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‘Like thousands of parents across Britain, I read the recent revelations about the appalling wait times for child mental...
18/04/2022

‘Like thousands of parents across Britain, I read the recent revelations about the appalling wait times for child mental health services with dismay but no surprise,’ one anonymous parent writes today.

‘New statistics revealed in an expose earlier this month show thousands of children have been made to wait over a year for ADHD assessments. Many have been waiting considerably longer than that. But while the investigation brought much needed attention to delays that are significantly detrimental to the wellbeing and education of these children – it didn’t explain what it’s actually like to have a struggling child who is waiting for help. So I will…’

Read the full article, today at the link in bio…

‘This week, I have watched so many people be reduced to tears by the simplest acts,’ writes our columnist, founder tod...
14/04/2022

‘This week, I have watched so many people be reduced to tears by the simplest acts,’ writes our columnist, founder today, five days on from the opening of the charity’s new safe space for families fleeing conflict.

‘A mother stunned into silence upon her request for formula being met with a box, no questions asked. A father hesitating to join us at our meal table because it was not a space he’d been invited to sit in before. A child confused at being allowed to keep the toy. It all begs the question: If dignity is a simple ask, why is it received so unexpectantly by so many?’

Read Selina’s full exploration of what it means to create a space of joy and comfort in a world full of threat, today, at the link in bio…

“For almost three years now, Boris Johnson has presided over a government increasingly comfortable in leading without ex...
12/04/2022

“For almost three years now, Boris Johnson has presided over a government increasingly comfortable in leading without example, removing every ounce of empathy from the job of national leadership. Whether it’s the billions wasted buying PPE from friends, the creeping xenophobia of an increasingly hostile immigration system, the erosion of basic rights such as the freedom to protest, the acceptance of misogyny in policing or the insistence – on International Women’s Day no less – that’s Britain’s eye-wateringly expensive childcare system needs no intervention, this is a government that governs for a shrinking elite at the expense of all others.

“Now, we’re being asked to feign surprise that our prime minister and tax scandal-embroiled chancellor are to be fined over partygate. But anyone who’s been watching will be far from shocked. The question is, will this be the end for the ‘let them eat bread’ lawmakers?” asks

The full story is live now and free to read at the link in bio…

The urge to switch off and disconnect from the doom and gloom of the news is entirely understandable. But as hard as it ...
12/04/2022

The urge to switch off and disconnect from the doom and gloom of the news is entirely understandable. But as hard as it is to believe, good things are still happening.

That’s why, every Tuesday, we seek out the nuggets of joy and optimism hiding behind the hellscape of the headlines.

As ever, swipe here for the headlines, head online for the stories in full. And don’t forget, it’s our subscribers who make these summaries possible, so please do support us by signing up!

Last week, a new law making it mandatory for large food and drink businesses in England to display calorie contents on t...
11/04/2022

Last week, a new law making it mandatory for large food and drink businesses in England to display calorie contents on their menus came into force. The government says the move is intended to tackle obesity and make it easier for people to make healthy choices. But while the jury is out over whether the measure could be effective, one thing is certain - for those with eating disorders, it could be very bad news indeed.

‘Less than half of people with anorexia make a full recovery,’ writes Alex Birch today, recalling with horror the impact of seeing calories listed on the menu on a recent visit to a coffee chain. ‘Many ex-anorexics are little more than a personal crisis or two away from relapse. And seemingly small things, like being forced to think about the number of calories in my latte, can take me back to a dark place.
 
‘The worst part is that it hadn’t occurred to me that going for a coffee might be a problem. The experience was embarrassing, like a nightmare where you’re caught naked in public. I keep my anorexic past tucked away, and here I was, unexpectedly reliving a time I wanted to forget, surrounded by strangers…’

Read the full piece today, at the link in bio…

While many of us are battling Covid still, in GP surgeries across Britain, a secondary epidemic of exhaustion, anxiety a...
07/04/2022

While many of us are battling Covid still, in GP surgeries across Britain, a secondary epidemic of exhaustion, anxiety and burnout is making itself known, our columnist writes today.

From patients having panic attacks in surgery to those buckling under the pressure to be everything to everyone, the impact of the last two years is real. The question is, what to do about it.

Today, Krishan let’s us in on a day in surgery right now, and explains the small steps we can take to calm panic - and, to help each other.

Link in bio…

“I’ve always believed in using your ceiling as the fifth wall,” writes the brilliant Sophie Finch of today. “While ceil...
17/03/2022

“I’ve always believed in using your ceiling as the fifth wall,” writes the brilliant Sophie Finch of today.
 
“While ceilings are too often an afterthought, if considered at all, they’re actually a perfect blank canvas, where you can paint a bold block colour without the fear of items like chairs, rugs and small dogs cluttering up the look…”
 
Still think upside-down décor is a terrifying thought? Click the link in bio for Sophie’s favourite ways to tackle the statement ceiling in a liveable way.



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“The comment on Messenger calls me inspirational - and I know it’s meant as a compliment, but I can’t help feeling a lit...
16/03/2022

“The comment on Messenger calls me inspirational - and I know it’s meant as a compliment, but I can’t help feeling a little uneasy,” writes .oakes today.
 
“I have myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and for the past three years, I’ve been a part of Team England Adaptive Abilities Pom, a unified team of disabled and able-bodied athletes representing our country in the sport. Without trying to sound big-headed, I know I’m talented. I wouldn’t be representing my country if I wasn’t. But inspirational? I’m not so sure.
 
“Because when people use that word to describe me, I can’t help but feel like I’m being used as inspiration porn…”

Read Bec’s full essay in the impact of this month’s Winter Paralympics, and the need for change in our portrayal of disabled athletes, at the link in bio…

I know - the headlines aren’t becoming any less horrifying.The urge to switch off and disconnect from the doom and gloom...
15/03/2022

I know - the headlines aren’t becoming any less horrifying.

The urge to switch off and disconnect from the doom and gloom of the news is entirely understandable right now - but as hard as it is to believe, good things are still happening. That’s why, every Tuesday, we seek out the nuggets of joy and optimism hiding behind the gloom of the front pages.

As ever, swipe here for the headlines, then head to the link in bio for the smile-inducing stories in full…

🔈 Record scratch 🔈The eagle-eyed amongst you (hi mum!) will notice there’s been no post today. My flight was delayed and...
14/03/2022

🔈 Record scratch 🔈

The eagle-eyed amongst you (hi mum!) will notice there’s been no post today.

My flight was delayed and I arrived home very late last night to a husband full of the dreaded Covid and a hastily put together isolation situation - so I’m afraid I’m a bit off schedule and feeling very guilty about my weekend away (even if it was indescribably epic).

This weekend felt like a release valve being opened. I realised how burned out I am. How much I’ve missed being around other people. How anxiously I’ve been putting work first. Yet taking days off, even with good reason like today, fills me with dread. There’s a little voice in my head that says if I don’t post every single day, I’ll shed subscribers by the score. And now there’s the extra guilt of being away when covid finally came to our house.

Does anyone else feel guilty as all sin when taking time for themselves? For utterly failing, not nailing, the work/life balance? Would love to know what others do to shake it off…

International Women’s Day might have brought a moment of positivity this week, but selfies and hashtags alone won’t lead...
12/03/2022

International Women’s Day might have brought a moment of positivity this week, but selfies and hashtags alone won’t lead to equality, writes today.

‘For as long as I can remember, I have questioned gender bias – perhaps because, being born into an Indian community, the discrepancy in treatment between boys and girls was clear to me from the start. But my medical training highlighted to me the very serious and frightening reality of gender health gaps.

‘It might be 2022, but today many women receive poorer healthcare than men purely because of their gender. I’m not talking about globally, though this is true the world over. I’m talking about right here in the UK…’

Read the full piece, today, at the link in bio.

When Ashley Davies posted an innocuous train selfie on Twitter, she expected a couple of comments from friends. Maybe a ...
10/03/2022

When Ashley Davies posted an innocuous train selfie on Twitter, she expected a couple of comments from friends. Maybe a few laughs. What she got was a pile-on from featuring thousands of vicious comments.

She must have said something pretty controversial, right? Wrong. But she was wearing a mask.

‘One reply said I needed “putting down”. Dozens insisted I was mentally ill. Many others accused me of narcissism, virtue-signalling, stupidity and bad hygiene – and often all four. Some even suggested my children were at risk…’ writes.

Today, she reflects on the unexpected fallout of the fiasco, the friends and foes who got involved, and what it tells us about today’s online trolling culture.

Link in bio!

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