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Charities work throughout the world to raise money for a variety of good causes. Within the UK, the sale of donated used goods is a major stream of revenue for charities. Charities use a range of different logistical methods to collect donations that can run at considerable cost. This study has identified a range of different ways in which charities could change the way in which they operate to find cost, time and environmental savings and maximise use of their assets. One way in which charities can make the most of their existing assets is through improved placement of their donation banks. Of real interest is the impact that bank placement (with respect to the characteristics of the local population) has on stock yield and quality, and what relationships can be derived to realise a more informed bank location and servicing strategy. Donation banks were shown to yield greater amounts during the summer months, and proximity to services such as schools was also found to have a positive effect on donation yields. Areas with an average population age of late 40’s and of high affluence were found to yield the best quality donations. Charities can find cost savings by rethinking the ways that they collect, transport, process and distribute donated goods. The efficiency of localised collection strategy against centralised collection strategy has been studied. Existing routes used by the case study charity have been audited and subsequently optimised. Potential savings were found through increasing the number of shop serviced banks rather than servicing through centralised collection, although requiring a larger fleet of vehicles. The use of ICT technology has been considered in further improving charity logistical strategy. Remote monitoring technology can help to quantify donation collection routes, assist in reducing wasted journeys to donation banks and uncover the magnitude of donation bank textile theft. The developed Smartphone App has shown that it can help to promote collaboration and dynamism within the charity logistics supply chain. A cultural shift in the way that profits are measured will be necessary to see real collaboration between shops.

The thesis describes the use of a high numerical aperture phase Fresnel lens for high resolution ion imaging and scalable fluorescence collection. We have demonstrated the first step towards fabricating and integrating a scalable collection optic with an ion trap with applications towards large scale ion trap quantum computers. I outline the use of the lens for capturing high resolution images of trapped ions. Using these high resolution images we have demonstrated spatial thermometry, a thermometry technique which relies on imaging the small changes in the ion spot size as the ion temperature changes. By adding a beam propagating along the optic axis of the imaging system we have also been able to use the high resolution imaging system to observe the absorption image from a single atom. We have verified that the contrast of the absorption images was the maximum achievable with our imaging system according to theory. Finally, using the absorption images we have been able to observe the phase shift of the light scattered by the atom with respect to the illumination field. The observed phase shift was found to be the maximum allowed by theory.

An original composition in one movement for a chamber octet comprised of a string quartet and a jazz piano quartet with tenor saxophone. The work develops an idée fixe, introduced in the opening bars, through a wide variety of transformations, textures, and styles. The two quartets begin in antiphonal alteration, united in thematic material, yet separated by style. A modern art music style contrasts with an improvisational jazz style. Gradually, the two quartets, and their concomitant musics, bleed into one another, breaking down stylistic boundaries. In the conclusion of the work, the idée fixe, the supplementary themes, and the two quartets coalesce into an organic sonic whole.