Ruby Frost

Empoword Journalism • 15th June 2022

Understanding England's Homelessness Crisis

There’s no escaping the fact that Britain is on the brink of experiencing a homelessness crisis. In February, the government released the ‘autumn snapshot’ of homelessness in England. These statistics are based on the number of people spotted sleeping rough on a single night in autumn in England.

What does the data say?

The most recent snapshot, from autumn 2021, shows that the number of people sleeping rough in 2021 has decreased by just under 250 people, from 2680 in 2020 to 2440 in 2021.

F

Empoword Journalism • 12th February 2022

Degree or no degree: that is the question

Should employers really value having a degree over industry experience?

The history: how did degrees become so sought after?

In the early 1960s, only 4% of school leavers went to university. As of 2021, this figure has risen to almost 40% of the UK 18-year-old population.

In 1999, Prime Minister Tony Blair set a target of 50% of young adults going into higher education in the next century. Some criticised this move and placed emphasis on the importance of technical and trade-based jobs too. O

28th January 2022

#PawsForThought: How Animal Shelters Have Been Affected During The Pandemic

During lockdown in the UK over three million households bought a pet. In response to strict measures, which saw us only allowed to leave the home for essential supermarket trips and daily exercise, many saw this as the perfect opportunity to expand their family. More than a third of new owners even said it was like having a newborn baby. Pets are known to have beneficial impacts on mental health and wellbeing, such as lowering loneliness and encouraging us to increase our physical exercise.

How

The Boutique Handbook • 7th November 2021

Inside Porte Noire, Idris Elba's New London Wine Bar

Idris Elba is already an acclaimed actor, producer and DJ – now he’s adding London wine bar owner to his long list of achievements.

The Luther star has opened Porte Noire in King’s Cross, which serves more than 800 wines and boasts one of the largest tasting rooms in the capital.

As well as a 70-cover dining room, bar and outdoor terrace, there is also a wine shop for oenophiles who are just passing through.

Read next: How to drink wine properly – and the things you should never do

Located i

The Boutique Handbook • 25th October 2021

The Corn Stores, Reading: Review

Reading town centre is not often associated with fine dining or exclusive cocktail bars – The Corn Stores, however, is an exception.

Located in a Grade II listed building on Forbury Road, this Victorian establishment was once used for storing corn, and was then a pub which had long been forgotten about.

It stood derelict for years before being lovingly restored by the Rarebreed Dining Group, which also own The Plough Inn in Surrey and Berkshire’s Shurlock Inn.

Now it boasts three floors of st

25th October 2021

Life After University: Are Graduates Too Fixated On Landing That Dream Job Straight Away?

Official advice from the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) recommends that recent graduates should take at least six months after leaving university to explore opportunities, instead of rushing to settle on a job. However, eight in ten recent graduates feel pressure to get a job within half a year of graduating.

It is easy to understand why the overwhelming majority of graduates feel this pressure. Degrees are still so valid in society because they are portrayed as a means to se

The Indiependent • 27th September 2021

Travelling To: The Isle of Wight

Situated just off the South Coast in the English Channel is the Isle of Wight; known for its beaches, dinosaur fossils and historical role in the defence of the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth.

Regular ferries and hovercrafts make the island easily accessible. The quickest ferry route—from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier Head—can get you there in only 22 minutes.

As ‘staycations’ remain popular in light as a result of COVID-19, this guide will show you what England’s largest island has to

The Meridian • 19th September 2021

It's Getting Hot in Here: Seasonal Body Image Distortion and the Impact on Men

'Seasonal body image' is a relatively new term that has originated in response to ideas—such as 'summer shredding' and 'hot girl summer'—which project the notion that losing weight during the summer months is necessary in order to look one's best. The term 'seasonal body image' is subsequently used to describe the 'within-person variation in body image' across the four seasons, which appears to have arisen in response to narratives regarding summer bodies.

In a study of men from both the southe

The Indiependent • 7th August 2021

World Breastfeeding Week: The Imperative To Protect Breastfeeding Worldwide

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that children be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their life, with the first feed within the hour after their birth. Despite advice from organisations such as the WHO, the global prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months only reached 44% in 2020. World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is an annual campaign that, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, generates public awareness and support for breastfeeding. The

The Meridian • 25th January 2021

Du-bye: The UK influencers travelling to Dubai despite National Lockdown measures

Despite Dubai’s (and the rest of the UAE’s) recent addition to the Foreign Office’s (FCDO) ‘no-go’ list, why are we still seeing an influx of UK influencers promoting their exotic holidays in the city?

On the 12th of March 2020, we were told we would be entering a three-week lockdown to combat the spread of COVID-19. Over 300 days later, life has still not returned to normal. What is now being dubbed the ‘new normal’ essentially means that some of us have not seen family members, friends, or go