />

year. “<br />

At the opening ceremony, Inetum<br />

announced the 2022 competition. Online<br />

applications for the new event are now<br />

open on the ADMA website: .<br />

To compete, participants must submit<br />

projects carried out internally or in<br />

partnership with third parties<br />

(laboratories, universities, subsidiaries or<br />

other partners). Candidates can also<br />

present a managerial method used to<br />

effectively lead one or more projects<br />

based on agility, change management or<br />

any other performance measure. <strong>The</strong><br />

nature of innovation or managerial<br />

excellence will determine the best<br />

dossiers selected by the jury.<br />

<strong>The</strong> first edition ADMA brought<br />

together 52 candidate projects with 10<br />

finalists from 7 countries: Mali, Benin,<br />

Senegal, Cameroon, Congo, Morocco and<br />

Celebrating Africa's digital players<br />

Algeria. <strong>The</strong> 3 winners were able to<br />

receive their trophies:<br />

• Maghreb Accessoires for the North<br />

Africa region, for the digitization<br />

project addressing the entire<br />

organization, with the aim of<br />

optimizing management processes and<br />

modernizing the customer experience.<br />

• Orange Cameroun took home the<br />

ADMA award for Central Africa,<br />

through the MyWay + platform, which<br />

consists of innovation and<br />

modernization of the customer<br />

experience.<br />

• La Caisse de sécurité sociale du<br />

Sénégal (IPRES) won the ADMA<br />

award for West Africa, for the project<br />

aimed at modernizing and<br />

harmonizing the information systems<br />

of this public administration.<br />

<strong>The</strong> winners will benefit from dual<br />

support with substantial added value.<br />

First, consulting support for the winning<br />

company provided by Inetum’s expert<br />

consultants. In addition, Six Sigma Green<br />

Belt certification training provided by the<br />

ADMA competition partner, l’École<br />

Centrale de Casablanca, for the managers<br />

who helmed the winning projects.


OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

Page9


Page10 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />

Science<br />

Scientists discover why some<br />

individuals have stronger natural<br />

defences against SARS-COV-2<br />

Anew study has revealed key<br />

insights into the natural human<br />

antiviral defences against<br />

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes<br />

COVID-<strong>19</strong>.<br />

<strong>The</strong> research, published in the<br />

journal Science and led by a team of<br />

scientists at the MRC-University of<br />

Glasgow Centre for Virus Research,<br />

sheds new light on why some people<br />

are naturally more resistant to serious<br />

SARS-CoV-2 infection – and how, in<br />

the future, the coronavirus might<br />

overcome this resistance.<br />

COVID-<strong>19</strong> is spread from person to<br />

person after the virus, shed by an<br />

infected person, infects the cells of a<br />

new host. Once infected, our cells try to<br />

fight off the invading virus and<br />

scientists already know that this works<br />

better in some people, making their<br />

experience of the disease less severe.<br />

However, until now, that anti-viral<br />

response – and its effect on the virus<br />

SARS-CoV-2 – hasn’t been wellunderstood.<br />

In the study, the scientists reveal that<br />

some people have a version of a gene,<br />

called OAS1, that potently inhibits<br />

SARS-CoV-2.<br />

<strong>The</strong> study showed that, while some<br />

people can express a more protective<br />

‘prenylated’ version of the OAS1 gene,<br />

other people express a version of this<br />

gene which does not detect SARS-<br />

CoV-2.<br />

Inside cells, coronaviruses hide and<br />

replicate inside vesicles coated with<br />

Some individuals have stronger natural defences against SARS-COV-2..<br />

lipid (fat). Prenylation is the addition of<br />

a single molecule of lipid (fat) to a<br />

protein – and it’s this technical<br />

difference that allows prenylated OAS1<br />

to ‘seek out’ the invading virus and<br />

‘sound the alarm’.<br />

<strong>The</strong> study found that, in hospitalised<br />

patients, expression of a prenylated<br />

version of this gene was associated with<br />

protection from severe COVID-<strong>19</strong>,<br />

which suggests this antiviral defence is<br />

a major component of a protective<br />

antiviral response; and is likely to have<br />

offered protection to many people<br />

during the course of the pandemic.<br />

<strong>The</strong> study also found that<br />

hospitalized COVID-<strong>19</strong> patients with<br />

the ‘bad’ form of OAS1 had worse<br />

clinical outcomes compared to those<br />

who expressed the protective<br />

prenylated version of OAS1. Severe<br />

disease was significantly more frequent<br />

with ICU admission or death being<br />

approximately 1.6 times more likely in<br />

these patients.<br />

Interestingly, the researchers also<br />

found that, approximately 55 million<br />

years ago, there was a removal of this<br />

protective gene in horseshoe bats – the<br />

presumed source of SARS-CoV-2) – so<br />

therefore SARS-CoV-2 never had to<br />

adapt to evade this defence.<br />

As the protective prenylated OAS1<br />

gene is widespread in animals, the<br />

billions of people that lack this<br />

protective gene could make humans<br />

particularly vulnerable to the spill over<br />

of coronaviruses from horseshoe bats.<br />

Sam Wilson said: “We know viruses<br />

adapt, and even SARS-CoV-2 has<br />

likely adapted to replicate in the animal<br />

reservoir(s) in which it circulates.<br />

Cross-species transmission to humans<br />

exposed the virus SARS-CoV-2 to a<br />

new repertoire of antiviral defences,<br />

some of which SARS-CoV-2 may not<br />

know how to evade.<br />

“What our study shows us is that the<br />

coronavirus that caused the SARS<br />

outbreak in 2003 learned to evade<br />

prenylated OAS1. If SARS-CoV-2<br />

variants learn the same trick, they could<br />

be substantially more pathogenic and<br />

transmissible in unvaccinated<br />

populations. This reinforces the need to<br />

continually monitor the emergence of<br />

new SARS-CoV-2 variants.”<br />

<strong>The</strong> study, ‘A Prenylated dsRNA<br />

Sensor Protects Against Severe<br />

COVID-<strong>19</strong>,’ is published in Science.<br />

<strong>The</strong> study was predominantly funded<br />

by the Medical Research Council,<br />

Wellcome, and UKRI.<br />

A link to the study can be found<br />

here:<br />

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/s<br />

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Charity<br />

OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />

<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

Page11<br />

VIN Club fundraises<br />

for Heritage<br />

Outreach<br />

Philanthropic organisation - VIN Club<br />

holds its flagship 4 th annual Black-<br />

Tie charity event on November 13<br />

<strong>2021</strong> - in support of Heritage Outreach, a<br />

UK registered charity that supports orphans<br />

and vulnerable children in Nigeria.<br />

Known for its charitable activities in the<br />

United Kingdom and Nigeria, VIN Club<br />

was established in 2014 by 11 like-minded<br />

individuals with the aim of contributing<br />

positively to the “Big Society” primarily<br />

through its charity work. Other areas of the<br />

club’s interest are Investments,<br />

Entertainment and Empowerment.<br />

In previous years, VIN club raised a<br />

total of £8,800 for Sickle Cell Society UK<br />

in 20<strong>19</strong>; and £9,000 for Autism Initiatives<br />

UK in 2018, and almost £14,000 for<br />

RACET - a UK based charity that helps<br />

children in rural communities in Nigeria<br />

attend school.<br />

In addition to these fund-raising<br />

activities, VIN club also has charitable<br />

pledges it honours every year such as<br />

sponsoring university education for 2<br />

RACET students, supporting the less<br />

privileged on the streets, and donating food<br />

and other materials to food banks.<br />

At the start of <strong>2021</strong>, the club voted to<br />

continue with the “Charity begins at home”<br />

approach it adopted in 20<strong>19</strong>, by supporting<br />

a charity that operates in Nigeria but under<br />

UK charity commission governance.<br />

Heritage Outreach has an orphanage in<br />

Isonyin-Ijebu where they provide shelter,<br />

care, comfort and education of orphans and<br />

vulnerable children.<br />

According to the Club’s President, Mr<br />

Tunde Adebayo “Heritage Outreach meets<br />

all the criteria we look out for when looking<br />

for a charity to adopt. We are particularity<br />

impressed with their purpose and passion<br />

of transforming the lives of orphans and<br />

vulnerable children in Nigeria. We see this<br />

as a give back project”<br />

<strong>The</strong> event holds at <strong>The</strong> Discovery<br />

Centre, Jenkins Lane, Barking IG11 0AD<br />

from 4pm. Tickets to the event are £75 per<br />

head – with early-bird tickets available at<br />

£60 per head till 13 th <strong>October</strong>, <strong>2021</strong>. Tickets<br />

can be purchased at Eventbrite (vinclub.eventbrite.com)<br />

Ahead of the November 13 Black-Tie<br />

event, Vin club would also be raising funds<br />

for Heritage Outreach by embarking on a<br />

15km sponsored walk on <strong>October</strong> the 16 th .<br />

<strong>The</strong> walk can be supported using this link ()<br />

Further information about VIN Club is<br />

available at: ; Instagram - @clubvin1; and<br />

Facebook - @clubvin1<br />

<strong>The</strong>Arts<br />

Free creative training<br />

for Manchester<br />

residents<br />

Manchester International Festival<br />

(MIF) has announced its latest<br />

Factory Academy programme<br />

for the <strong>2021</strong>/22 academic year, providing<br />

skills and training programmes for the<br />

creative industries for people in<br />

Manchester and the wider city region.<br />

Launched in 2018 by MIF, in<br />

partnership with a consortium of cultural<br />

organisations in the city, the awardwinning<br />

Factory Academy is a key part<br />

of the vision to put skills and training<br />

opportunities at the heart of <strong>The</strong> Factory,<br />

Manchester’s landmark new arts space.<br />

Over the next five years, it will deliver<br />

around 1,400 fully funded training<br />

opportunities, creating accessible<br />

pathways to work in an increasingly<br />

important sector and supporting the<br />

region’s economic recovery.<br />

In <strong>2021</strong>/22, the Factory Academy will<br />

offer places to 250 people across a range<br />

of programmes including bespoke preemployment<br />

academies on subjects from<br />

construction to broadcast and film<br />

production, industry traineeships<br />

designed to immerse students in the<br />

creative and cultural industries, and<br />

opportunities to manage creative projects<br />

to develop key skills. Alongside this, it<br />

will offer Kickstart Wraparound Support<br />

to creative and cultural employers,<br />

aligned to the government Kickstart<br />

Scheme, combining students’ on-the-job<br />

learning and unique opportunities for<br />

personal development in a workplace<br />

setting.<br />

<strong>The</strong> latest opportunity is a new 15-day<br />

training academy developed in<br />

partnership with Laing O’Rourke, Ryder<br />

Architecture and other companies who<br />

are working to bring <strong>The</strong> Factory to life.<br />

Students will discover what goes on<br />

behind the scenes at an innovative<br />

construction project, receive first-hand<br />

guidance from industry experts and<br />

develop new skills for working in<br />

construction. <strong>The</strong> course, which takes<br />

place 11-29 <strong>October</strong>, is fully funded, with<br />

no cost to participants, and is open to<br />

anyone in Manchester or Greater<br />

Manchester aged <strong>19</strong>-24 and on Universal<br />

Credit. On completion of the academy,<br />

students will have the chance to apply for<br />

a six-month paid Kickstart role with<br />

organisations working on the design and<br />

construction of <strong>The</strong> Factory.<br />

Last year, over 150 Greater<br />

<strong>The</strong> launch of the Cultural Consortium<br />

Manchester residents benefited from the<br />

Factory Academy – its first year as an<br />

independent training provider. Despite<br />

the challenges of the pandemic period, an<br />

average of 50% of students have<br />

progressed into work or further study<br />

within three months of completing the<br />

Factory Futures Academy course in the<br />

past year. In June <strong>2021</strong>, <strong>The</strong> Factory<br />

Academy was awarded the Marquee<br />

Award at the inaugural Manchester Adult<br />

Education and Skills Awards.<br />

Ten students graduated from the<br />

Continued on Page 13


Page12 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />

Earn money as a <strong>Trumpet</strong> Ambassador<br />

campaign.<br />

Sale of Banner Adverts, ‘Highlights’ and<br />

Mail-shots our in Email Newsletters.<br />

With rates ranging from £100 to £500 per<br />

insertion, we pay Ambassadors a 15%<br />

Commission.<br />

Sale of Advertising on our Social Media<br />

channels.<br />

With rates ranging between £100 to £200<br />

per channel per post, we pay a 15%<br />

Commission.<br />

Sale of Sponsorship, Advertising,<br />

Exhibition spaces and Tickets for GAB<br />

Awards and <strong>Trumpet</strong> Connect.<br />

With most products and services ranging<br />

between £100 and £20,000, we pay a 15%<br />

Commission.<br />

Engagement Status<br />

Our freelance Ambassadors run their own<br />

business, work from their own home or<br />

office, and choose the amount of time<br />

they devote to the programme. <strong>The</strong>y work<br />

towards the amount they want to earn.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y choose their legal status in terms of<br />

whether they operate as a Self-Employed<br />

individual or a Limited Company or any<br />

other appropriate status depending on the<br />

country they operate, but we suggest you<br />

take professional advice on this.<br />

Ambassadors are fully responsible for<br />

ensuring their tax affairs and other related<br />

issues fulfil the legal requirements of their<br />

country of operation.<br />

Incentives<br />

From time to time, to incentivise our<br />

Ambassadors, we may run special<br />

promotions, or reward achievements,<br />

milestones and introduction of other<br />

Ambassadors to the programme through<br />

cash or advert credits.<br />

About Us<br />

<strong>Trumpet</strong> Media Group is an<br />

international media organisation with<br />

various media products, services and<br />

events targeting Africa, Africans and Friends<br />

of Africa in the Diaspora and on the<br />

Continent.<br />

Its first media venture - <strong>Trumpet</strong> <strong>Newspaper</strong><br />

started 23 years ago - in <strong>19</strong>95, closely<br />

followed by the founding of the prestigious<br />

Gathering of Africa’s Best (GAB) Awards in<br />

<strong>19</strong>99. <strong>The</strong>re are a number of other niche<br />

products, services and events - with plans to<br />

grow our portfolio over the coming months<br />

and years.<br />

Sales Ambassadors<br />

Our planned future growth has given rise to<br />

the need to take on talented and ambitious<br />

Sales Ambassadors who share our vision of:<br />

promoting the positive image of Africa and<br />

Africans, and are able to sell some (or all) of<br />

our growing number of products and services<br />

on a freelance basis.<br />

Products and Services<br />

We are introducing our portfolio of products,<br />

services, and events below on to the <strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

Ambassadors Programme (TAP) in phases.<br />

Print <strong>Newspaper</strong>s: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Trumpet</strong> <strong>Newspaper</strong><br />

and <strong>Trumpet</strong> Ghana <strong>Newspaper</strong>.<br />

Website: www.<strong>Trumpet</strong>MediaGroup.com<br />

Email Newsletters: <strong>Trumpet</strong> Newsbreaker,<br />

<strong>Trumpet</strong> Kenya, <strong>Trumpet</strong> Nigeria, <strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

Sierra Leone, <strong>Trumpet</strong> Gambia, <strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

Ghana<br />

Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,<br />

Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+ and WhatsApp.<br />

Events: GAB Awards and <strong>Trumpet</strong> Connect.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Opportunities<br />

Opportunities to earn revenue through<br />

Commissions are currently available by<br />

way of:<br />

Sale of Subscriptions to any (or both) of<br />

our Print <strong>Newspaper</strong>s.<br />

With Annual Subscriptions starting from<br />

£60, we pay a 10% Commission.<br />

Distribution and Sales of bulk copies our<br />

<strong>Newspaper</strong>s.<br />

We pay a 35% Commission - split between<br />

the Ambassador and the Sales Outlet.<br />

(Outlets will usually take between 15%<br />

and 25% depending on its type and your<br />

negotiating skills.)<br />

Ambassadors may choose to sell directly<br />

to their clientele or at events and keep the<br />

entire 35% Commission.<br />

Sale of Advertising Spaces in our Print<br />

<strong>Newspaper</strong>s.<br />

With most Advert Spaces ranging from<br />

£80 to £4500 per edition, we pay a 15%<br />

Commission. You receive a Commission<br />

on all editions in the campaign in line<br />

with the Client’s payment - for example, if<br />

an advertiser books and pays for six<br />

editions, you get a Commission on all six<br />

editions.<br />

Sale of Banner Adverts on Website<br />

With Banner Adverts ranging between<br />

£50 and £200 per week, we pay a 15%<br />

Commission for the length of the<br />

Payments<br />

Commission Payments to Ambassadors<br />

are made by the 15th day of the month<br />

following payment of Clients - For<br />

example, Commission on Clients’<br />

payments in January will be paid by 15th<br />

February.<br />

Distribution and Sales of bulk copies of<br />

<strong>Newspaper</strong>s (4.3) are excluded from the<br />

payment arrangement above (7.1).<br />

An Ambassador buys and pays for bulk<br />

copies in advance at a discounted rate<br />

with the TAP Commission deducted upfront.<br />

For example, if an Ambassador<br />

orders bulk copies worth £100 in advance,<br />

the Ambassador only pays us £65<br />

(deducting the 35% Commission upfront).<br />

We operate a No-Returns policy on<br />

<strong>Newspaper</strong> Sales.<br />

Joining the Programme<br />

It currently costs £100 per annum to join<br />

the <strong>Trumpet</strong> Ambassadors Programme<br />

(TAP).<br />

Introductory Offer - Join the programme<br />

by 31 August 2018 and accumulate sales<br />

of at least £1000 across any or all of our<br />

products by 30 September 2018; and we<br />

will reward you with 100 TAP Points<br />

worth £100 - which you can spend on any<br />

of our opportunities (4.2) - (4.8).<br />

To join the programme, please request the<br />

<strong>Trumpet</strong> Ambassadors Programme Form<br />

and via email: info@the-trumpet.com


<strong>The</strong>Arts<br />

Free creative training for<br />

OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />

<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

Halima a Creative Venue Technician<br />

apprentice at the Royal Exchange<br />

<strong>The</strong>atre - Photo by Chris Payne<br />

Page13<br />

Manchester residents<br />

Continued from Page 11<<br />

Broadcast and Film Production<br />

Traineeship in April, a partnership with<br />

Toasted Productions, Near-life, Dock 10,<br />

Jist, Title Role, <strong>The</strong> Gate Films, Delaval,<br />

Vision in Colour and Eight Engines. To<br />

date, six of the ten graduates have<br />

progressed into paid employment with<br />

organisations such as Badger and<br />

Combes, Toasted Productions, MIF and<br />

BBC Studios.<br />

One of the graduates, Daniel<br />

Goodchild said: “<strong>The</strong> access and the<br />

resources that <strong>The</strong> Factory Academy<br />

gives to be able to apply for these jobs is<br />

just so important. I completed the<br />

Broadcast & Film Training Academy and<br />

got a BTEC out of it, was selected for a<br />

placement at Toasted Productions and<br />

then they invited me back so I’m working<br />

here full time now. <strong>The</strong>re was nothing else<br />

that I had on my resume that could even<br />

get me close to a job like this.”<br />

Simon Marsland, Director of<br />

Toasted Productions said: “It’s had a<br />

really positive impact. Businesses should<br />

get involved in <strong>The</strong> Factory Academy<br />

because everyone wins out of it.”<br />

Madison Freeman was one of ten<br />

graduates who completed paid<br />

internships at Manchester International<br />

Festival in the lead up to and during the<br />

<strong>2021</strong> festival. Speaking about her<br />

experience, she said: “<strong>The</strong> contacts that<br />

I’ve made that can help me in the future<br />

has definitely boosted my confidence. It’s<br />

just proved to me that there are no<br />

boundaries and I can do whatever I want<br />

- and think big!”<br />

Gary Briggs, Acting Head of Skills<br />

and Training at MIF said: “<strong>The</strong> Factory<br />

Academy creates unique opportunities<br />

that aren’t offered elsewhere through the<br />

partnerships we’ve developed with<br />

employers and the support we offer to<br />

help open their doors to trainees. Our<br />

courses are bespoke, not off the shelf,<br />

developed with industry experts with<br />

specialist knowledge and experience from<br />

a range of sectors, from illustrators to<br />

military trainers, sustainability experts to<br />

musicians and arts technicians.<br />

“Our aim is to reach people that<br />

wouldn’t usually consider a career in the<br />

cultural industries and to remove some of<br />

the traditional barriers, including<br />

offering open recruitment days instead of<br />

written application forms, giving the<br />

highest quality experience with a focus on<br />

experiential learning and selfdevelopment.<br />

All the skills and<br />

knowledge you’ll acquire at a Factory<br />

Futures training programme align to<br />

employment within the creative industries<br />

and beyond and are transferable across<br />

the sector.”<br />

Randel Bryan, Executive Director at<br />

Manchester International Festival, said:<br />

“<strong>The</strong> Factory Academy is a key part of<br />

our vision to put skills and training<br />

opportunities at the heart of <strong>The</strong> Factory.<br />

From 2023, <strong>The</strong> Factory will become a<br />

major training centre for local people<br />

wanting to work in a huge range of roles<br />

in the creative industries, meaning people<br />

can pursue careers, working alongside<br />

world-class talents, without having to<br />

leave the region. <strong>The</strong>re will also be<br />

opportunities for local artists to develop<br />

and grow with the support of the MIF and<br />

the partners of the Cultural Skills<br />

Consortium.”<br />

According to research by the CBI<br />

published in the months just before the<br />

pandemic hit in March 2020, Manchester<br />

is the second largest creative city in<br />

Europe after London, at that time<br />

bringing in £1.4bn to the city’s economy.<br />

Sir Richard Leese, Leader of<br />

Manchester City Council, said: “In<br />

Manchester, we’ve never doubted the<br />

power of culture and creativity to help<br />

change lives and this is why we continue<br />

to invest in it, and why the city has been<br />

recognised as the second largest creative<br />

city in Europe after London.<br />

“By providing new and innovative<br />

training and development opportunities<br />

for local people in the cultural and<br />

creative industries, the Factory Academy<br />

has a key part to play in helping us grow<br />

our own highly skilled workforce here in<br />

Tel: +44 (0) 7956 385 604<br />

the city and in supporting the continued<br />

growth of the sector.”<br />

Applications for the <strong>2021</strong>/22<br />

programme open from September. For<br />

more information, please visit mif.co.uk<br />

Factory Academy - putting skills and training opportunities at the heart of<br />

Manchester’s landmark new arts space<br />

<strong>The</strong> Factory Academy Apprentices -<br />

L-R - Louis Fryman, Eloise Bickle, Halima Arteh, Arber Binjaku - Photo by Chris Payne


Page14 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />

We are recruiting:<br />

Independent Sales Consultants<br />

<strong>Trumpet</strong> Media Group - an<br />

international media<br />

organisation targeting Africa,<br />

Africans and Friends of Africa<br />

in the Diaspora and on the<br />

Continent was founded 24<br />

years ago - in <strong>19</strong>95.<br />

Our growth has given rise to the need to engage the services<br />

of self-employed Independent Sales Consultants and<br />

organisations to sell some (or all) of our growing number of<br />

products and services on a Commission-only basis.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Opportunities<br />

Opportunities to earn revenue through Commissions are<br />

currently available by way of:<br />

· Sale of Subscriptions to our Print <strong>Newspaper</strong>s.<br />

· Distribution and Sales of bulk copies our <strong>Newspaper</strong>s.<br />

· Sale of Advertising Spaces in our Print <strong>Newspaper</strong>s.<br />

· Sale of Banner Adverts on Website.<br />

· Sale of Banner Adverts, ‘Highlights’ and Mail-shots in Email<br />

Newsletters.<br />

· Sale of Advertising posts on our Social Media channels.<br />

· Sale of Sponsorship, Advertising, Exhibition spaces and<br />

Tickets for GAB Awards and other events.<br />

To apply, please email: info@the-trumpet.com


OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

Page15


Page16 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> OCTOBER 6 - <strong>19</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />

<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> is published in London fortnightly by <strong>Trumpet</strong><br />

Field: 07956 385 604 E-mail: info@the-trumpet.com (ISSN: 1477-3392)

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