Latest news with #Grow
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Mental health charity urges people to hit Wexford beaches for a ‘Dip @ Dusk'
Having recently taken on the role of Regional Area Lead for Grow, local independent councillor Leonard Kelly is urging people to sign up, pay their €25 registration fee and help the charity to continue the work it has been doing in the area of mental health stretching back some 55 years. "The area I manage covers the south east,' Cllr Kelly explains. 'In Co Wexford, we already have a group in Wexford town and Ramsgrange and I have ambitious plans to expand in the months ahead, with a new group already at planning stage for later this year.' At its core, Grow provides peer support groups for individuals experiencing mental health challenges. They offer a confidential and supportive environment where people can share their stories, learn coping strategies, and work towards personal growth and recovery. The organization operates on a 12-step program model, emphasizing mutual support and personal development. "While we do receive some HSE funding, it doe s not cover all costs,' Cllr Kelly explains. 'That's why fundraisers like this are important, from a financial perspective, but also to build awareness of the organization, 'DIP@DUSK, the nationwide open-water swim fundraiser, runs from Thursday June 19 to Sunday June 22, encouraging individuals and communities to embrace the outdoors, boost their mental wellbeing, and raise funds to support people experiencing mental health challenges.' With no set locations, the fundraiser is deliberately flexible and those interested in taking part can register at
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
'Investment in saving lives': Contract for alcohol and drugs crisis outreach service approved by Renfrewshire councillors
Elected members authorised senior officers to award deal to nationwide charitable organisation Change, Grow, Live. A contract for an alcohol and drugs crisis outreach service has been approved by Renfrewshire councillors in a move dubbed an "investment in saving lives". Elected members authorised senior officers to award a deal for the initiative to nationwide charitable organisation Change, Grow, Live. The step was agreed at the council's finance, resources and customer services policy board and the agreement will be for two years with an option to extend for a further year, depending on funding. The contract – which is worth almost £300,000 per annum – is anticipated to start on Friday, August 1, however, the date will be confirmed in the local authority's letter of acceptance. Councillor Graeme Clark, a Labour representative for Paisley Northeast and Ralston, said at the meeting: "Given that drug and alcohol deaths in Renfrewshire continue to be above the Scottish average and given the increasing complexity of those presenting to our services, I believe that Change, Grow, Live can provide a range of services to support individuals, families and communities that's needed. "The charity has considerable experience in working with challenging service users with complex needs including those with entrenched drug habits, offending behaviour, homelessness, antisocial behaviour, domestic violence and social deprivation." He added he has "no doubt" this funding will be an "investment in saving lives". A report, which will be considered at the meeting, explained why the matter had been brought forward to the board for consideration. It said: "The purpose of this report is to seek the approval of the finance, resources and customer services policy board to enter into a contract for Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drugs Crisis Outreach Service with Change, Grow, Live. "The provider will engage with individuals at higher risk of overdose and those who have experienced a near fatal overdose, to provide care and support, and to increase access to life-saving protective treatment. "At present, the service is delivered by the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) in-house harm reduction response team." Thomas Paterson, service manager for contracts and commissioning at the HSCP, said: "I agree that they come with an awful lot of experience, a significant provider of alcohol and drug services across the UK, and we're certainly excited about the skills and experience they can bring into Renfrewshire. They will be completely embedded within the alcohol and drug recovery services." The costs associated with the deal will be met by Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership, which is a partnership consisting of the HSCP, council, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Prison Service and voluntary sector. The maximum approved value is up to just under £900,000 for the full contract period. The agreement is for two years with the option to extend for a further year on one occasion, but the extension is fully dependent on Scottish Government funding.
India Today
12-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Google starts teaching employees how to use AI to better align with new business priorities
Google is updating its employee training programmes to focus almost entirely on artificial intelligence (AI). The company has revamped its wide-ranging internal education platform, Grow, with AI-related content to help employees integrate modern tools into their everyday work. The transformation is reportedly part of Google's effort to align internal learning with core business to CNBC, Google has overhauled its decade-old Grow platform to reflect the company's new AI-first strategy. The platform was previously known for its eclectic mix of courses, ranging from personal finance to 3D printing and even Rubik's Cube solving for Googlers. The report suggests that employees who had signed up for non-AI courses were informed earlier this year that those sessions would be cancelled and have an active learning culture with numerous in-house courses tied to company priorities, along with generous educational reimbursement,' a Google spokesperson told CNBC in a statement. 'We're refreshing Grow to help employees find the most relevant learning opportunities.' The change in learning content also signals a broader shift in Google's internal priorities. Grow, Google's online career training platform, once featured 500,000 course listings and was viewed as a valuable benefit. However, now Google believes many of these courses are now 'not relevant to the work we do today,' according to an internal memo sent to course creators. Only sessions aligned with 'business priorities' will remain available, says Google. Programmes that don't contribute directly to the bottom line are being phased AI-focused transformation is also seen as part of broader cost-cutting efforts. Over the past year, Google has laid off thousands of employees across several departments and slashed benefits, including diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes—moves driven partly by internal efficiency goals and external political pressures. Anat Ashkenazi, the Chief Financial Officer of Alphabet (Google's parent company), had previously stated that the company could 'push a little further' on cost reductions. Ashkenazi during her debut in the earnings call last year said 'there is an aggressive roadmap ahead for 2025.' With AI now at the centre of its product development—from Search to Workspace and Cloud—Google's internal operations are reportedly being realigned accordingly.
CNBC
10-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Google overhauls internal learning platform to focus on AI, 'business priorities'
Google is overhauling a popular internal learning platform to focus on teaching employees how to use modern artificial intelligence tools in their daily work routines, CNBC has learned. Grow, as the learning service is called, was previously filled with a wide array of courses, ranging from teaching Google employees how to build products, use 3D printers, help with their personal finance or even how to solve a Rubik's cube. Those offerings have all been replaced primarily by AI-related courses. The revamp underscores how companies, both within and outside of tech, are racing to train their employees on the advanced AI tools that have been created since OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 ushered in the age of generative AI. Employees with previously scheduled Grow sessions were notified in the spring that the sessions they signed up for would be cancelled and that course materials would be archived, according to internal correspondence viewed by CNBC. Grow, which was started more than 10 years ago, had grown to more than 500,000 listings before the AI shakeup. Grow is popular among employees and is considered to be one of the unique perks of working at Google, according to sources and an internal discussion forum. "We have an active learning culture with numerous in-house courses tied to company priorities, along with generous educational reimbursement," a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "Our internal course offerings have ballooned since we launched it ten years ago, and we're refreshing Grow to help employees find the most relevant learning opportunities." The move to overhaul Grow shows that Google is shifting away from some of its nice-to-have programs to more business-essential offerings as it streamlines operations to prioritize AI. As the company fights to retain its relevance in search amid a heated AI arms race, it has streamlined operations, headcount and employee benefits. Google has enacted rolling layoffs within several units across the company, particularly after finance chief Anat Ashkenazi's said last fall that the company could "push a little further" on cost cuts. Google, like many other tech giants, has also rolled back programs like its diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, trainings amid business streamlining as well as from President Trump's executive orders. In a memo sent out to employees who had created Grow courses, Google leaders wrote that many of the platform's "courses were unused," and "not relevant to the work we do today," according to an internal message. "Those that orgs have confirmed are up-to-date and focused on business priorities will still be available," wrote Google's people operations staff. Employees commented on an internal forum that the use of "focused on business priorities" reiterated a sign of the times — Google is primarily focused on programs that contribute to the bottom line.
Scotsman
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Harry Potter Television Series Cast Latest: Here are all 18 actors confirmed for the TV reboot - including Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy
1 . Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter Scottish actor Dominic McLaughlin has been cast as Harry Potter in the new television series. While McLaughlin has had little screentime so far, he's already been cast in two television series set to be released over the course of the next year. He'll be appearing in Sky comedy Grow alongside new Hagrid Nick Frost and Golda Rosheuvel. The series is about a man who returns to his childhood neighborhood after his father's death only to be sucked into the murky world of drug dealing. He's also been cast in BBC action adventure series Gifted. Set in Edinburgh (and filmed in both Edinburgh and Glasgow), Gifted follows a group of Scottish teenagers who discover they have superpowers. | HBO
