Author: Lily Ballentine
Warning: The following article contains mentions of suicide. We’ve all heard of the phrase “man up”– you might have even had it said to you before. Traditionally, it has been used to connote cowardice or weakness, associating masculinity with courage and strength. However, it has also been widely recognised as an outdated, stereotyped and stigmatised […]
Rock Choir North East has often been a pillar of support for members struggling with bereavement, divorce, mental health problems and more. However, for one member in particular, the choir has done so much more… In February 2022, Rock Choir North East member, Dawn Bailey, passed away at St Cuthbert’s Hospice in Durham. During her […]
Over the past year or so, the funding crisis facing hospices in the UK has been the subject of much attention in parliament and the media. However, an investigation has revealed that over the past seven (financial) years, funding given by the government to hospices in the North East and North Cumbria region has increased. […]
A freedom of information request has shown that the amount of recycling that could not be reprocessed due to contaminated material was at a low in 2023/24. The request was made to Durham County Council and relates to dry, household recycling collected from kerbsides across County Durham. Recycling contamination occurs when something is either put […]
As part of their campaign for coeliac awareness month, The Seaglass Café in Sunderland are helping to spread the word about coeliac disease – Lily Ballentine reports. May 1 marked the beginning of Coeliac Awareness Month 2025. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition that affects 1 in 100 people in the UK. Despite this, only […]
Are you a keen history enthusiast? Do you want to place yourself at the heart of the North East’s rich heritage by immersing yourself in 1,350 years worth of history? If so, then Lily Ballentine’s report will be of interest, as she covers the search for volunteer history guides at St Peter’s Church in Sunderland.
“I didn’t just love her, I absolutely adored her,” Paul O’Neill says of his late wife, Kay. Hospices across the UK are facing a financial crisis, and St Cuthbert’s Hospice in Durham is no exception. As someone with a personal connection to this vital place, I spoke to Paul, a Durham man, about his experience […]
St Cuthbert’s Hospice in Durham is hosting its annual Light up a Life Service at Durham Cathedral on Sunday, December 15th. The service, taking place from 7pm-8pm, offers people in Durham an opportunity to pay tribute to loved ones they have lost. This event is especially important during the festive period as it is often […]
St Cuthbert’s Hospice Durham has raised more than £7,300 at its annual Christmas Fair this year, marking its most successful event in the past three years. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, December 3rd, the hospice shared that the funds raised are equivalent to two full days of hospice care, a vital contribution during a […]
A talented student from the University of Sunderland, Tiffany Wong Xue Yi—better known by her stage name 7IFFY—has unveiled the music video for her latest single MONARCH. The video premiered today, Tuesday, December 3rd. Tiffany, a Malaysian rapper, songwriter, and Mass Communications student, has traveled to the UK to complete her final year at the […]
