Category Archives: Featured Article

“Do something you love. Disabled or not, it’s good for the soul!”

Jenny Brownlees is a freelance fashion journalist and stylist. She has ME, and went through a lot of tough times to get where she is now. One thing she found helped her was to follow her creative heart. Here she talks about her experiences.  

I was 16 when I became unwell. Enjoying life and school, becoming unwell in my teenage years hit me hard. I was very creative both in and outside of school. Happiest in art and textiles classes when doodling, making a mess, sewing, designing, I was obsessed with ‘making’ in all its forms. I loved every aspect of fashion and art. It meant so much to me, and was a huge part of my personal identity.

Warning of shortage of workers as cost of care rises sharply in region

Nurse and senior lady in a care home

People are shunning jobs in social care to work in supermarkets, leaving a shortfall in the army of workers needed to look after us in old age, it has been warned.

Dennis Bacon, chairman of care providers body Norfolk Independent Care, said the lack of respect for social care work has put people off joining the profession, leaving the industry with a middle-aged workforce which will not go on forever.

It is one of the factors pushing up annual care costs, which rose £2,912, or 9.4pc, in the East, leaving the region with the most expensive care homes for the first time. The average cost for a residential space is now £33,800 per year.

East Lancs elderly could be left in financial black hole

 Mr Key said his firm will struggle to pay its homecare workers the £7.20-an-hour rate.