Latest news with #Jenny
West Australian
12 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Solo women travelling in good company
Women-only tours to destinations around the world are attracting solo guests of all ages and relationship status. Intrepid Travel offers six women's expeditions to India, Nepal, Morocco, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, with help available to book flights and pre or post accommodation. Senior product manager Jenny Gray launched Intrepid's initial expeditions to Jordan, Iran and Morocco on International Women's Day in 2018. They started as her passion project after she listened to feedback from women who wanted more opportunities to connect with local women and learn about their lives. For cultural and religious reasons, this wasn't always possible in mixed-gender groups. 'We thought it was a fantastic opportunity to create something that was really special and would incorporate experiences,' Jenny says. Intrepid expeditions are limited to 12 guests and the average group size is usually eight to 10, while women's ages can range from 20 to 80. 'An incredibly high percentage of the travellers on the women's expedition are travelling solo,' Jenny says. 'Globally that was around 80 per cent last year but for the Australian and New Zealand customers it's 66 per cent of them travelling solo, not necessarily single but choosing to travel alone.' For context, Jenny says 24 per cent of all Intrepid travellers (on any tour) from Australia and New Zealand are solo female travellers. She has also noticed huge growth in the 50-plus demographic. 'I've seen it described in a lot of reports as women living their second-best life,' she says. 'For whatever reasons they never put themselves first due to career, home and family and now it's their time.' India is the most popular Intrepid women's expedition with more than 20 departures a year, but Saudi Arabia has taken off since its launch a year ago. 'We've seen more bookings on that particular destination in the first six months of it being on sale than any other trip in the range,' Jenny says. Jenny says having Intrepid's own teams on the ground helps secure experiences unique to the women's-only expeditions. 'There are a lot of products on the market that are women-only trips, but they are standard itineraries that are just designated for women only. There's not really anything different in the design. 'That's what has set us apart; we wanted to make sure that the experiences we build into the itinerary are unique and special that will give women an opportunity to connect with women on the ground and give women on the ground an opportunity to share their own stories of what life is really like, their triumphs and the challenges. 'Intrepid always tries to support female, minority Indigenous-owned businesses in our supply chain but on these trips, it is intrinsic to the design.' Jenny cites an example of a city tour in India by tuk-tuk, made possible by supporting micro loans to women to become trained drivers. 'They can then support their families by having their own businesses,' Jenny says. Sonia Orrego, head of product at Wendy Wu Tours Australia, says solo travellers make up around 30 to 35 per cent of its guests, and many of those are women of all ages, backgrounds and life stages. 'Some are first-time solo travellers, others are seasoned explorers,' Sonia says. 'Many travel solo by choice, while others are seeking new adventures after life changes. 'For those who love the idea of sharing their journey with fellow solo travellers, we've created special tour departures reserved exclusively for solo guests. 'These tours offer a welcoming, community-style experience from the very beginning, because everyone on the trip is there and enjoying the trip as a solo traveller.' While they aren't women-only, Wendy Wu offers dedicated solo departures to destinations including China, India and Japan. Sonia says culturally-rich destinations 'continue to resonate with women looking for unique and meaningful travel experiences'. Sisterhood Womens Travel founder Hayley Morris was running a travel agency in a small Victorian country town when she discovered many rural women wanted to travel but their husbands couldn't leave their farms. She did a test trip to Hong Kong with a dozen women and noticed the camaraderie, support and encouragement among the group. 'That's when the magic started,' Hayley says. 'I decided that there really was something in it, so I decided to pursue that and eventually it overtook my retail travel agency.' Sisterhood Womens Travel has been operating for 20 years and ran its first official tour to Morocco, a destination Hayley continues to visit. Future tours range from a mini-break in Tasmania, to a 20-day Greek Islands adventure. Most guests are aged 60 and over. 'It's more about physicality because you can have a really healthy 80-year-old and have a really unhealthy 50-year-old,' Hayley says. 'Sometimes people get a little bit caught up on the age, whereas we really tend to concentrate more on their fitness.' The maximum number of guests on a tour is 16, with the average group size around 12. Sisterhood's hosted tours start and end in Melbourne but guests from all over Australia and New Zealand can connect a group at their destination, where they also pick up specialist guides. 'Basically, the role of our hostess is just to provide the support for our women,' Hayley says. Sisterhood's guests include widowed women used to travelling with their husbands, and women whose husbands have no interest in travelling. 'We've had feedback from ladies who have tried travelling outside of the women-only environment; they might travel with their sister and brother-in-law,' Hayley says. 'But the feedback is they feel like the third wheel. And unfortunately, single women no matter what age can be targeted by unwanted attention.' Hayley says her tour prices are higher because they include airfares and many meals and activities. Sisterhood also offers theatre nights, morning teas and winery visits in Melbourne for travellers to keep in touch. 'We are a business and obviously we make money but a lot of it for us is more about the community,' Hayley says. 'We want to bring women together in any capacity to reconnect through the joys of travel and new friendships.' fact file
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Sheriff's investigators searching for missing Lockport lawyer
CAMBRIA — Niagara County Sheriff's Office investigators are seeking help from the public to locate a missing Lockport attorney. Sheriff Michael Filicetti confirmed Thursday that family members reported Scott Stopa missing earlier this week. They told police that Stopa, 46, has not been seen or heard from since Tuesday. 'Our family is extremely concerned for his safety and well-being,' Stopa's sister Jenny told the Gazette Thursday night. 'No one's heard from him and his phone is at his home.' Jenny Stopa-Ryan said friends and family spent much of the day Thursday looking for her brother. 'We have no idea where he might be. We've been looking everywhere,' his sister said. 'We searched near his home, his office, anywhere we could think of where he might be.' Stopa is a partner at Ben & Stopa Attorneys-at-Law on East Avenue in Lockport. He lives in the Town of Cambria. 'We just want him home safely,' Jenny said. Stopa's online profile indicates that his legal practice is 'family-law focused.' The profile says Stopa 'represents clients in divorce, custody, paternity, and guardianship proceedings.' He is also described as a 'court-certified' child guardian. Filicetti said members of his office's Criminal Investigation Bureau have been working on Stopa's disappearance since the missing person's report was first filed. The sheriff said help from the public may assist investigators. Stopa may be driving a black Jeep Compass with New York license plate LNN-1422. 'Every piece of information helps,' Filicetti said. 'We're asking anyone who may have information to contact our investigators at 716-438-3393.
Edinburgh Live
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
ITV The Chase's Bradley Walsh halts show as Jenny Ryan makes rare admission
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Bradley Walsh brought The Chase to an unexpected standstill when Jenny Ryan's revelation left him utterly gobsmacked. In Thursday's episode of the hit ITV quiz show, Bradley greeted contestants Mark, Izzie, James and Annie as they faced off against The Vixen. Solihull's mature student Mark bagged £7,000 in his cash builder and was the first to make it to the final chase after a face-off with Jenny. Following on was Izzie, who also put up a strong show with £5,000. She, like Mark, opted for the middle offer. During their head-to-head, they were quizzed: "What is the subject of the 2020 Netflix documentary series High Score?" Both Izzie and Jenny nailed it with "video games", prompting Bradley to probe: "What's the highest score you've ever got on a video game?" The Vixen wasn't sure but concurred with Bradley that it was likely quite high. "You can get ridiculously high scores on the kind of games I play, like Lego Avengers." (Image: ITV) Just as Jenny began to divulge a score she'd racked up, Bradley interjected. "Hold the line," he declared, probing: "Did you just say Lego adventures?" Once Jenny set the record straight about the game, Bradley couldn't resist a cheeky dig at his colleague. "What about the ones adults play?" he quipped, eliciting chuckles from Jenny. "What about things like Minecraft and Fortnight? Aren't they adult ones?" The Vixen clapped back: "All games are adult and potentially child-friendly games." The round went on, but soon enough Izzie was eliminated after being caught by Jenny. Secondary school teacher James managed to secure £4,000 in his initial round before bravely taking the higher offer of £40,000. (Image: ITV) Despite a valiant effort, James ultimately got caught by the chaser. The last contestant, Annie, aimed to win some cash to replace an engagement ring she'd lost over 45 years ago, which her partner had given her. She garnered a commendable £8,000 in her cash builder and fortunately for Mark, made it through to the final chase. In the final, Mark and Annie played for £15,000, ending with a total of 13 points. Jenny experienced a rocky start in the final chase, only answering three questions correctly within the first 55 seconds. Nonetheless, The Vixen managed to turn things around, catching the pair with merely three seconds to spare. At the close of the game, Jenny remarked: "I have astonished myself that I managed to catch you as you saw I struggled to build a rhythm." The Chase airs weekdays at 5pm on ITV1.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Sexual assault survivor says ACC process is retraumatising victims
A woman who was sexually violated as a child says she needed to recount in detail what she suffered in order to be eligible for support from ACC. Photo: RNZ A woman who was sexually violated as a child says she has been further traumatised by the process of applying for support from ACC. Jenny, whose real identity cannot be revealed due to automatic name suppression, said she had been unable to work for more than 18 months due to stress as she went through the courts to hold her abuser to account for what he did to her in the 1970s. After she made a complaint to police about five years ago, the man who sexually violated her was last year convicted and jailed. But Jenny said she was left having to pick up the pieces of her life afterwards and to be eligible for support from ACC, she needed to recount in detail what she suffered. "After you've been through something like that, you're left with having to put your life back together. So there were a couple of ACC courses I would have liked to do to help rebuild my inner self and move on, but in order to access any of that I've had to go and do an assessment and my argument is ... the person I went against in court was put away in prison. So why do I have to re-explain myself?" Jenny said. "You've already got all my medical records and my history in your system. So why am I having to be retraumatised? I was really, really angry about this because it's only been a few months since my court case, so I'm already in a sensitive place. "After I actually did their initial assessment I had really bad trauma for about a week. It's just really unfair what they're putting us through." Jenny first disclosed the sexual assaults to ACC more than two decades ago and was told at the time she would never need to detail what she suffered again. "It was even worse because it was the first time I ever disclosed anything to anybody because it had always been a secret and it knocked me for a six. It really did," she said. But she had to relive it all again in an attempt to seek support while awaiting her abuser's trial. "I challenged my counsellor about this and I said 'why am I having to do this when you've already got records and I've already just been through a court case?' and she said 'because we need to hear it in your words'," Jenny said. "But 20 years ago, you heard it in my words. So why am I having to repeat it? I said I find this really triggering, but I wasn't listened to." A woman who was sexually violated as a child says it the details she was expected to disclose to ACC would be humiliating for anyone. Photo: Supplied The trauma of the process and the stress of the pending court date was too much. "They said I had to do an assessment first before they could support me and I said I'm not here to do an assessment, I just want someone to walk beside me that understands what going through the court process is and they refused to do that. So I walked away," she said. ACC said Jenny had a covered sensitive claim and was being supported in several ways. However, Jenny said despite completing the assessment months ago, she had not received financial support or loss of potential earnings. The details she was expected to disclose would be humiliating for anyone, she said. But it was especially problematic for survivors of sexual abuse. "I'll ask you to go and talk to a stranger and tell them how your sexual life is and explain what you did - and you would find that embarrassing. Well, that's what we have to do. We have to disclose what happened to us. So you can see how triggering it is. It's really hard work," Jenny said. ACC told RNZ there had been changes to its sensitive claims processes, so treatment better suited individuals' needs. But Jenny said she had seen little change. "They've put a change in because people are having to wait too long to see psychologists and psychiatrists and people are having to wait up to a year before they're seen. So half of the reason why these changes have come in is so people like myself are not getting retraumatised and yet it's worse," she said. ACC head of client recovery Thomas Ronan said ACC needed a fresh assessment to update its clinical understanding of Jenny's injuries, and it was also used to assess loss of potential earnings. "ACC provides support for anyone in Aotearoa New Zealand, who has experienced sexual abuse or assault here. ACC covers a mental injury caused by sexual violence not the sexual violence itself, which is why we need survivors to be assessed in order for us to determine cover, rather than use the documents provided to a court for criminal proceedings," Ronan said. "It doesn't matter if the sexual abuse or assault happened recently or a long time ago, survivors can access ACC support services whenever they're ready. All claims are treated on a case-by-case basis and what support ACC can provide can vary depending on the person and their injury." ACC acknowledges the process and time it takes to assess sensitive claims can be challenging for survivors. Photo: 123RF Ronan acknowledged the process and time it took to assess sensitive claims was "challenging for some survivors". "While we can't eliminate the assessment requirement completely, over the past three years we collaborated with providers, suppliers, sector groups, agencies and professional bodies to make significant changes to the sensitive claims service to improve the survivor experience. One of the key changes was streamlining the assessment process to make it easier for survivors to access support and treatment," he said. "Under the new sensitive claims service launched in December 2024, there are now two pathways to obtain cover. Depending on their clinical needs, we may be able to approve a claim for cover after the survivor completes a Cover and Well-being Plan. This will enable them to access treatment and support in a quicker way and they won't need a specialist cover assessment. If a survivor has more complex needs or requires financial support, they would need a specialist cover assessment. "We've also moved away from a one-size-fits-all approach towards a more holistic model that allows clients to work with their provider to create a recovery plan that will better meet their individual needs. "In addition, clients now have access to a broader range of support - not just talk therapy, but also support from other specialists, such as social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, speech language therapists, and dietitians. "Despite the improvements we've made to the service, there are capacity constraints in the mental health sector, which means some survivors may experience delays accessing treatment. We do have providers in the South Island but acknowledge there can be wait times to access these services." But Jenny said she understood the supports which might ultimately be available, but the hoops which survivors need to jump through to access them and the stress it caused was unnecessary. Months on she was still waiting for financial support and for ACC to acknowledge the role it had played in her trauma, she said. "I felt I wasn't listened to. I felt that I keep saying this is traumatising. You've already got the information. Why am I having to repeat myself. It was like I didn't have a voice," she said. "I had already been through the court system that ... came out as a conviction so they obviously can see something has happened. I should have been able to access ACC organisations that help support your mental health without having to do the assessment. "I've received no care." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘I'm destroyed' shouts Ireland AM star Martin King as wife plays ‘low blow' trick on him and leaves fans ‘howling'
IRELAND AM star Martin King said he was "destroyed" after his wife played a "low blow" trick on him. The Virgin Media host and his wife Jenny McCarthy, who have been married for over 14 years, often share snippets of their relationship with their fans over on social media. 4 Jenny played a prank on Martin Credit: Instagram 4 Martin ended up with cream all over him Credit: Instagram 4 Jenny was left in stitches after her joke Credit: Instagram Jenny recorded herself playing a practical prank on Martin and shared the footage over on Instagram. The wedding photographer pretended that a bowl of cream was stuck and asked him for his help." She tricked Martin by looking like she was using all her strength to lift the container and told him: "The stupid thing won't come off the counter. Did you put something on the counter?" Martin looked puzzled and braced himself before grabbing the bowl up which made the cream pour out all over his head. read more on martin king The Dubliner shouted out: "Jesus Christ. Jenny! I'm f***ing destroyed." Jenny was in stitches laughing as he exclaimed: "It's not funny." She captioned her post: "That was a low blow. Poor Martin." The couple's friends and fans were all in tears laughing at the video and praised them in the comment section. read more on the irish sun Aideen wrote: "Omg I just love u two. I can't wait for part two when Martin gets you back." Richard said: "I haven't laughed as hard in ages, thanks guys, brilliant... he will get you back!" Martin King gets revenge on wife Denise commented: "Crying here." Elaine added: "Jenny!!!! I nearly fell off the chair laughing. That was absolute gold. You two are so funny." But Jenny better watch her back as last time she tricked him, Martin got his revenge. Last week Jenny, who was beside Martin, said: "I'm sitting here with my current husband." The Dubliner looked taken back as he quickly turned to Jenny with confusion saying: "What? Do you hear her?" PRANK WARS Martin quickly made a cheeky comment saying: "She just got her eyebrows done. She looks like bleeding Angry Birds here." Jenny was in floods of tears laughing as she explained that she was just joking. The 62-year-old decided to get back at his wife as he recorded a video with her pretending that he "found something men can do but women can't". He told Jenny to turn and face the camera before he went completely silent. The wedding photographer didn't understand what he was demonstrating and shouted out "What" repeatedly before saying: "Are you taking the p*** Martin? Are you okay?" Martin then finally broke character before saying: "See lads, they can't stop talking." Jenny was in stitches laughing before remarking: "Little s***." 4 Martin's fans were left 'crying' laughing Credit: Instagram
