Clara Margotin

North West Londoner • 2 February 2024

Smoking-related hospital admissions increased in England in 2022/23

Smoking-related hospital admissions increased in England in 2022/23 compared to the previous year, recently-published NHS England data shows.

NHS England recorded 408,700 hospital admissions due to smoking in 2022/23 compared to 389,800 in 2021/22, although this should be put in perspective with higher numbers of NHS hospital admissions broadly speaking.

This came after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced in November that anyone 14 or younger would be banned from ever legally buying cigarette

South West Londoner • 1 February 2024

Third of trans Londoners feared losing accommodation in 2023

Nearly a third of trans Londoners feared losing their housing or accommodation in 2023, recently-released data show.

The Trans Learning Partnership, a coalition of charities that works towards improving the lives of trans people and their families, found that 31% of trans people were worried about losing their housing or accommodation last year.

These figures came as part of a survey conducted in 2023 with 479 London-based trans and non-binary participants.

Lily, 26, who is trans, said: “I ha

North West Londoner • 31 January 2024

More Holocaust education 'crucial' to tackle anti-semitism rise across UK

During Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations, members of London Jewish community said historical education is key to tackle the ongoing rise of antisemitism in the UK.

Hosts, guest speakers and those who attended the event in Barnet on 28 January said more education on the horrors of the Holocaust must be provided to children and adults to address the current increase of anti-semitic threats across the country.

This came as the number of Holocaust-related anti-semitic incidents recorded by the

North West Londoner • 29 January 2024

Baby bank network calls for volunteers to keep supporting families in cost-of-living crisis

A London-based baby bank network is calling on volunteers to join its Brent hub to keep on supporting families in need amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Little Village’s baby bank in Brent is calling on community members to join its volunteer team as the demand for support keeps on increasing due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

The bank provides pre-loved clothes, prams, toys and other equipment to families living in poverty across north west London.

Little Village’s Brent hub was the fir

South West Londoner • 26 January 2024

Autism and ADHD patients struggle as NHS diagnosis waiting lists keep getting longer

NHS waiting lists to get an autism assessment and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis continue to extend, causing increasingly serious difficulties for those waiting.

NHS data published last month shows there were 11,425 patients with an open referral for suspected autism in September in London, and that 6,800 (60%) of them had had a referral open at least 13 weeks without being offered a first appointment.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance

South West Londoner • 11 January 2024

Increasing numbers of UK children pushed into poverty by the 'ridiculous' two-child limit

The number of children impacted by the two-child limit to benefit payments across the UK has significantly increased in the past few years, leading to higher child poverty rates, new data shows.

Figures published by the End Child Poverty Coalition show that in April 2023 there were 1.5 million children affected by the two-child limit across the UK – compared to between 1.1 and 1.2 million in April 2021 – including more than 230,000 in London.

The two-child limit to benefit payments was impleme

My London • 7 January 2024

Beautiful island 2 hours from London named Europe's best place to visit in 2024

What if you could travel to a stunning island that’s been named Europe’s best place to visit in 2024 in a little more than two hours?

Mallorca is the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands and is known for its immaculate beaches, sheltered coves, impressive mountains and historic Moorish remains. Its capital Palma is famous for offering luxurious hotels and palaces as well as an intense nightlife.

The island was named Europe’s best place to visit in 2024 by which dubbed it the ‘grande dame of the

My London • 6 January 2024

Full list of what is running every day during Tube strikes

London Underground workers are going on a series of strikes next week in an ongoing dispute over pay. There will be little to no service most days on the Tube and other services including the Elizabeth line, the London Overground and the DLR will be affected. Buses and trams are expected to be extremely busy.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) strikes are part of a larger industrial action predicted to last at least two weeks this month and which follows the RMT, Transport Salaried St

South West Londoner • 5 January 2024

Over 3,000 free meals for Kensington and Chelsea children this winter

More than 3,000 free healthy meals are being distributed to Kensington and Chelsea children during the winter break to support families in the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Managed by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and funded by the Department for Education (DfE), the £450,000+ pot of Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme is offering free meals and activities to 1,000 children during the winter break.

The scheme is primarily aimed at supporting children on free school meals: