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The Diplomatic Academy’s new theatre was named after Cicely Mayhew following a vote amongst Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff in which she was the runaway winner.
The Mayhew Theatre is an interactive learning environment that allows remote participation from across the FCO global network thanks to high-resolution, multiple cameras and microphones that work seamlessly to capture presenters and speakers in the room.
The project began in 2017 when the Diplomatic Academy, the learning and development body of the FCO, requested a facility to make learning accessible to its global network.
A space was identified in an unused internal courtyard but as the FCO is a Grade 1 listed building, simply erecting a roof over the courtyard was not feasible. Instead, the new theatre building, including its hyperbolic paraboloid roof, was lowered into place by crane.
Jon Benjamin, Director of the Diplomatic Academy, said:
The new Mayhew Theatre shows in tangible form our commitment to equip our staff all across the world in physical and virtual learning sessions, ensuring they have the skills and knowledge needed for 21st Century diplomacy.
It is an honour for us to name this new learning facility after the pioneering female British diplomat, Lady Cicely Mayhew, and to welcome her family members to its opening ceremony.
Cicely Mayhew worked at Bletchley Park, having been recruited from university by naval intelligence. In 1947 she joined the FCO as one of the first female diplomats, helping to pave the way for more women to join the Diplomatic Service, which had excluded women until 1946.
Cicely met her future husband while posted to Geneva but because of the ‘marriage bar’ in the Diplomatic Service (lifted in 1972), she was required to resign from the FCO. As compensation she was given an allowance of one month’s salary for each of the two years she had served with the diplomatic service.
The Diplomatic Academy is a centre of excellence, helping FCO staff to become part of the best diplomatic service in the world. The academy brings together knowledge and expertise across the FCO and other Whitehall departments with international responsibilities. The materials produced by the Academy reflect the requirements of modern diplomacy, covering topics such as International Policy, Security Defence & Intelligence, Economics, and Languages, amongst others.
Litter presents a serious safety risk besides being unsightly and a risk to wildlife and the environment.
Around 200,000 bags of litter are collected from the motorway network every year and that is why Highways England is taking part in Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean again this year to help encourage people to keep the country clean.
Highways England’s head of customer and operational requirements Freda Rashdi said:
Litter is an important national issue and we’re pleased to be able to support the Great British Spring Clean.
Litter is not only unsightly as well as a risk to wildlife and the environment, but it also puts our workers at risk collecting it and it diverts time and money that could be better spent on improving the network.
If people don’t drop litter in the first place it wouldn’t need to be picked up – so we’re urging people to take their litter home instead of tossing it out of their car windows.
The Great British Spring Clean campaign takes place between Friday 22 March and Tuesday 23 April. Highways England picks litter throughout the year and is having a particular purge which started on Friday 1 March.
Allison Ogden Newton, Chief Executive at Keep Britain Tidy, said:
I’m delighted that Highways England has joined forces with us again this year to support the campaign and give our network a spring clean.
Our roadside verges are a haven for wildlife and we know that millions of small mammals are killed every year by litter that has been thrown from vehicles by thoughtless drivers.
Our army of up to 500,000 volunteers will be delighted to see that Highways England is supporting their efforts by cleaning up the places that they can’t get to – our high-speed road network and slip roads, where so much litter is tossed out of car windows.
During a similar purge last year, while also contending with ‘Beast from the East’, more than 8,000 bags of litter were collected, and Highways England expects to exceed that target this year.
But besides the usual takeaway wrappers or bottles that have been picked up, in previous years some of the more unusual items have included push bikes, fridges, settees and wallets which will also be removed if needed.
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.
The Prime Minister has today (4 March 2019) visited Salisbury exactly a year after a chemical weapon was used on the streets of the city to target Sergei and Yulia Skripal.
Theresa May visited local businesses and the historic cathedral to be updated on the work being done to help the city recover from the reckless attack.
She also met some of those most closely affected by last year’s incidents in Salisbury and Amesbury, including residents of Christie Miller Road – the neighbours of Sergei Skripal and where the nerve agent was deployed.
The Prime Minister’s visit followed DEFRA’s announcement on Friday that the unprecedented clean-up operation had been completed.
Prime Minister Theresa May said:
This city has shown such spirit and resolve in the last 12 months.
The impact of the utterly reckless use of a nerve agent should not and will not be forgotten.
But it is incredibly heartening to see the hard work and determination of the people here to ensure this city has a positive and prosperous future, which it deserves.
The Prime Minister arrived in Salisbury this morning and was met by the city’s MP, John Glen.
She then visited the historic High Street, dropping into the Smith England hairdressers and the Casa Fina gift shop, where she chatted to staff about the challenges they have faced.
Both businesses have been assisted with government funding in the last year, part of a £13 million support package provided to help the city recover from last year’s attack.
The Prime Minister then visited the world-famous Salisbury Cathedral. She spoke to Canon Nick Papadopulos, the Dean, before meeting volunteer guides and viewing the historic Magna Carta in the Chapter House.
The Prime Minister first visited the city last March in the aftermath of the reckless use of Novichok by the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU.
The government will continue to support the area now the clean-up operation is over.
Business Minister, Lord Henley, has been appointed Ministerial Champion for Salisbury – a single point of contact in government as work continues locally to boost business and tourism.
Providers are invited submit a tender to deliver the Immigration Telephone Advice service (ITA service) starting on 1 September 2019.
The ITA service provides non-means tested telephone based legal advice on immigration matters to anyone detained in police custody in England and Wales.
A single contract will be offered from 1 September 2019 to 31 August 2020. We reserve the right to extend the contract for a maximum further 9 months.
The successful applicant will be required to deliver the telephone advice service between the hours of 7am and 12 midnight.
It needs to be available 365 days year or 366 days in a leap year. This includes bank or public holidays.
The procurement process for the ITA service is open to all existing legal aid providers who are able to meet the minimum contract requirements.
We will not accept subcontracting or consortia arrangements for the delivery of the ITA service.
Tenders must be submitted using the LAA’s e-Tendering system. The tender opens on 4 March 2019.
To submit a compliant tender all organisations must submit a response to the ITA service invitation to tender (ITT) by 9am on 3 April 2019.
Immigration Telephone Advice tender – to find out more and download the Information For Applicants document
e-Tendering system – to submit your tender