Island Life Magazine Ltd June/July 2014 | Page 138

EDUCATION Suicide rates soar as economy cuts bite t: 023 9284 4888 T he effect of economic cuts on debt-ravaged Greece included a dramatic rise in the number of men committing suicide, according to new research. The research, by Dr Nikolaos Antonakakis and Professor Alan Collins at the University of Portsmouth’s Business School, is the first to examine the direct impact of fiscal austerity on suicide rates. The economists are calling for Governments to find ways of stopping people being broken by harsh economic cuts. According to the research, published in ‘Social Science and Medicine’, 551 men committed suicide between 2009 and 2010 in Greece solely due to fiscal austerity. Dr Antonakakis said: “We were surprised, this is a huge number, but the results were very clear – more men commit suicide as economic conditions worsen. “Interestingly, the effects of fiscal austerity and economic growth are gender-specific, with no obvious rise in the number of women committing suicide.” Men aged 45 to 89 are the most likely to commit suicide in response to harsh economic cuts because they are most likely to suffer drastic cuts to their salaries and pensions. The outlook for Greece in the short to medium term does not look encouraging. Dr Antonakakis said: “The situation in Greece is improving and the country recently returned to the bond markets to get self-financed for the first time since it needed international rescue loans in 2010. However, the road is still very steep. Unemployment is at 27 per cent and the country’s debt is still at an unsustainable 170 per cent.” e: [email protected] Nikolaos Antonakakis RIWAS funding offers important support t: 08452 269098 T he Royal IW Agricultural Society Rural Careers Fund offers financial support to people aged under 25 - and occasionally older. The scheme is intended to add value to the Isle of Wight's farming and land-based industries by offering financial support to help young people gain relevant qualifications or skills. There are two categories of award from the fund: • Scholarships of up to £3,000 each are awarded annually. • Bursaries of up to £200 which are considered regularly throughout the year. Applicants should generally be under 25 years old, but exceptionally an older candidate may be accepted. Successful 138 www.visitilife.com applicants will be Island residents, or have a strong Island connection, and their award will be in some way bring added value to the Island. Previous applicants are welcome to reapply for an award, whether or not they have been successful in the past. The awards are for people who want to develop their skills within agriculture e: [email protected] or land-based and related industries. This could include full-time study, short courses, or broader vocational development. Travel costs alone will rarely be the basis of a successful award, although may form an element of it. Awards will not normally be made to support second degrees or other post-graduate study. Scholarship applications should be received by July 31 and there will be interviews during August. Award winners will be notified by August 31. An offer may be conditional, for example on the applicant being offered a place at a college or achieving certain grades. Anyone interested in finding out more about the RIWAS Rural Careers Fund, Tel - 0845 226 9098 or visit riwas@ naturalenterprise.co.uk