ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL: As Forestry England improve access for all, one wheelchair user puts their walks to the test
By Paul Nicholls I’ve been a wheelchair user for the past two decades and have just returned from two nights at Sherwood Pines, a woodland estate that’s part of Forestry England and I found plenty of wonderful wheelchair-friendly walks here. As I hear a rustle to my left, I glance over and a squirrel leaps […]
ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL: Manor houses needn’t be an oxymoron
By Erica Crompton While researching manor houses, stately homes and Scottish castles for an intimate wedding for two one thing struck me: many of the olde worldy hotels with that air of romance seem to put their heritage above access for wheelchair users, like my fiance. Whether it’s steps at the entrance, showers with lips […]
Why the Happiest Ending Isn’t Always Finding the Right Partner
I grew up believing finding a partner was the key to a complete, successful life. But when that promise fails, we’re left with a harder truth: we can’t control whether we find “the right partner,” and this belief surrenders our agency. The real issue of the happiest ending is not finding someone—it’s shaping life to […]
NEPA took the light just after evening prayers By Omorogieva Sylvester Ihonwa
No one on Oremeji Street looked up. A few children groaned but then returned to their game. A generator coughed to life farther down the road, only to sputter into silence. The darkness felt as familiar as the cracked gutters and the dusty road. Eniayo’s mother slid open the wooden doors of her stall and […]
The best £220 I spent on my mental health
By Erica Crompton Sinking into the cooling water, I wiggle my toes and release a long, contented sigh. My outdoor bath sits beneath a canopy of trees and open blue sky, and as I settle in, I realise this might just be my favourite corner of the garden. It feels like a tiny sanctuary carved […]
From Rock Bottom to Sober Forever A Book & Poem by Susan Laurie
Susan Laurie was a hopeless alcoholic. She had resigned herself to an early death as she simply could not stop drinking, despite multiple attempts at Alcoholics Anonymous, hypnotherapy, counselling sessions, and stints in rehab. Something that had started so innocently was now killing her, and it had already stripped her of every ounce of dignity […]
“Why mental health support shouldn’t be a luxury” By Jessica Farazmand
For many people, accessing therapy can feel out of reach due to financial barriers, lengthy waiting lists or uncertainty about where to turn for help. We often hear conversations about the importance of looking after our mental health, but for some individuals and families, the cost of private therapy can make accessing support feel impossible. […]
“I thought I had to hide who I was forever – finding one safe space changed the rest of my life” By Liam Swanston
By the age of 12, I was helping to care for my mum through bipolar disorder, sitting in medical appointments, managing medication and doing whatever I could to make life a little easier for my family. At the same time, I was carrying the grief of losing my older brother in a fatal car accident, […]
“Every neurodivergent woman deserves to feel understood during pregnancy” By Kate Mortimer
As a midwife, I have become increasingly aware that while no two pregnancies are ever the same, maternity care can still unintentionally assume that every woman will experience pregnancy in broadly the same way. For many autistic and ADHD women, simply accessing maternity services can become one of the most overwhelming parts of pregnancy, leaving […]
I went to rehab twice. Now I run an addiction treatment centre. The industry needs to prove it works
By Martin Preston, CEO and Founder of Delamere The first time I went into rehab, I was still a teenager. I completed the programme, left, and within five months I was drinking again. That experience taught me something I have never forgotten: completing treatment is not the same as recovery. I had started drinking at […]