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Euronews
05-07-2025
- Euronews
How I find my queer community as a digital nomad
When Deniz* invited a friend back to his hotel room during a trip to Egypt, he expected a relaxed evening. Not a knock on the door from the hotel manager and a security guard, who hurled homophobic abuse at them and forced his guest to leave. 'They threatened to film us and tell the police,' he said. It was a hard realisation: this was not a place where he could be himself safely. These are the kind of unpleasant situations you can encounter when traveling as a queer person. For Deniz, a digital nomad who travels full-time, it hits even harder. Despite having the immense privilege of choosing where to spend their time, of meeting people and cultures from all over the world, LGBTQ+ nomads also deal with the sobering reality that much of the globe - from Malaysia to the US - still harbours varying degrees of hostility toward queer people. It's a conversation that rarely happens in the nomad world - even though queer people make up a significant chunk of the community. According to a study by 13 per cent of digital nomads identify as bisexual, gay, or lesbian. Yet their specific experiences are often left out of the conversation. 'Back in the Closet' 'There are so many simple things that straight people take for granted,' says Julian*, who has been a digital nomad for almost a decade, including three years travelling with his partner. 'Like being able to book a hotel room together, or just hold hands when you walk down the street.' Playing it safe in new countries often brings back unpleasant memories of having to hide his identity during his teenage years in Spain. 'I spent so many years living in shame. And sometimes, travelling makes me feel like I'm back in the closet. It's a very painful feeling.' The biggest challenge for queer nomads isn't visas, time zones or even fighting with dodgy Wifi just before an important call. It's the mental toll of constantly assessing how visible they can safely be, and staying alert to the risk of homophobic violence. Back home, one of the best ways of facing these issues is to find queer community, a group of people and space where you know you can be fully yourself without fear. Creating that kind of safe space is more challenging on the road, but far from impossible. Around the world, queer nomads are finding ways to piece together long-distance, multicultural chosen families. 'Queer people are everywhere' 'Moving around so much has made me realise that queer people are everywhere,' says Sophie Bellamy, a writer who has spent the past eight years as a digital nomad. 'I've met other queers on walking tours, at digital nomad meetups, in coworking spaces, at Pride events, on dating apps… some of those matches have led to solid friendships over the years,' she says. She even met her business partner, Holly Close, while travelling. Together, they founded Good Egg, a web and copywriting studio for women and non-binary business owners. 'A proper queer digital nomad business,' Sophie says. Some encounters happen by chance: a Pride sticker on a hostel door, a conversation during a language exchange. Other times, it takes more effort like asking travel friends for introductions, or reaching out in queer nomad Facebook groups. In true digital nomad style, online spaces have become an important part of the community. Facebook groups like Queer Women Digital Nomads and LGBTQ+ Digital Nomads and Freelancers are a great place to share advice, or commiserate about unpleasant experiences. You can find travel buddies and swap stories. For those looking for romance, Nomad Soulmates is an LGBTQ+-friendly dating app that also runs real-life meetups and online events. There are also real-world destinations known for being safe and welcoming to queer people, places many LGBTQ+ nomads return to again and again. Lisbon, with its beaches, coworking hubs and vibrant nightlife, is a popular option. Another is Guadalajara, Mexico - affectionately nicknamed 'GAYdalajara' - which has a thriving queer community and growing nomad scene. For those just starting out, Sophie recommends choosing a destination like these. 'Somewhere with strong LGBTQ+ rights and an active digital nomad scene,' she adds. Before arriving, she suggests joining local Facebook groups or booking into a coliving space - accommodation designed for remote workers - which can offer 'a soft landing if you're nervous about meeting people.' 'Mostly, I'd say just go for it. It can be scary to start this journey, but it's the best thing I've ever done,' says Sophie. 'The more queers out there in the world, the better.' *Names changed
The Independent
17-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
What is sustainable investing and how can my money support green issues?
Amid an ongoing climate crisis while world leaders and businesses alike appear to roll back environmental policies and sustainability practices, the good news is that it's possible for your own money and investments to support businesses paving the way to a more sustainable future. More people than ever are looking to invest with a conscience. A recent 'Sustainable Signals' report by Morgan Stanley found that 77 per cent of individual investors globally want to invest for positive social or environmental impacts alongside market-rate financial returns. However, confusion over how to do this prevents many from taking action. Sustainable bank Triodos revealed 81 per cent of Brits are fearful of the future. Yet almost half (49 per cent) of all adults - and two-thirds (67 per cent) of 18-34 year olds - say they want their money to do good, but don't know where to start. If that's you, this is your starting point, as we show how you can align your finances to help build a greener - and fairer - world. What is sustainable investing? First, consider what sustainable investing means to you. You might want your investments to avoid destructive industries such as fossil fuels, tobacco and weapons. Or, you might prefer to invest in a way that pushes companies to do better - known as stakeholder engagement. For example, your fund may be invested in Shell or BP, but your vote as a shareholder will be used to encourage them to finance more green energy. Most sustainable funds tilt towards companies scoring well on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Morningstar has rated thousands of funds on how well they do this. Others go further by solely investing in companies that are making a positive and measurable difference to the planet and society, known as impact investing. Think about causes which mean most to you: it could be cutting carbon emissions, protecting biodiversity or reducing poverty. Then, you can decide where to allocate your investments. A Stocks and Shares Isa allows you to invest up to £20,000 per year, without having to pay tax on any profits. While you could handpick individual companies, an easier (and less risky) approach is to choose from sustainable funds. Investment platforms EQ Investors, Triodos and Liontrust all offer highly regarded impact funds. The first two hold a Good Egg mark from ethical money site Good With Money, which means they can prove they are making a tangible difference. It's important to beware of greenwashing, where investment providers make inflated claims about the sustainability credentials of their products. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has started to crack down on this issue though with a new labelling system to reflect different investment approaches. With or without these labels it's important to do some research yourself. Check fund factsheets as these will show you the companies they invest in, their objectives and how they're run. Some platforms have tools to help narrow down your options. For example, interactive investor has a best-in-class list of sustainable funds, ETFs and investment trusts called the 'ACE 40'. Innovative Finance ISAs An Innovative Finance Isa allows you to directly invest in individual pioneering companies and projects with a clear social or environmental mission. Any investments held in one will count towards your £20,000 tax-free limit. As examples, impact investing platform Ethex is currently offering bonds in ethical finance company Salad Money. Energise Africa offers investments in organisations bringing clean and affordable energy to sub-Saharan Africa. These investments are considered to be high risk (with the potential reward of higher returns), so it's important to include them only as part of a diversified portfolio. Pensions Greening your pension is 21 times more effective at cutting your carbon footprint than going veggie, giving up flying and switching energy providers combined, according to campaign group Make My Money Matter. Its research shows that UK pension schemes invest £88bn in fossil fuel firms, equating to £3,000 per pension holder. And for every £10 you put in the average pension, £2 is linked to deforestation. If you'd rather your retirement fund be used to invest in the planet's future as well as your own, consider moving it to a more sustainable provider. The PensionBee Climate Plan is a trailblazer in this area. It avoids companies with any ties to fossil fuels and also actively invests in those that are driving the transition to a low carbon economy. The NEST ethical fund and Penfold Sustainable Plan are also great options. Does sustainable investing mean sacrificing returns? Sustainable investing isn't pure altruism, it can also be a logical financial strategy. The idea is that companies making efforts to preserve the environment, treat staff well and have strong governance in place will do better financially in the long run than those focused on short-term profits alone. The latest Good Investment Review shows that actively-managed sustainable funds have performed comparatively well to their traditional peers in the last five years, despite difficult market conditions. Companies that do harm may face a future of increasing consumer criticism, regulation and financial penalties. In 2023 alone, the UK's 'Big Five' banks - HSBC, Barclays, Santander, NatWest and Lloyds - provided more than $55bn (£41bn) in finance to fossil fuel companies, according to a Banking on Climate Chaos report. Ethical banks and building societies avoid investing in environmentally harmful or otherwise unethical industries, treat staff and customers fairly and pay their share of tax. The gold standard here is Triodos Bank as it will only invest your money to make a positive impact on the planet and society. Building societies including Nationwide, Cumberland and Coventry (which recently bought the Co-operative Bank) are also seen as a good choice as they are owned by their members, not shareholders who receive dividends from profits. There are plenty of ways to use your money sustainably - you just need to find the one which suits your ideals and aims. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shopping centre goes all out to get Easter off to a cracking start
MERRY HILL Shopping Centre has certainly got Easter off to a cracking start, unveiling what they claim is the largest Easter egg in the UK. Standing at an impressive five metres tall, the vibrant egg was officially unveiled to the public at Merry Hill Shopping Centre in Brierley Hill today (April 12), kicking off eight days of Easter fun. The giant egg took 250 hours to paint and is the same height as a 13 storey building. With the egg as the main attraction, Merry Hill will also come to life with a colourful art trail, featuring nine egg designs from the winners of Merry Hill's Easter egg design competition, which saw over 300 young, budding artists from local primary schools enter. It is an impressive five feet tall (Image: Merry Hill) Using specially designed maps, visitors can track down the clues as they go to solve a puzzle and receive a free Easter egg. Merry Hill's Centre Manager, Jonathan Poole, said: 'We just wanted to go and wow our customers, and I think we are doing that with this egg. 'The feedback we have already had has been fantastic - our customers want interactive events. 'They want shopping, leisure, but also fun events, and that's what we've given them with the games and the easter egg trail.' Tamzin Dodd, Head of Client Services ass Bakehouse Factory Bristol who helped manufacture the egg, said: ' We worked very closely with Mery Hill to design it and just wanted to do something egg-stordinary! 'We wanted something that was community-focussed and would help bring everyone together.' Visitors will be given custom-designed stickers handed out by bunny performers, encouraging families to leave their creative mark on the giant egg itself, creating a unique community piece of art. Merry Hill's Centre Manager, Jonathan Poole (Image: Olivia Warburton / NQ) Alongside the Easter activities, Merry Hill is also recognising kindness with its first Good Egg award. Until April 19, Merry Hill is calling on the people across the West Midlands to nominate someone who embodies the spirit of kindness and generosity, a 'good egg', who will be selected for the chance to win a £1,000 Merry Hill gift card. Mr Poole added: 'We're trying to find the unsung heroes in our community to give them some recognition, and I think that's really important.'
BBC News
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Strood chocolatiers unveil 'UK's largest' 300kg Easter egg
A Kent chocolatier has claimed to have created the UK's largest Easter egg, which weighs about 300kg and stands about 7ft Good Egg has a shell 8cm thick, a diameter of more than 4ft and is tied with a giant yellow Cocoba, based in Strood, said the egg took five members of staff a total of five days to complete, having failed the first time after it was taken out of its mould and Jassal, production manager at Cocoba, said: "It's as deep as a jacuzzi bath." "It was one January weekend and I was new to the business when I read an email which said we need to make a 250kg egg and I thought, 'we make a 250g egg', so I kept my head down thinking I was a misprint," he to the Guinness World Records, the tallest chocolate Easter Egg was made in Italy on 16 April 2011, and was 10.39m (34ft 1.05in) in this month, Cadbury unveiled their own 45kg Creme Egg. Head chocolate engineer Lukasz Zajac, who is also a plasterer, said he finished the outside of the egg with melted chocolate to smooth the surface and then sprayed it with several layers of cocoa butter."It took five us to carry this egg and prop it up right. You just don't know how the temperature and humidity can affect the chocolate and how much it will shrink," he Easter, the egg will be cracked open and melted down to make 3,000 normal-sized chocolate company says profits from these bars will be donated to good causes.
