I live in House Number 38 with my husband and two little boys. We moved to Number 38 when my health began deteriorating rapidly and I was at the time unsure about what was wrong with my body. Personally for me, moving into this house brings back very difficult memories of struggle, chaos and constant change.
Read MoreOne friend, Jackie, who has raved ‘through pregnancies, bringing up children [and] going through trauma’, describes nights out as ‘losing touch with the stresses of life even just for a short time’. To rave then, is to heal.
Read MoreIf you get married, you and your partner are then viewed almost as one person, including that of your income. That will oftentimes then lead to your income and your benefits becoming intertwined with your partners’. If you’re a disabled person and you marry an able-bodied person, one who works a qualifying significant income, the disabled person in the relationship will likely lose their benefits altogether. If you live outside of the UK, not only are you left with the strict laws on benefits causing issues, but also your access to healthcare, such as insurance.
Read MoreAnxious thoughts ran through my head as my laptop mouse hovered over the “proceed to check-out” button. There I was, panicking about buying a walking stick with my disability money… which is exactly what it’s for. But after reading the news, it’s no wonder I was so worried. All I could see and hear was the threats of benefit cuts from a government using disabled people, who are just trying to survive, as a scapegoat.
Read MoreIn the eighteen years since this incident occurred, the case has rarely been out of the press. Despite the absolute tragedy that has occurred, it is hard to argue that the continued fascination on this case is uncommon. Similar cases of children going missing are not unheard of, but none have had a similar impact on the public and the media, especially in the UK. So, why is this the case?
And here-in, I feel, may be the issue and the answer.
Read MoreIn March 2025, The Independent reported that schools across the UK will begin offering anti-misogyny classes in schools. Far from being an overreaction, the government proposed initiative is a necessary response to increasingly troubling cultural shifts taking place in schools and wider society.
And here-in, I feel, may be the issue and the answer.
Read MoreFrom periods, to pregnancy, to menopause, we have to get SO used to our bodies and our hormones knocking us sidewise. But there’s the crux: we do get used to it. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel here. This just feels like the cards you’re dealt if you’re born into a female body at birth. What’s the point in complaining about it? What are you gonna do? Not work every time your uterus decides to shed? If you’ve got generational wealth - maybe. Otherwise, not an option. You crack on, and you shut up.
And here-in, I feel, may be the issue and the answer.
Read MoreWhilst a wedding is potentially a joyful occasion, for some it can become a real challenge - and I am not talking about the headache-inducing conversation with the printers; the months spent trying to source the perfect pair of bridal shoes or getting the recalcitrant photographer to respond to emails. I am talking about the painful business of those who are estranged from family members and whether to invite or not invite them.
Read MorePeople view those that depend on benefit schemes as lazy, as leeches on society, as a drainage on taxpayer money, but what you don’t know is this - many of these people who are on benefits, who are unable to work, would give absolutely anything to be able to do so.
Read MoreIf Swinging London had a pulse, it beat loudest in Chelsea and Carnaby Street, two enclaves, two stages, each dancing to the rhythm of a generation desperate to shrug off the greys of post-war Britain and paint the city in wild, psychedelic colour.
Read MoreIn my role as a homelessness housing officer and hostel worker, I regularly interact with people who are going through the worst moments of their life. When I meet clients for the first time, although in a professional capacity, I feel it is my duty to be a kind, welcoming stranger that they are faced with. I am meeting them at their most vulnerable, and it is required that they share details with me so that I can help them. It is through the moments I share with these clients that I truly recognise the impact of small things. I’ve realised most of the impact I make is through being kind, smiling and not judging them. I wanted to translate the benefits of interacting with strangers into my hobbies, and began pursuing street photography.
Read MoreIn August 2007, myself and my then girlfriend, Sophie Lancaster, were attacked whilst out one night. For those unaware, we were attacked by five people in a park, leaving both of us in comas, from which only I was able to awaken. In the eighteen years that have passed since, this story has, like the medium of true crime, not really ever gone away. Most likely due to the actions of the foundation that was set up in Sophie’s name, the story has remained active in certain circles ever since, and new tellings of the story will periodically emerge.
Read MoreIn a time where things like the cinema, theatre and live music are becoming increasingly expensive, why make museums inaccessible too?
Read MoreOh, how to be a girl in your twenties. Dancing the night away. Dressed to the nines. Hanging out with your friends…That’s what we picture right?…
How far from the truth this can be.
Read MoreWe’re all very familiar with the ongoing mental health crisis (the cultural one, yes, but perhaps our own one, too). We’ve never had more access to wellbeing tools, yet we’re still aching. Still searching.
Read MoreAccording to the Ocean Conservation Trust, “The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimated in 2014 that seagrasses are declining by 7% a year globally. This estimate makes it the fastest disappearing habitat on the planet.” Sadly, these life-bringing ecosystems don’t have the protection that should be given to habitats of this magnitude that are declining this rapidly.
Read MoreIn this piece, author Alice Ketley explores the challenges of job-hunting as a young professional living with a disability and mental health condition. Through her experience of being made redundant in March 2024, she sheds some light on the harsh realities of navigating the competitive UK job market while facing discrimination and inaccessible interview processes.
Read MoreThe call to prayer rings out as the sun rises out of a rose gold sky and lights up the minaret of Koutoubia Mosque. I sip my mint tea on the rooftop of my riad and watch the city of Marrakesh float out of the dawn haze, the peaks of the Atlas Mountains soaring in the distance.
Read MoreResearch by Pregnant Then Screwed found that over half of all mothers - 52% - have faced some form of discrimination when pregnant, on maternity leave or when they returned. 1 in 5 mothers have left their job following a negative or discriminatory experience. And, disgustingly, 1 in every 61 pregnant women say their boss suggested they terminate their pregnancy.
Read MoreThe idea of a four-day week has been front-page news since the 1960s. With more companies introducing pilot experiments utilising a reduced-hour working model, could this finally signal a shift in the modern workforce or is it just another continuation of the saga?
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