TeessideLive • 22nd May 2021

Plans to build 100 homes in village near Teesside Airport

Detailed plans have been made to build 100 new homes in Middleton St George, near Darlington. The Bellway development will include a mix of detached and semi-detached properties with three-and four-bedroom designs with construction beginning at the south of Yarm Road on a 10-acre site. The new housing estate will be called Killinghall Grange and is aimed at families and first-time buyers. The aim is to modernise Middleton St George’s infrastructure and attract new businesses and industries to

TeessideLive • 15th May 2021

The Teesside bingo halls ready to welcome back customers on Monday

Get your dabber ready as it's time to get back to the bingo! Bingo halls across Teesside are among the venues set to reopen on Monday in the latest easing of lockdown restrictions. Customers will be welcomed back to enjoy indoor leisure activities as part of the government’s roadmap. Two households or groups of up to six people will be able to return to their favourite bingo hall with the expectation of safe Covid measures. After eight months of national and local lockdown, people are expect

TeessideLive • 15th May 2021

Clean, safe and good toilets - why beach is 'jewel in the crown'

A Teesside beach has been hailed "a jewel in the crown" after winning an award for its high standards. Seaton Carew has been has won a Seaside Award from environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. This award is only given to British beaches which are safe, clean, and meet environmental standards, including safe access to the beach, beach cleanliness and litter bin provisions. It is also rated on how accessible and well-maintained its toilets are as well as its information points and first aid f

Empoword Journalism • 5th May 2021

UK Imposes "Dirty Money" Sanctions

The UK has imposed “dirty money” sanctions on 22 people tied to corruption in South Africa, Russia, and Latin America 12 years after the Magnitsky scandal. These sanctions will prevent individuals linked to the attack from entering the UK and using their “dirty money”. Sanctions include those involved in bribery, embezzlement, drug trafficking, and terrorism. This initiative comes after the death of Russian lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, who died in suspicious circumstances at a Moscow prison in 2

Empoword Journalism • 30th April 2021

'Healing Forest' Planted by US Indigenous Inmates

A project in Washington has given indigenous inmates the opportunity to plant a ‘healing forest’ and reconnect with their land. In March 2021, inmates at the Yakama Nation Correction and Rehabilitation Facility in the US began a project to plant 5,000 native trees of 36 different species. This new forest uses the Miyawaki method and is set to bring the region closer to its indigenous roots. Pioneered by the Japanese, this method stipulates the planting of diverse species close together to cre

Empoword Journalism • 29th April 2021

India's Mounting Covid-19 Cases Reach An All Time High

International aid has finally arrived in India to help fight their second wave of Coronavirus amidst oxygen and vaccine shortages. On Monday 26th April, India recorded over 300,000 new cases and 2,771 deaths, all in the face of vaccine, oxygen, and medicinal supplies shortages. Oxygen demand in India has been steadily increasing between 6% and 8% every day according to PATH. Whilst healthcare facilities usually use 15% of all Indian oxygen supplies – this rose to 90% amidst their second wave.

Empoword Journalism • 23rd April 2021

NASA Launches Helicopter On Mars

The drone, Ingenuity, was airborne for less than a minute but is still being celebrated as a victory by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In the coming days, Ingenuity’s technology will be tested as it is sent higher into Mars’ atmosphere. Four more flights are planned for this rotorcraft, with the first expected to take place on Thursday. The helicopter’s Chief Pilot, Havard Grip, said: “What we’re talking about here is going higher, going further, going faster, stret

Empoword Journalism • 23rd April 2021

Registered Sex Offender Stands in Hartlepool By-election

Hartlepool’s Independent candidate for the upcoming by-election, Christopher Killick, has been revealed as a convicted sex offender on the official register. Christopher Killick, 41, was convicted of voyeurism last year and is currently running in Hartlepool’s by-election, due to take place on May 6. He was found guilty of filming a naked and unconscious woman in a hotel room five years ago, with his victim only getting justice last year. Mr. Killick, who was born and bred in London, filmed a

Empoword Journalism • 22nd April 2021

Earth Day: "It's not a day – it's a movement"

Earth Day is an annual event that first began in the United States in 1970 and has since grown into a global phenomenon. It aims to encourage climate action and education across the globe, both on a local and international scale. This year, on April 22, Earth Day will coincide with President Biden’s climate summit which will be live-streamed due to Covid-19 restrictions. In January and February 1969, Santa Barbara experienced a catastrophic oil spill which sent an estimated 3 million gallons of

Empoword Journalism • 20th April 2021

India Added to England's 'Red List'

India has been added to England’s ‘red list’ of banned travel countries due to a rise in Covid-19 cases stemming from the new India variant. This new variant is a double mutant with two distinct mutations in the spike protein which can infect cells faster and more effectively. Professor Mark Walport, former Chief Scientific Adviser, believes this new variant to be “more transmissible” and the UK has “good reasons for wanting to keep it out of the country if at all possible.” Since 15 April, I

Empoword Journalism • 19th April 2021

Keir Starmer "get out of my pub"

Today, Labour Leader Keir Starmer was forced to leave a pub in Bath by a landlord accusing him of “failing this country” over his support for lockdown measures in the UK. On his tour of the city, Keir Starmer visited The Raven pub where he was shouted down by its co-owner and landlord, Rod Humphris, who described Starmer as “truthfully incandescent” and failing to “ask the real questions.” On his entry to The Raven, Keir Starmer faced backlash from the pub’s landlord over his leadership during

Empoword Journalism • 13th April 2021

BBC Panorama Investigates Illegal Sewage Dumping in England and Wales

A BBC Panorama investigation has discovered water companies have been illegally dumping sewage in English and Welsh rivers. Treatment plants are only able to dump sewage into waterways after heavy rainfall and when rivers are close to capacity to prevent flooding and sewage blocks. Recent figures published by the Environment Agency revealed that untreated sewage, including wet wipes and condoms, were released into Britain’s waterways for more than 3 million hours last year. BBC Panorama surve

Empoword Journalism • 13th April 2021

In Conversation with Dr Paul Williams: Labour Candidate for Hartlepool

The Labour Party has led Hartlepool’s constituents for 57 years, but on 6 May 2021, this could all change. For the first time in nearly 60 years, Hartlepool is now a marginal seat and is, therefore, a hotspot for the Conservative Party – if they can muster enough support. According to the Communication Workers Union poll, the Conservative Party are expected to win with 49% of the votes to Labour’s 42%. What this poll fails to address, however, is that only 502 responded out of Hartlepool’s popu

Empoword Journalism • 13th April 2021

Animal Testing Suspended at Spanish Facility after Animal Cruelty Video Released

Madrid’s regional government have suspended all animal testing activity at the Vivotecnia after claims of animal mistreatment. On Sunday 10th April, all activities at this facility were halted whilst law enforcement officers investigated the mismanagement and ill treatment of its animals. Since 2000, Madrid-based research company Vivotecnia have experimented on monkeys, rabbits, and mini pigs to name a few, all in the name of cosmetics, biopharmaceuticals, and food. Undercover footage was tak

Empoword Journalism • 10th April 2021

International Dark Sky Week 2021 Begins

International Dark Sky Week 2021 began on 5 April and runs through to 12 April in a bid to raise awareness of light pollution and its negative effects on our planet. Light pollution is the excessive or inappropriate use of artificial light including glare, sky glow, clutter, and light trespass, and is one of the main impacts of industrialisation. International Dark Sky Week is held when the sky is at its darkest and the stars are therefore most visible to the viewer. For one week, people acro

Empoword Journalism • 10th April 2021

Putin Passes Law To Extend Presidency

Russian President Vladimir Putin has passed a new law that could keep him in power until 2036. The new law will allow Putin to run in two more elections, potentially giving him presidential power for another 15 years. The Kremlin approved these constitutional changes on Easter Monday, alongside the extension of presidential office terms to six years. Putin has been president of Russia for over twenty years, the longest-reigning president after Josef Stalin, Soviet dictator. He argued these c

The Indiependent • 6th April 2021

Southwark Playhouse To Premiere Philip Ridley’s ‘Tarantula’

Southwark Playhouse is set to premiere Philip Ridley’s one-woman show Tarantula at The Little on 30 April and 1 May 2021. Tarantula will star Georgie Henley as Toni, best known as Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia films. Henley had previously made her professional stage debut in Ridley’s Angry in 2017. Tarantula is directed by Wiebke Green and produced by Katy Lipson. It will mark the second of Ridley’s works to be premiered at Southwark, following The Poltergeist which was released in Novemb

The Indiependent • 4th April 2021

Game of Thrones Adaptation Set to Hit Theatres in 2023

A Game of Thrones adaptation is coming to the West End and Broadway in 2023 and is set to dictate events more than ten years prior to the original novels and TV series. “The production will boast a story centred around love, vengeance, madness, and the dangers of dealing in prophecy, in the process of revealing secrets and lies that have only been hinted at until now,” an official statement said. Playwright Duncan MacMillan and director Dominic Cooke will bring this adaptation to life with som

Empoword Journalism • 2nd April 2021

Australian PM Removes Two Cabinet Members From Officer In Row Over Rape Allegations

Australian Chief Law Officer Christian Porter has been removed from office after rape allegations have left Australia’s society divided. Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has also been removed after mishandling a rape allegation from a young female staff member. Mr. Porter was accused of raping a girl in 1988 at the age of seventeen and has since been removed from his position as Chief Law Officer and is to be replaced by Michaelia Cash. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has faced increase pressure

Empoword Journalism • 2nd April 2021

Boris Johnson Visits Hartlepool Days After Rival Keir Starmer

This week has been significant for the people of Hartlepool, as Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer both visited the town ahead of the upcoming by-election on Thursday 6 May. Ms. Mortimer aims to be the first Conservative MP of the town since 1964, when Edward Leadbitter overtook the Conservatives with 52.9% of the votes to their 47.1%. Mr. Johnson claims the Conservative Party are heavily invested in the area and believe this will be a clear win for them. “I think people will vote Conservative be

Empoword Journalism • 5th May 2021

Review: The Irregulars

Slithering through the ramshackle lanes and littered streets of Victorian London, darkness emerges; engulfing all in its wake. Hired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous literary character, John Watson, a group of battered teenagers living on the streets are invited to solve supernatural disappearances, kidnappings, and even murders, all whilst in the search for the mysterious, and certainly dictated, Sherlock Holmes. The Irregulars is a British mystery and adventure crime drama created by Tom Bi

Empoword Journalism • 30th April 2021

"Esteemed members of the Ton, it seems we have a rather special announcement"

Netflix’s hit series Bridgerton has been given the green light for seasons 3 and 4, with production expected to begin next year. Whilst Regé-Jean Page will not be returning, the Bridgerton family will be returning in full flair and grandeur. So grab your dress, tailor your suit, and join us in the Ton for a year of extravagance and romance. Netflix partnered with Shondaland in October 2018 to produce what has become an extravagant world of intrigue, romance – and a global sensation. Interwoven

The Indiependent • 6th April 2021

Southwark Playhouse To Premiere Philip Ridley’s ‘Tarantula’

Southwark Playhouse is set to premiere Philip Ridley’s one-woman show Tarantula at The Little on 30 April and 1 May 2021. Tarantula will star Georgie Henley as Toni, best known as Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia films. Henley had previously made her professional stage debut in Ridley’s Angry in 2017. Tarantula is directed by Wiebke Green and produced by Katy Lipson. It will mark the second of Ridley’s works to be premiered at Southwark, following The Poltergeist which was released in Novemb

The Indiependent • 4th April 2021

Game of Thrones Adaptation Set to Hit Theatres in 2023

A Game of Thrones adaptation is coming to the West End and Broadway in 2023 and is set to dictate events more than ten years prior to the original novels and TV series. “The production will boast a story centred around love, vengeance, madness, and the dangers of dealing in prophecy, in the process of revealing secrets and lies that have only been hinted at until now,” an official statement said. Playwright Duncan MacMillan and director Dominic Cooke will bring this adaptation to life with som

Empoword Journalism • 29th March 2021

Killing Eve Set For A Final Season In 2022 - Is This The End?

This article contains spoilers for Killing Eve. Killing Eve will shortly be coming to a close with its fourth season set to end the drama in 2022. Production is due to begin across the UK and Europe this summer in preparation for the release of its eight-episode series finale next year. Killing Eve is a British dark humoured comedy-drama series and follows British intelligence agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) as she is tasked with the capture of assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer). As the chase co

Empoword Journalism • 9th March 2021

The Vanishing At The Cecil Hotel - What Happened to Elisa Lam?

Crime Scene: The Vanishing At The Cecil Hotel is a four-part documentary series on Netflix that analyses the disappearance and death of college student Elisa Lam. This mini-series takes us down a dark and twisted path of conspiracy theories questioning why and how Elisa Lam disappeared at the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. 21-year-old Canadian college student, Elisa Lam, visited America in 2013 as a tourist. On her arrival in Los Angeles, she planned to stay at the Cecil Hotel for four da

The Indiependent • 12th February 2021

Newcastle Fringe Offers Grants For Theatre Makers

Newcastle Fringe Festival is offering two £1000 grants to Northern theatre makers interested in creating new content for the stage. This is the first time that Newcastle-Upon-Tyne has hosted a fringe festival, which will run from 27 July – 7 August. Successful applicants will see their work performed to a live at Newcastle’s Alphabetti Theatre. As well as online viewers, there may be a socially distanced in-house audience of COVID-19 restrictions allow. The first grant is aimed at anyone in t

The Indiependent • 6th February 2021

13 Grassroots Music Venues Removed From MVT’s ‘Crisis Red List’

13 UK grassroots music venues have been removed from the Music Venue Trust’s #SaveOurVenues Crisis list meaning they have escaped imminent closure. The Crisis Red List was established in November 2020 to monitor those venues most at risk of closure due to the Coronavirus pandemic and therefore in urgent need of the government’s Cultural Recovery Fund. Last year this list included 30 grassroots music venues threatened with imminent closure. However, 13 venues have now escaped the red list inclu

The Indiependent • 29th January 2021

A Willy Wonka Prequel Is Coming Our Way In 2023

A Willy Wonka prequel has been given the green light for production. Wonka will be directed and produced by Paddington director Paul King and Harry Potter producer David Heyman. Written by Roald Dahl in 1964, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a renowned children’s book which inspired the production of two film adaptations and themed chocolate factories across the globe. Gene Wilder played Willy Wonka in the 1971 film. Over three decades later and Johnny Depp was cast as Wonka in Tim Burton

The Indiependent • 27th January 2021

BroadwayHD And RSC Collaborate On Streaming Shows

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has partnered with streaming service BroadwayHD to provide 30 streamed shows for its viewers this year. Shows already available include King Lear (2016), Macbeth (2018), and The Merry Wives of Windsor (2018), with many other shows to be added in the coming months. Other performances already available to watch are Measure for Measure (2019), Timon of Athens (2018), and Antony and Cleopatra (2017). The announcement comes following a challenging few months for

The Indiependent • 25th January 2021

Ahead of Season Two Release, ‘Snowpiercer’ Renewed For A Third Season

Snowpiercer has been renewed for a third season ahead of its season two premiere on Netflix on January 26. The TV series is produced by CJ Entertainment and Tomorrow Studies, with ITV organizing its distribution across international channels including Netflix. With its first season reaching 32 million viewers, season two is set to take the world by storm. Snowpiercer is based on the French graphic novel, Le Transperceneige, by Jacques Lob and the 2013 film developed by Graeme Manson and Josh

The Indiependent • 23rd January 2021

Alexia McIntosh Launches Hippodrome Digital Masterclasses

Alexia McIntosh, star of Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow’s Six – The Musical, has launched digital masterclasses in Birmingham for young people aged 7-25. Priced at £5 per person, the masterclasses are being run in association with the Birmingham Hippodrome. The aim is to allow young people to access information and advice from industry experts. McIntosh, originally from Birmingham and best known for her role as Anna of Cleves in the acclaimed West End musical, has launched the Hippodrome’s first di

The Indiependent • 21st January 2021

Glastonbury 2021 Officially Cancelled

Glastonbury Festival has been cancelled for the second year running due to COVID-19. This news was announced on their Twitter this morning: “With great regret, we must announce that this year’s Glastonbury Festival will not take place.” “In spite of our efforts to move Heaven & Earth, it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the Festival happen this year,” claimed Michael and Emily, the festival’s organisers. As with last year, all those who have secured a ticket with their

Empoword Journalism • 18th January 2021

Bridgerton Takes Centre Stage With Its Musical Extravagence

Ever since its release on the 25th December 2020, Bridgerton has dominated screens and sent its viewers into a frenzy of envy and desire for its main characters, period sets, and of course, its music. Bridgerton is the Netflix period drama that everyone seems to be obsessed with. Set in nineteenth-century England, this show details the life of the Bridgerton household, focusing on Daphne, the eldest daughter, and her entrance into society. Tasked with eight children, Mrs. Bridgerton must naviga

The Indiependent • 10th January 2021

Jim Haynes, Traverse co-founder, dies aged 87

Tributes have been paid to Traverse Theatre founder, Jim Haynes, after his death aged 87. Haynes is renowned for his influence on Edinburgh’s festivals and cultural scene, transforming this historical city into the cultural hub that it became from the 1960s onwards. He opened Britain’s first paperback bookshop in George Square in 1959, and co-founded the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh in 1963 Originally built in a former brothel, the Traverse Theatre provided the foundations of success for the

The Indiependent • 13th December 2020

£165 million emergency loans for arts organisations

£165 million in emergency loans has been given to UK arts organisations hit hard by the global pandemic. Eleven organisations will each receive part of the loan, with an initial repayment holiday of up to four years and a repayment term of up to twenty years. The Royal Opera House are set to receive £21.7 million whilst the Royal Albert Hall will be given £20.7 million. This £165 million represents one of the final efforts from the UK Government to help the arts sector, one of the hardest hit

The Indiependent • 7th December 2020

Netflix Increases 2020 Budget Despite Global Pandemic

Streaming giant Netflix has upped its spending budget to £750 million in 2020 for the UK, a fifty percent increase from last year. 2019 saw Netflix spend £500 million on British-made films and TV shows, around £100 million more than its estimated £400 million for the year. Despite being affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, knocking production off plan, Netflix is still committed to making more than fifty films and TV shows in what remains of 2020, placing the UK at the centre of its productio

The Indiependent • 5th December 2020

Theatre News: Royal Court Christmas show to go ahead

Liverpool’s Royal Court have confirmed that their Christmas show can go ahead as planned, after the city was placed into the second tier of COVID-19 restrictions. The Royal Court Selection Box will run until the 30th of January, as long as current restrictions are not tightened. Whilst each show will feature a reduced cast of six members, this will change nightly to allow as many regulars to return as possible. Jake Abraham, Eithne Browne and Roy Brandon are among those already confirmed. Gov

The Indiependent • 4th December 2020

Trailer Released for Upcoming Netflix Film ‘The Dig’

Netflix has just released the trailer for its upcoming film, The Dig. This Second World War period drama is set to star Lily James, Carey Mulligan, and Ralph Fiennes. The Dig is a dramatized adaptation of a novel by John Preston that explores the most famous archaeological dig in modern British history: “the discovery of an Anglo-Saxon burial ship at Sutton Hoo, known as ‘Britain’s Tutankhamun‘.” The trailer begins in 1939, just months before the outbreak of the Second World War, with wealthy

The Indiependent • 2nd December 2020

Trailer Released For ‘Our Friend’ With Dakota Johnson, Jason Segel And Casey Affleck

Our Friend is a comedy-drama set for release in the US in January 2021. This film follows the story of three best friends as they navigate life after receiving devastating news that turn their world upside down. Starring Dakota Johnson, Jason Segel, and Casey Affleck, this film looks to be a must-see in 2021. By the looks of the trailer the film’s comedic qualities are primed from the outset, beginning with Matt Teague (Casey Affleck) perched on the toilet with a bottle of beer as Dane Faucheux

Empoword Journalism • 18th May 2021

Are Museums The Future?

Today marks International Museum Day: a day created to appreciate these institutions and reflect on their role in keeping history alive. This year’s theme is ‘The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine.’ 2020 was a difficult year for us all. Sector after sector began to collapse and before we knew it, museums were closing their doors – many for good. But with great difficulties comes great change… This global crisis has served as a catalyst for change; change in the way we think, act, and re

Empoword Journalism • 18th May 2021

Can Coffee Be Environmentally Friendly?

Coffee is the most popular drink in the world (after water) with over 400 billion cups consumed on average every year. In the UK alone, 2,800kg of coffee per person is monopolized, with 64% of Americans consuming the caffeinated drink every day. Whilst utterly delicious and addictive, its environmental impact is quite distressing. That then bears the question: can coffee be environmentally friendly? What exactly is the environmental impact? Traditionally, coffee beans are cultivated under the

The Independent • 10th May 2021

I’m 23 and suffer from asthma – I never had any doubts about taking the AstraZeneca vaccine

For four months I waited to be called up for the vaccine. Four months of walking on eggshells to protect my parents from a virus we still do not know enough about; of fearing for my own health and immune response if I were to get the virus. As an asthma sufferer on steroid inhalers, I expected to be one of the first to be called up. Every day, I would eagerly greet the postman only to be left in the dark week after week. I would see friends and strangers my own age advertising their vaccine car

Empoword Journalism • 16th March 2021

#MentalHealthMatters - The Piers Morgan Story

On Tuesday 9 March 2021, Piers Morgan ‘left’ Good Morning Britain for good – or was rather fired – after his unnecessary and downright demeaning response to Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Harry and Meghan. Meghan Markle exposed her own struggles as Duchess of Sussex whilst navigating her new – more restricted – way of life as a significant figure in the Royal Family. Since Piers Morgan’s outburst on live television regarding Meghan Markle’s suicidal thoughts during her time as a senior royal,

Empoword Journalism • 28th February 2021

Are British Summer Plans Exacerbating Eating Disorder Cases?

Eating disorders are predatory; they consume the host anywhere at any time. They creep in slowly, entwining their tendrils around your brain and transforming your mind into a wormhole of doubt and obsession. They don’t care about your age or occupation, and they certainly don’t care about you. Most of us at some point or other will have had an obsession with our weight. 1 in 50 to be exact. When I say obsession, I mean that little voice inside our heads telling us to ‘get that summer body’ or ‘

Empoword Journalism • 2nd February 2021

Do We Have An Unhealthy Obsession With Our Phones?

We have all been through that phase when our phone is glued to our hand, the outline of our fingers etched perfectly into the creased edges, itching with fear and anticipation when we are no longer holding onto its smooth surface. Or maybe that wasn’t just a phase – maybe that has been a reality your whole life. Distancing ourselves from our phones is, at the best of times, difficult. Add a global pandemic to the mix and we have a serious problem on our hands. For the young people of today, th

Empoword Journalism • 18th November 2020

Have a Merry Vegan Christmas!

When we think of a Christmas dinner, the first thing that pops into our minds isn’t the bowls upon bowls of juicy veg filling every empty space on the table, it’s the pigs in blankets, the meat gravy, and of course – the grand centre piece – the turkey. As a newly fledged vegan (9 months in the making), I have not yet had to think outside the box and create a Christmas meal that doesn’t involve turkey trimmings and thick meat gravy as far as the eye can see. For all of you veggies and vegans out

Empoword Journalism • 15th November 2020

How Is Christmas Different This Year?

As the festive season approaches, and shops begin to decorate their displays with Christmas trees and fairy lights, there is that little voice in our head that continues to ask, “will we all be able to gather as a family around the Christmas table this year, indulging in pigs in blankets and mulled wine?” We are all just as surprised as each other that coronavirus is still around, looming over us each day like a dark winter’s day. Remember back in March when we thought lockdown would only last

Mads On the Road • 16th June 2020

Whitsundays…an island dream

When I first saw the Whitsundays advertised as a sailing trip, I wasn’t too keen on the idea. Three days sailing in the middle of the ocean sounded, in all honesty, like an absolute nightmare. Don’t get me wrong, I love the ocean. Growing up by the water my whole life was so peaceful, so tranquil. Putting me on a boat in the middle of it, however, and that is a completely different story. I prefer to admire its beauty from the shore, or from a postcard in one of those trinket stores with an ice-

Mads On the Road • 15th May 2020

Barefoot in Oz

With isolation forcing us all into our homes, and the hopes of a summer vacation are quickly beginning to fade, I have found myself looking back over my memories from a trip I took to Australia at the end of 2018, and where I remained for nine months. I guess you could say that I have always had that traveller bug inside of me. You know that little insistent biting that tells you to pack that suitcase, take your passport and get on the next available flight. I’ve always had it. Ever since my fi

The Independent • 10th May 2021

I’m 23 and suffer from asthma – I never had any doubts about taking the AstraZeneca vaccine

For four months I waited to be called up for the vaccine. Four months of walking on eggshells to protect my parents from a virus we still do not know enough about; of fearing for my own health and immune response if I were to get the virus. As an asthma sufferer on steroid inhalers, I expected to be one of the first to be called up. Every day, I would eagerly greet the postman only to be left in the dark week after week. I would see friends and strangers my own age advertising their vaccine car

Empoword Journalism • 2nd May 2021

To vote or not to vote, that is the question

Local council elections do not muster the same enthusiasm that national elections do. Party campaigns in the months preceding a general election are a grandiose – if not a little ruthless – affair. After all, this is our opportunity to change the political makeup of our country – in simple and theoretical terms at least. What people fail to realise, however, is the sheer importance that local elections have in providing a connection between constituent, constituency, and parliament. Local elect

Empoword Journalism • 10th April 2021

Does The Media Influence Protest Coverage?

To protest: the encouragement of public expression of distaste or objection towards an idea, action, or law. A solid form that rises from within Britain’s unwritten constitution; within her democratic system. For hundreds of years, Britons have gathered in their masses to outline what the people need; what the people want. Protests come with the freedom of expression; the freedom of opinion; the freedom to be who you want to be. But what they don’t come with is violence; that is, until the polic

Empoword Journalism • 20th March 2021

Where Has Our Freedom Gone?

We all saw the news. The crowds lining the banks of Clapham Common. The women, young and old, standing for their rights. Standing in memory of another who fell victim to the violence and brutality of male oppression. This is not my battle cry – not yet. This is however, an analysis into the efficiency of our own police force and the extremities of the newly re-evaluated Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Court Bill that aims to silence us. On the evening of Tuesday 16 March, the House of Commons pa

Empoword Journalism • 16th March 2021

#MentalHealthMatters - The Piers Morgan Story

On Tuesday 9 March 2021, Piers Morgan ‘left’ Good Morning Britain for good – or was rather fired – after his unnecessary and downright demeaning response to Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Harry and Meghan. Meghan Markle exposed her own struggles as Duchess of Sussex whilst navigating her new – more restricted – way of life as a significant figure in the Royal Family. Since Piers Morgan’s outburst on live television regarding Meghan Markle’s suicidal thoughts during her time as a senior royal,

Empoword Journalism • 28th February 2021

Are British Summer Plans Exacerbating Eating Disorder Cases?

Eating disorders are predatory; they consume the host anywhere at any time. They creep in slowly, entwining their tendrils around your brain and transforming your mind into a wormhole of doubt and obsession. They don’t care about your age or occupation, and they certainly don’t care about you. Most of us at some point or other will have had an obsession with our weight. 1 in 50 to be exact. When I say obsession, I mean that little voice inside our heads telling us to ‘get that summer body’ or ‘

Empoword Journalism • 6th February 2021

How Effective Is Covid-19 Hospital Coverage?

Nearly a year into the pandemic, most of the British population are still completely overwhelmed with images and footage of Coronavirus sufferers confined to hospital beds and ventilators. Of those forced to work laborious shifts on hospital wards with little to no sleep. Of the families who will never see their loved ones again. This then raises the question: is hospital coverage of seriously ill patients benefiting our population through stringent education, or have we become desensitised to t

Empoword Journalism • 2nd February 2021

Do We Have An Unhealthy Obsession With Our Phones?

We have all been through that phase when our phone is glued to our hand, the outline of our fingers etched perfectly into the creased edges, itching with fear and anticipation when we are no longer holding onto its smooth surface. Or maybe that wasn’t just a phase – maybe that has been a reality your whole life. Distancing ourselves from our phones is, at the best of times, difficult. Add a global pandemic to the mix and we have a serious problem on our hands. For the young people of today, th

Empoword Journalism • 30th January 2021

With Many Graduates Trapped In Limbo, Will There Ever Be Justice?

It goes without saying that the past year has been tough – for all of us. But one group in particular have certainly been neglected by both educational institutions and the media. This group is graduates. Imagine this: you approach your final year of university, beaming with the prospects of your future, whether that be further education, a job, or a gap year. For students graduating in 2020 however, things were very different indeed. Speaking with a group of recent graduates from across the c

28th May 2020

The Healing Powers of Crying

I have never been one to cry. I always saw it as a way of caving into my emotions, a weakness so to say. For years and years, I bottled everything up. But now, in lockdown, I have finally given myself permission, I have finally allowed myself to feel. Up until now I had always abided with society’s expectations of women. I tried to fit into these minute boxes that tell women how skinny they should be or how they should conduct themselves. I would always feel guilty for eating one biscuit, dashi