Today I’ve launched a new website – South London Stories. Regular readers of this blog will recognise many of the stories it contains. This blog will continue, but South London Stories will house the more in-depth work that I do as I continue to explore the effects of austerity in the part of London where … Continue reading Introducing South London Stories
A Fragile Recovery: Life in a supported housing unit
To experience psychosis is to temporarily lose your connection with reality. It can involve hearing voices, delusional beliefs, confusion and difficulty communicating. Psychotic episodes are common to a number of severe mental health conditions, including schizophrenia. Not all experiences of psychosis are negative – but some people may be hospitalised after a particularly serious episode. … Continue reading A Fragile Recovery: Life in a supported housing unit
The Surgery: General practice in the age of austerity
Last year, the number of GPs in England fell by more than 1,000 – and a record number of surgeries closed. Earlier this year, the largest annual survey of GPs found that unfilled vacancies were at their highest ever level. There is a national shortage of GPs, and the situation is getting worse. So what’s going … Continue reading The Surgery: General practice in the age of austerity
Lavilla’s Story: Suffering in silence
One day, Lavilla just stopped talking. For over two years, she didn’t utter a single word, in public or in private. A series of traumatic events triggered a breakdown that saw her repeatedly hospitalised and lose contact with her son and her family. I met Lavilla through Ace of Clubs, the day centre that has … Continue reading Lavilla’s Story: Suffering in silence
Hawa’s Story: Disabled by war, judged fit to work by the Department for Work and Pensions
Badly injured in an explosion in Mogadishu, Hawa fled war to build a life in the UK. I was introduced to her by Sue Noel at Brixton Advice Centre, who has been advocating for her in her fight with the Department for Work and Pensions. She talked to me about what had brought her to … Continue reading Hawa’s Story: Disabled by war, judged fit to work by the Department for Work and Pensions
The Foodbank: A short film and a photo story
I’ve been spending time at the foodbanks in Norwood and Brixton since 2015, getting to know clients, staff and volunteers. Earlier this year, I worked with my friends at Hilow Films to produce a short documentary, focusing on the people they help and the reasons that bring them there. We filmed at West Norwood and recorded … Continue reading The Foodbank: A short film and a photo story
Just Nipping to the Shops: A photo story about disability and the Department for Work and Pensions
I first met Toni last year. She got in touch after reading some of my posts on Brixton Advice Centre’s blog, because of the appalling treatment she’d suffered at the hands of the Department for Work and Pensions. She wanted other people to know what she’d been put through – and I wrote about it here. Toni … Continue reading Just Nipping to the Shops: A photo story about disability and the Department for Work and Pensions
The Winter Shelter: A night with Glass Door
Last month I spent a night at a winter homeless shelter in Wandsworth, run by the charity Glass Door. I wanted to understand why rough sleeping in England has risen so relentlessly since 2010 – up 16% last year and 30% the year before. I talked to guests, staff and volunteers about the disparate problems … Continue reading The Winter Shelter: A night with Glass Door
“It feels like the people in power have no clue how people are living here” – Mosaic Clubhouse’s Maresa Ness and Lee Elliott on mental health and the impact of austerity
Mosaic Clubhouse in Brixton has been a lifeline for Lambeth residents suffering from mental health problems since 1994. Funded by Lambeth Council and the borough's Clinical Commissioning Group, it provides education and employment opportunities, housing and benefits advice, advocacy, a supportive community and a safe space in the evenings for those in crisis. According to … Continue reading “It feels like the people in power have no clue how people are living here” – Mosaic Clubhouse’s Maresa Ness and Lee Elliott on mental health and the impact of austerity
Fair Funding for all Schools: Meet the parents fighting a £25m cut to Lambeth school budgets
By 2019, Lambeth schools collectively face losing an estimated £25m from their annual budget through a combination of rising costs and a new formula for how education funding is distributed around the country. In total, schools across England will be approximately £3bn a year worse off by 2020, according to the National Audit Office. Head … Continue reading Fair Funding for all Schools: Meet the parents fighting a £25m cut to Lambeth school budgets
