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Times
30 minutes ago
- Times
The next big thing in books? The ‘ceasefire babies' of Northern Ireland
The generation of people born in Northern Ireland in the 1990s are known, with varying degrees of affection, as 'ceasefire babies'. They are united by being too young to remember the Troubles — but they have got their own troubles to contend with. Suicide rates in Northern Ireland have jumped since the conflict ended. (In fact, 3,709 people killed themselves in the 16 years after the Good Friday agreement, compared with 3,600 people who were killed during the 30 years of fighting.) And in the absence of an armed struggle, there can be a kind of identity vacuum: if your parents fought for what they believed was right, are you supposed to just live an ordinary life — and be grateful for it? The rap group Kneecap have recently presented one solution to this problem: to take the anger of their forebears and reinvent it for a new generation. This astonishing short story collection represents another: to process those feelings of anger, disappointment and rootlessness through fiction.
BBC News
42 minutes ago
- BBC News
"Brighton council pushed us away and made us feel worthless"
A couple who were found living in a tent in Brighton say the local council "pushed" them 20 miles (32km) away, making them feel "worthless".Scott and Tina became homeless in May 2024 and were initially placed in an Eastbourne hotel but are now living in a caravan with no electricity or running said Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) were "not interested" in them and had "no empathy", despite Tina having grown up in the a statement, BHCC said it was "operating within the constraints of a national housing crisis" and aimed to place households within or near the city but out-of-area placements were sometimes unavoidable. On Monday, the deputy leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, Peter Diplock, said placing vulnerable people that far outside the city was leaving people to "to sink or swim" in a corporate strategy of "out of sight, out of mind".His comments came after the deaths of two homeless men who were placed in emergency housing in the two men, aged 38 and 60, died just over a week from each other in separate incidents at a and Tina were also housed in an Eastbourne hotel but that tenancy was terminated after nine months due to disagreements with the hotel owner. Despite their current predicament, Scott said they were "better off than a lot of people" who were having to sleep in he said there was too much homelessness in Eastbourne."Eastbourne is just full of homeless people and when you actually speak to them rarely any of them are from Eastbourne, they're from Brighton, Worthing, they're all from way out of town."Someone should have a roof over their head where they can clean themselves, cook for themselves. We can't do any of that," he said. 'A safe space' The couple visit the Matthew 25 Mission drop-in centre in the town most days to get food and said: "Without these people providing this service, I don't think we would survive."It's more than just a food place... they do the washing, you can get advice, you actually relax, you have a safe space and know someone's going to sit there and listen."Tina added: "If services like this didn't exist then there wouldn't be anywhere for us to go. We struggle as it is to charge phones so that we can get hold of people like doctors."Meanwhile, Scott said Brighton council "don't give you five minutes to even listen to you."It felt like I was worthless. "They don't even have any empathy." After Scott and Tina were found living in the tent just over a year ago, the StreetLink service, which connects people living rough with local services, put them in contact with BHCC to arrange housing because of Scott's type 2 said BHCC "didn't really help us. They moved us miles away to Eastbourne and pretty much never contacted us again until I kept pushing and pushing for a conversation."He said that conversation ended a week later "when some person just decided that we didn't deserve a house".An obstacle for Scott and Tina to be given a home was that they had rent arrears from a property they lived at in Durham two years said: "Brighton made it very clear they're not interested, even though they've decided we have priority need, we have local connections and I have health needs. "We do have rent arrears from Durham, but, you know, loads of people are in debt in this country." 'National housing crisis' Tina said she grew up in Brighton and did not have any family in Eastbourne."The only person I have to talk to is Scott and sometimes it gets a bit lonely," she said."I do speak to my dad, but obviously it's not the same as going to see him [and] I don't have the luxury of funds to go there and spend time with him. "He's the only parent I have left." Scott accused the council of "ticking boxes" and "pushing" the homelessness problem away."They're pushing people further and further away to Eastbourne, Worthing, wherever they can shove people because they can't deal with them properly themselves. BHCC has been approached for comment about Scott and Tina's a statement on Monday, councillor Gill Williams, cabinet member for housing, said the authority was operating within the constraints of a national housing crisis" where "the demand for housing far exceeds supply".It said where temporary accommodation was necessary, "we aim to place households within or near the city. However, due to limited availability and affordability, out-of-area placements are sometimes unavoidable. "These decisions are never taken lightly, and we work to ensure that placements are safe, supported, and communicated appropriately."The council extended its deepest sympathies to the families of the two men who died in said it was awaiting the outcome of the coroner's report, which it would "consider carefully to inform any further improvements" to its approach.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Beds for Babies initiative rolled out in Barnsley
A pilot project aimed at providing a bed for all children aged five or under has been launched in Beds for Babies scheme is funded by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined part of the scheme, any family in need of support can access free Moses Baskets, cots and cot beds, toddler beds, mattresses and bedding bundles. South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: "Every child deserves the best possible start in life, and that begins with a safe place to sleep." The pilot scheme in Goldthorpe builds on the Beds for Babies programme launched by the mayor in far, £2.1m have been invested into the county-wide initiative, working with Baby Basics UK as the delivery partner. Coppard said: "By supporting families in Barnsley through Beds for Babies, we're not just tackling bed poverty – we're investing in healthier, happier futures for everyone."Within the first year of Beds for Babies, we have supported over 1,900 children and provided more than 3,800 essential items."A ceremony to celebrate the launch in Goldthorpe saw families across the borough learn more about the support on offer at the Dearne Family part of the pilot the hub will work closely with families across the village, helping them access free beds and bedding bundles, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council said."By working closely with these families, we can better understand their needs and connect them with the right support from our teams," a spokesperson said."Our Family Hubs are committed to learning from this pilot as we roll out Beds for Babies across the borough in the coming months, helping more families get the support they need sooner." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
