nikitaferguson

Mind actually blown!!

"You boy! What tariff is it today?"

‘There are many ways to be a channeller. Many ways to be a woman.’ Is one of my favourite quotes from the last ep!

@thedustywheel.bsky.social I didn’t think it would be possible but the WOT tv show has enhanced my love of the books in ways I really didn’t anticipate - are other fans finding this??

Pictured: a much-loved & worn copy of the Shadow Rising

#wheeloftime #wheeltoftimetvshow #robertjordan

Attempting to Create a Democracy for the End of the World with @involveuk.bsky.social as part of @imaginebelfast.bsky.social festival - insightful, revolutionary and constructive conversations had and enjoyed!

If we listen to how gen Z really feel about democracy they might stop telling us they prefer authoritarianism Young people want to get involved with politics – but they’re held back by a vast sense of distrust.

theconversation.com/if-we-listen...

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Democracy “is more than just systems of governance, but it’s also how we organise, how we communicate with each other, how we mobilise around social issues, and how we build consensus.”

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It’s easy to feel disheartened by the sheer volume of far-right rhetoric bombarding us all at the minute.

A really interesting read below- people can change their view of power if they’re given the tools and information to understand how democracy can work for them.

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In the long term the contribution carers make, at significant personal cost, needs to be recognised within the new Programme for Government.

And a revised and robust Carers Strategy is needed to ensure the needs of carers are tackled on a cross-departmental basis.

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Carers NI are calling on the NI Executive to take immediate action to tackle poverty amongst unpaid carers.

In the short-term a carer’s recognition payment of £541 a year which could lift over 3,000 carers out of poverty.

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1 in 4 carers are struggling to make ends meet.

This figure rises to nearly 1 in 2 for those in receipt of carer’s allowance

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Carers NI report highlights that carers are living lives defined by poverty and financial strain A new survey from Carers NI exploring the financial impacts of being an unpaid carer has laid bare the terrible poverty, stress and strain they are experiencing across Northern Ireland.

A new report from Carers NI shows the devastating impact that unpaid caring is having on carers’ finances and employment opportunities.

www.carersuk.org/press-releas...

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20 years of static poverty rates for people living in the UK- current govt needs to prioritise reducing poverty.

One of the key actions they can take, recommended in this report, is to make it possible to balance paid work with caring responsibilities.

Best of Nolan - President of UK National Black Police Assoc. hits out at ‘racist’ social media posts over PSNI recruitment ad - BBC Sounds Also, we hear the latest on Friday's weather warnings

Heartbreaking stories shared by unpaid carers both yesterday and today about the difficulties they face in accessing any kind of respite from their caring role. Decision makers need to listen, many unpaid carers reaching breaking point. Listen from 43.18

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Trump issuing rule changes that can lead to immigration raids on churches & schools.

The heartbreak & devastation the Trump’s administration is going to wreak on so many vulnerable people is absolutely devastating.

I feel like the bad guys used to hide their evil-now it’s out there in plain sight

Working from home is 'not proper work', says ex-Asda boss Lord Rose says it harms productivity but expert says hybrid work can be as good as full-time in the office.

Working from home has been a game changer for me as a working mum and I am way more productive at home than I was in the office. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a media which spent less time stirring the pot & more time contributing meaningfully to these critical debates
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Grateful to have taken part in #carersparliament today and have the opportunity to learn from all the carers in the room who spoke so passionately about their experiences- loads of food for thought as I head back to NI

Clear blue skies flying from NI to Scotland to join @carersscotland.bsky.social for their Carers Parliament - looking forward to joining discussions with Scottish carers on benefits and social security support in Scotland

Carer Poverty Commission Understanding the scale and drivers of poverty among carers in Northern Ireland and what needs to be done to make a difference

The @carersuk family are working hard to lobby for legislative change which will support carer’s rights, including those above.

To read more about Carers NI and the Carer Poverty Commission’s work click here: www.carersuk.org/ni/news-and-...

In addition unpaid carers should have the right to choose whether they provide unpaid care - a role which often comes with significant personal cost

With that in mind carer’s should have the right to…

-Paid carers leave from work (78% of rspndnts to State of Caring Survey 24 stated they could not afford to take unpaid leave from work)
-flexible working arrangements
- respite care & short breaks to help them maintain their own health & wellbeing

Meaning many cannot afford basic essentials such as food, clothing or heating-let alone the additional costs involved with providing unpaid care for a family member or friend.

Research has shown that the most significant predictor of unpaid carer poverty is whether or not carers are in employment.

It’s carer’s rights day & I wanted to re-highlight the important work being done by the Carer Poverty Commission - whose research has shown that currently, in NI, 1 in 4 carers live in poverty

Really good to hear @BBCr4today call out rising & deepening poverty as a key driver of increased exclusion of children from primary schools. Almost all kids excluded that young are either in poverty or have unmet SEND needs. Or both. And their prospects for the future are bleak.

I’d choose to travel by train every time if the prices weren’t so high

Travelling by train this morning for an eye appointment at the Royal - love travelling by train, and everything looks beautiful in the snow. But £19 return from Cullybackey is eye-watering! Prices have risen exorbitantly over last few years. #extortionatetrainfare

Some Monday motivation to get us through the day and indeed the coming weeks, months and years