While hand-wringing from the chattering classes about what to do with "da kids" dominates the media, charities such as Get Connected, who offer confidential advice to young people, are busy doing something about it. Ever keen to engage London's youth in constructive projects that actually matter to them, they've launched a short film competition. Nobody's Perfect calls for 16-25 year olds interested in directing, producing, starring in or scoring films to submit examples of......

We like ducks in strange places. We also like ducks where they should be; in our ponds and on our rivers. On 31 August, though, Old Man Thames is going to be inundated with a quarter of a million ducks. No, not a Hitchcock avian nightmare (although they will be blue, which is totally wrong) but, yes, one of those world record attempt stunts that just happens to be raising cash for a whole......

An aid agency is trying to achieve what the Luftwaffe and V-2 rockets failed to do: the destruction of St. Paul's cathedral. ActionAid has submitted an application to the City, requesting the "total demolition" of Wren's 17th century masterpiece, in order that they can search for precious metals underneath. Surely they can't be serious. The very idea! What's yanked the chain of these cheeky chariteers? The request is actually an ingenious way of calling......

We're a big fan of gigs at Union Chapel in Islington and this Wednesday it's set to be blessed by various part of current British indie royalty with the debut solo show from Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows. We like Andy because he has to deal with Johnny Borrell on a regular basis, and we hear that's not a very easy feat. We also massively enjoy the fact that he wrote the band's biggest hit......

Whilst "free at the point of use" is a fundamental value of the NHS one West London hospital is bucking up its ideas about treating foreign patients who are not entitled to free healthcare on the NHS by employing a "stablize and discharge" policy. At West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth, ineligible patients are admitted and seen by 3 consultants who determine when their condition has stabilised. At that point, the patient is given......

You've laboured (either lovingly or reluctantly) over his serialized novels, you've likely quaffed in some of his favourite pubs, and now, you can sit at his desk. And by "you" we mean those rabid Dickens fans that can spare around £100,000. Charles Dickens's writing desk and chair are to be auctioned off at Christie's in June. All proceeds will go to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, of which Dickens was a serious patron and......

A couple of London ladies are embarking on an incredible adventure, mounting trusty steeds this summer to trek all the way to Turkey to raise money for the charity SOS Children. Zena Fish, a South London teacher, had never got on a horse until recently but will be straddling one for a very long time indeed come August. The route to Turkey should take about a year. Zena reckons the worst bit will be......

Londonist likes chocolate. And children. (Especially other people's). And good charitable causes. So we were more than happy to hop on the London Eye last night to see the premier of Lindt's Easter Light Show, in aid of ChildLine. And to take part in the demolishing of a couple of gold Lindt bunnies. (Hey, we didn’t say anything about liking bunnies...) Renowned Swiss light artist, Gerry Hofstetter (you might remember he projected a polar......

We wanted to promote tomorrow's charity comedy night for War on Want at Shepherds Bush Empire for two reasons. Firstly, because it is going to be a spectacular night, with some remarkable comedians, in aid of a very good cause. And secondly, because their press release contains a line which, lacking as it is in context, had us giggling like children for far longer than is socially acceptable: "Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller, with......

Remember when indie bands had a want to succeed? A desire to achieve? Not many bands have it in this corporate day and age, towing the line, saying what they’re told (yes, Scouting For Girls, we’re looking at you), however one band seems like they may just be able to break the mainstream, and still have the desire to achieve massive things. Their name? Parka. This Glasgow via London quintet played the “Bollocks to Poverty”......

It's been a bad few weeks for the Spice Girls: they released the worst selling Children In Need single ever (to put this into perspective, let's remember that Martine McCutcheon once had a Children In Need single. Martine McCutcheon), appeared in terrible Tesco adverts, played to half full shows in America and Baby Spice sprained her little baby ankle on stage. However, little Emma Bunton ingested her weight in painkillers, soldiered on and appeared......

To top off a year of switching the telly off standby, turning down the thermostat and carbon offsetting concern, you can now give a loved one 12 square metres of greenbelt land for Christmas. Yes, you can help protect London's precious remaining circle of undeveloped land by purchasing bits of it through the Good Gifts catalogue, run by the Charities Advisory Trust. 12 square metres is apparently the size of your average living room.......

While most will undoubtedly be snuggling up on the sofa, warmed chocolate cupped in one palm, tv remote in the other, the residents of East Barnet will be endeavouring upon a very different xmas eve: as was the tradition back in 1932, those with a ghoulish disposition will be flocking to Church Hill Road, near Oak Hill Park, in the hope to catch a glimpse of the former Sir Geoffrey de Mandeville, a headless......

Olympic budget continues to be a source of confusion if not merriment. The RMT plays about with figures: fly to the Caribbean or train it from London to Scotland – you tell us which is cheaper?! Kilburn’s Tricycle Theatre sees a charity screening of a film in aid of 7/7 memorial fund. The Met has appointed a new counter terrorism chief. 2012 building piccie courtesy of diamond geezer’s flickr photo stream.......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 10th December 1907: Anti-vivisectionists march through central London to protest at the dissection of a brown terrier dog several years earlier. The ‘anti-doggers’ clash with police at Trafalgar Square, in what would become known as the Brown Dog Riots. Tuesday – 11th December 2005: Much of London is covered by a vast plume of smoke, following a series of massive explosions at Buncefield Oil Depot in Hertfordshire.......

It's very easy to get caught up in this city for all of it's music, clubs and big shiny loud stuff. Well, as much as we remain a fan of all that is big and shiny, Londonist occasionally needs some down time. Preferably with trees and tweety birds. And there's nothing more relaxing than a walk through the countryside. This is why The Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre is perfect. It's a short skip and......

Buttery spread brand Flora, sponsor of the London Marathon, has decided that its bread is better buttered elsewhere. After a 14-year association with the event, Flora has indicated that it will give up its sponsorship following the 2009 race. A delightful investment opportunity for those of you with £12 million lying around! Promoting itself as a heart-healthy butter alternative by placing its name on the hundreds of thousands of, presumably heart-healthy, runners doggedly completing......

Five years ago, Sharon and Terri Arnold solicited firefighter Andy Bathie’s help in starting a family. Under the assurance that he would bear no financial or emotional responsibility for the children’s upbringing, he twice obliged. The women had a boy and a girl, but broke up soon after. And Bathie, who thought he had been doing his friends a favour, now finds himself financially liable for the children. Charity, apparently, sometimes comes with a......

Ann Widdecombe MP was arrested outside the Houses of Parliament yesterday and taken to the Clink Prison where bail was set at £35,000. The fact that she was already wearing prison uniform when she got nicked hinted at the possibility that this was a charitable stunt rather than a tabloid-topping shocker, fall from grace thriller of a crime story. Widdecombe was participating in the Jailbreak campaign to raise cash for Guide Dogs for the......

Four weeks till Christmas! Argh. Funds are all focused on present buying and getting through the party season but we still want to go out and about because the heating isn't working properly at home. We can't afford to go and see Gandalf drop his trousers in King Lear but, thankfully, there's lots of cheap and interesting stuff about as usual. Monday: Start the week with an event truly in the spirit of London......

London woman embezzles 4.3 million from her (patently rather stupid) employers, eventually gets caught and sentenced to 7 years in jail, gets out after 3, gets to keep her swanky ill-gottenly gained apartment and lands a plum job in the arts (albeit for a prison charity). Lord Luck clearly rides alongside this lady. Londonist is impressed by the scope for outrage here – the outrageous sum of money she stole, the surprisingly short sentence she......

Paul McCartney's ex was in London yesterday for a photo shoot for the charity Viva!. Along with Heather Mills, Viva! would like us all to please eat less meat, dairy and other animal products in order to reduce global warming. We fully applaud Viva!'s commitment to the environment, and thoroughly enjoy names that feature punctuation, but we wonder how effective this campaign really is going to be. While we can't personally see switching to......

We've seen you racing down Rainbow Road in the queue at Sainsbury's. We've also noticed you desperately arranging tetrominoes on the tube and catching Pokémon at the bus stop, so we know you're just as addicted to playing Nintendo DS as we are. For over a year now, DS:London has been organising frequent pub meetups where fans of the handheld console can gather for competition and conversation over pints. If you've been playing alone,......

Rapha makes clothing for serious cyclists - the couriers, the racers, the hardcore fundraisers pedalling over the Andes. They are also organising one of the most unusual events we've had the privilege of hearing about: this Saturday is the second Rapha Roller Race Culture Clash which is "a four-way clash between teams of bicycle couriers, cycle journalists, media folk and a ‘dark horse’ Dutch team made up of unnamed riders." And before you try......

Londonist does not support prostitution, let’s get this straight right away. But we were pleased to spot this news flash about a Guildford hairdressing Madam having her prison sentence reduced from 18 months to 12 months. Chunxia Bao was very naughty – she made an estimated £200,000 out of her ‘special upstairs salon’, where she employed two prostitutes to administer the old personal touch. Until prostitution is regulated or legalised, running a brothel is a......

Ear of the Year? It's not a typo, nor is it an attempt to fetishise one of the body's less aesthetically appealing organs through association with their derriere-concerned namesake (though we'd applaud any such effort). The capital's already got plenty of sex if that's your thing. Ear of the Year is in fact part of a campaign by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf. They're trying to find the country's best ear, or......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 29th October 1986: The M25 ‘London orbital’ motorway is officially opened by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, at a ceremony at the last section to be completed (junctions 22 and 23 in Hertfordshire). Tuesday – 30th October 1883: A group known as the Fenian Dynamiters detonates a bomb on the Metropolitan Railway, injuring 62 people. Wednesday – 31st October 1971: An IRA bomb explodes on the 33rd floor......

Welcome bach, David Juritz. This classical musician can add another string to his already well-tuned bow – as an ace fund-raiser. He has spent the last 4½ months fiddling his way around the world, not only to cover the costs of his 50 city, 24 country tour, but also to raise an impressive £24,000.00 for is charity, Musequality, which helps finance music education for children in poverty-stricken Columbia and aids-stricken Uganda. It has been shown......

Meet Language. Based in East London (but not defined by it!), they've chosen their myspace category to be "melodramatic popular song", are obsessed with falafel, like dressing in black, have a song called "Theme for a Porno", record on Hornsey Road and were screwed out of a producer by Kate Nash. They're not bitter mind. We were going to tell you our favourite song but having just listened to them all again on myspace......

Despite the odd recent mishap, London's lidos take their rightful alongside our parks as great places to go around the capital. 70 years ago lidos were people's cathedrals, masterful municipal palaces to promote community health and wellbeing. Over the years since then they have been left derelict or sold off. But now, they are having their renaissance. Blame global warming for warmer temperatures or the Olympics for increased interest in health - but outdoor pools......