Latest news with #JoMason
Scoop
28-04-2025
- General
- Scoop
Accessibility And Inclusivity On The Menu For Lincoln Place Reserve Upgrade
Work has begun on stage one of the Levinable Project, which aims to make the Lincoln Place Reserve an accessible and inclusive space for people from all walks of life. On Monday 28 April, the site was blessed, marking the start of the construction phase of the project after five years of community-led planning. The first stage includes an accessible toilet block, paths, and fencing and is funded by a $340,000 bequest from the Zena Elsie Orr Memorial Trust and $80,000 of Better Off Funding from the Government allocated to the project by Horowhenua District Council. While further development of Levinable will be staged over time, the process to sell some of the park for universal design housing is under way. This is housing built in a way that is accessible to people with varying levels of mobility or at least able to be retrofitted to suit the accessibility needs of the occupier. In 2018, the IHC Foundation approved use of bequest funds from the Zena Elsie Orr Memorial Trust for this project. IHC, Muaūpoko Tribal Authority and Fa'atili foe moe Le A'e - Pasifika for Tomorrow became the core partners and interviewed local whānau and parents, including tangata whaikaha and those with a diverse range of physical and neuro abilities. Community feedback showed many whānau and parents are struggling to manage daily life with tamariki with diverse needs, and they can feel isolated and alone. They wanted a safe, non-threatening, accessible, and inclusive outdoor space for their tamariki to play while they sat and relaxed – a place to create a feeling of community and belonging. The community-led ropu (group) approached Horowhenua District Council and Lincoln Place Reserve was identified as the preferred location for Levinable. This led to Council resolving in 2021 that 'Lincoln Place Reserve becomes a mixed option of reserve land, home to Levinable accessible playground, and medium density housing'. An area in the east of the reserve was identified for future housing which would look out toward Levinable across the park on the west side enhancing safety. Muaūpoko Tribal Authority chief executive officer Di Rump says MTA is proud and privileged to have been part of this special project and is committed to supporting its delivery. She says former Deputy Mayor Jo Mason and the families who took part in feedback hui deserve special thanks for their efforts. 'This will be an important universal facility for all whānau, tamariki, rangatahi, and kaumatua in our hapori,' she says. 'We remain very excited by this opportunity to work together to deliver great mutual outcomes, particularly contributing to the wellbeing of those members of our community who are often under-represented and underserved. This is the ultimate expression of partnership and of our values in action – as well as contributing to a more successful and thriving community for all.' The lead group are working together with MTA to identify a name that can be gifted to the playground. Horowhenua District Council Mayor Bernie Wanden says the Levinable project is a great example of different parts of the community coming together for a positive outcome. 'We're extremely pleased to see this project under way and I'm grateful for the work of everyone involved, including IHC, Muaūpoko Tribal Authority, Fa'atili foe moe Le A'e - Pasifika for Tomorrow, and all the families who provided feedback when interviewed.' IHC inclusive communities manager Suzanne Downes says It is exciting to see a community-led project five years in the making finally come to life. 'It is testament to our strong passion and determination to create a natural environment playscape for local families, children, and residents to enjoy that we have relentlessly persevered with the Levinable project all these years.' The first stage of the project is expected to be completed in mid-to-late June. An area of the reserve will be fenced off, but members of the public can still access and walk through the rest of the reserve.
Sky News
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
'It's not you, it's dating': Where is modern love going wrong?
It's more than 10 years since Tinder launched its way into our phones - and our love lives - promising romance at the swipe of a thumb. Just under five million adults in the UK visited an online dating service (app and websites) last year, according to Ofcom's Online Nation Report. But analysts are questioning whether the novelty is starting to wear off, as usage of the 10 biggest apps dropped 16% between 2023 and 2024. Tinder revolutionised romance as the first dating app in 2012 - and it is still the largest one in Match groups portfolio. But even it lost more than half a million users in the last year. "Dating fatigue" appears to dominate the cultural landscape - some 78% of dating app users say they feel "emotionally, mentally, or physically exhausted" by them, according to a 2024 study by Forbes Health, and a2023 YouGov survey found that 46% of Brits say their dating app experiences have been bad. I have stayed off the apps entirely, except for one impulsive evening with Hinge - one of the more popular ones among my age group. I'm not sure love can be found through swiping on a screen, and it seems I'm not alone. So what exactly has gone wrong with finding modern love - and how can we hope to find a connection? Frogs and filters With 10% of adults visiting a dating site - and almost 4% visiting one daily according to Ofcom - there is no sign they are going anywhere fast, even if numbers are dropping. Among the newcomers is Cherry. It categorises users into three "vibes" - casual, go-with-the-flow and meaningful - to match intentions and ensure genuine connections. There are also coaches available on the app because the CEO Jo Mason believes people need to work on themselves before embarking on relationships with others. "They're hiding behind filtered photos, they're hiding behind a phone, they're hiding behind something all the time," Jo says. The app's slogan is "kiss fewer frogs", and the brand ambassador - a frog's mask - is sitting on the table next to us. According to a Cherry study, 58% of people dating feel exhausted by the process of swiping and superficial interactions, while 40% say their motivation to meet someone has decreased as a result. Jo tells me she built Cherry out of "frustration", adding: "Your options of trying to meet someone are either at the gym, bump into them at the supermarket, or through work, other than that it's apps." 'Dating just seems to be all admin' Thursday, an app launched in 2021, operates exclusively one day a week on - you guessed it, Thursdays - to encourage quick decision-making and in-person meetings. Co-founder George Rawlings and I meet as we head to an over-30s singles event for users of the app in London at The Shard. "We're trying to destigmatise that whole thing around speed dating to make it normal," George tells me. "Is it awkward?" I ask, letting my intrusive thoughts win. He laughs. "This is a different way of dating, we have obviously become so reliant on the apps for years but we're giving people new opportunities to meet people in an 'IRL' way'." I still can't believe how that phrase - in real life - has become an acronym, but at the same time, it is not surprising. "My resolution for this year is to meet someone organically," one man tells me at the event. "[Dating] isn't as fun as it used to be, now it just seems to be all admin," another says. A family member told me the same thing that week - going through the apps these days is like reading and responding to emails. One person likens it to a networking event: "There is an unspoken pressure that everyone is single." As I finish speaking to someone, a man approaches me and asks what I am filming. When I tell him anyone who hasn't given consent won't be identified, he looks relieved. "Phew," he says, laughing. "Because my wife will kill me if she finds out I am here." So what happens if you ditch the apps? On the theme of meeting in real life, my friends and I - over 30 and single - decided to go out one evening in London to see the dating scene for ourselves. Perhaps the future of dating isn't found in an app but in the world right in front of us. But we were wrong. We didn't get approached once. People are glued to their phones - from texting in the middle of conversations to scrolling through dating apps while sitting across from someone at dinner, it seems we are physically present but mentally elsewhere. It felt like a brave act just going up to people and talking or asking dating questions. "I feel a woman should never go look for a man," one of my friends tells me afterwards. "That is probably why I am still single - because a lot of girls do shoot their shot now, they have the confidence to ask guys out. "I even see girls getting on one knee." Charlene Douglas, a relationship expert, specialising in psychodynamic counselling, who is a regular guest on the TV show Married At First Sight, admits then "men don't always know where they fit in" when it comes to modern dating. "To wait for a guy to approach us, I think it is a bit...1950s," she says. "I think in 2025, we can say hi to a guy or we can just strike up a conversation. We're good at talking, us women, right?" From online to artificial It's clear the emotional toll of online dating is becoming harder to ignore - so it comes as no surprise that some daters are turning to AI chatbots to help them respond to messages from strangers. One woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, told me that she even inputs messages from men she is speaking to into ChatGPT because it offers reassurance and clarity when she feels in doubt. Rather than speaking to friends about relationships, AI can suggest possible interpretations in a "non-biased" and "simplified" way, she says. "I over analyse things a lot anyway. So ChatGPT just simplifies it for me." Apps such as Replika and Blush are designed to provide AI companions for emotional support, and in some cases, even mimic romantic or intimate human relationships. It's been reported that loneliness can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to the World Health Organisation - but is AI just a sticking plaster on a larger problem? Do people know what they want? Milly has created a Singles' Society group on Instagram where she posts daily affirmations. Her videos have reached millions of people - including me. "I felt so alone in this whole dating world," she says. "I was honestly so surprised that everyone else was having similar experiences." She plans to start events, including speed dating. But Milly has a theory when it comes to the problem with modern dating - "It all comes down to people not knowing what they want." Relationship expert Charlene thinks the answer is more education in school. "Young people try and work out how to do relationships themselves based on what they have seen at home and what they have seen around them," she says. "But they don't really always know how to have healthy relationships." So, despite the dating fatigue, I doubt dating apps are going anywhere, with new versions cropping up every day. And for some people, they can work. Alex met her girlfriend Molly unexpectedly on one of the more popular apps, Hinge - they are now celebrating three years together: "We are currently in the flat we bought together, so I think you could say it is going quite well." Molly adds: "I think it's quite good we had the option of online dating - I don't think our paths would have crossed otherwise." Alex agrees: "With online dating, you get so many people, it almost feels like a numbers game, but it really does give you the opportunity to meet so many people that you wouldn't otherwise.
