Pick Me Up! 31-Dec-2020

Putting pen to paper, I got to work. When I was young, I suffered from depression, so I used writing as a way to escape. With a particular love of poetry, it always helped to clear my mind, so it was no surprise that I went on to be a professional poet and author. Then, one day in 2018, walking through the London Underground, I noticed the information boards. With a famous quote from Nelson Mandela, I had an idea. My poems would go great on there, I thought to myself. My work had always been focused on mental health and positivity, and I thought this would be a great way to spread that to the people of London. So, when I arrived home, I sent the tube station a…

Support a small business In Senegal, basket weaving is a tradition passed down to generations of women in rural villages to make an income. And now, their wonderful weaving is accessible to you! The independent, online homeware brand La Basketry sells beautiful, colourful baskets handmade by craftswomen in Senegal. Set up in 2017 by sisters Tabara and Mamy N’Diaye, La Basketry’s pieces are made with sustainable and recycled materials, and they give employment and a fair wage to the female artisans in Senegal who make them. Weaving the world into a better place, La Basketry also contribute a percentage of their profits to support local initiatives in the community. To celebrate all things woven, you can purchase your own placemats, fans, laundry baskets and fruit bowls – or even weave your…

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Sitting at my desk at work, my friend Jake suddenly approached me with an exciting proposition. He wanted to set me up on a blind date with his close friend Tash, 25. ‘She’s perfect for you,’ he explained enthusiastically. In July 2019, the two of us arranged to meet up at a dim sum restaurant. I wasn’t nervous, but I was excited to meet her – she looked gorgeous in her pictures. Tash strolled into the place with so much sass – I could tell I was going to like her. ‘Nice to meet you,’ she said confidently, giving me a hug. She was so easy to chat with and she wasn’t shy about tucking into the food. ‘I think you ate all the Thai crackers,’ I joked, gesturing to…

Whilst in the surgery, the GP noticed her breathing sounded laboured and she was sent for a scan. I was at work doing a presentation when Tash called me, and immediately made my way to the hospital. She didn’t sound too concerned, so as I made my way to meet her, I didn’t think it was anything serious. ‘We’ve found a shadow on her lungs,’ the doctor told us. It was a bit of shock, but we all just assumed it was a cyst and nothing to worry about. ‘Have you been abroad recently?’ the doctor asked, examining the results. They thought she might have picked up a parasite while travelling around Asia the year before we met. She was prescribed anti-parasite medication and sent home to rest. Only, back…

Grabbing for my coat and picking up the phone, I called my friend, Jane, 60. ‘Be ready in five minutes,’ I told her. ‘What for?’ she asked, somewhat confused. ‘I’ve found us a Slimming World group,’ I explained. ‘And I’ve booked us in for tonight!’ The pair of us had been on about joining for a little while now, but neither of us had plucked up the courage yet. I’d been inspired after seeing my aunt and cousin a few weeks earlier in December 2018. They’d joined Slimming World together and lost shed loads of weight. ‘If they can do it, surely I can, too,’ I said to myself. I never knew where to start with dieting… And when I mentioned it to Jane, she was ready to give it…