Latest news with #LucySmith
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
How housing scheme aims to help children in care
Children in care face "support dropping away overnight" when they turn 18, with some being taken to the homelessness department on their birthday, a charity has said. Become Charity has welcomed a move by Bury Council to ringfence homes specifically for care leavers as it said teenagers faced a "care cliff" when they transitioned into adulthood. Under the scheme, 44 flats or houses will be made available to care leavers on former council-owned sites across the borough. Katherine Sacks-Jones, Become's chief executive, said more local authorities should be following Bury Council's lead. The local authority is believed to be one of the first councils in England to ringfence homes specifically for care leaves. A direct let and local lettings policy will be devised, meaning that a select number of homes within each development will be ringfenced for care leavers. "Young people leaving care face a care cliff where support drops away overnight and they have to leave care and become independent," Ms Sacks-Jones said. "That can often happen on their 18th birthday. "We've heard of young people on their actual birthday being taken down to the homelessness department. "We want to see an end to the care cliff so young people get the support they need to make that transition into adulthood at a time that's right for them in a managed way." Councillor Lucy Smith said: "Starting your own home is always challenging and it can be especially difficult for our care leavers. "Finding high-quality housing to help transition into adulthood is just one of the many improvements we have recently made for our care leavers." University student Jessica-Rae Williamson is among those who would have benefited from a scheme like this had it been in place at the time. Ms Williamson, who moved out of her foster home the week before her 18th birthday, described the scheme as a "really good idea". "We all have the worry of our local authority just deciding not to support us anymore," she said. "It's happened to me before and that was ripped away from me. "So I think we all have the same worries that that support is going to be taken away before we were ready for it." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. 'We thought we were too young to be foster carers' Bury Council
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
How housing scheme aims to help children in care
Children in care face "support dropping away overnight" when they turn 18, with some being taken to the homelessness department on their birthday, a charity has said. Become Charity has welcomed a move by Bury Council to ringfence homes specifically for care leavers as it said teenagers faced a "care cliff" when they transitioned into adulthood. Under the scheme, 44 flats or houses will be made available to care leavers on former council-owned sites across the borough. Katherine Sacks-Jones, Become's chief executive, said more local authorities should be following Bury Council's lead. The local authority is believed to be one of the first councils in England to ringfence homes specifically for care leaves. A direct let and local lettings policy will be devised, meaning that a select number of homes within each development will be ringfenced for care leavers. "Young people leaving care face a care cliff where support drops away overnight and they have to leave care and become independent," Ms Sacks-Jones said. "That can often happen on their 18th birthday. "We've heard of young people on their actual birthday being taken down to the homelessness department. "We want to see an end to the care cliff so young people get the support they need to make that transition into adulthood at a time that's right for them in a managed way." Councillor Lucy Smith said: "Starting your own home is always challenging and it can be especially difficult for our care leavers. "Finding high-quality housing to help transition into adulthood is just one of the many improvements we have recently made for our care leavers." University student Jessica-Rae Williamson is among those who would have benefited from a scheme like this had it been in place at the time. Ms Williamson, who moved out of her foster home the week before her 18th birthday, described the scheme as a "really good idea". "We all have the worry of our local authority just deciding not to support us anymore," she said. "It's happened to me before and that was ripped away from me. "So I think we all have the same worries that that support is going to be taken away before we were ready for it." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. 'We thought we were too young to be foster carers' Bury Council
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
How Bury Council housing scheme aims to help children in care
Children in care face "support dropping away overnight" when they turn 18, with some being taken to the homelessness department on their birthday, a charity has Charity has welcomed a move by Bury Council to ringfence homes specifically for care leavers as it said teenagers faced a "care cliff" when they transitioned into the scheme, 44 flats or houses will be made available to care leavers on former council-owned sites across the Sacks-Jones, Become's chief executive, said more local authorities should be following Bury Council's lead. The local authority is believed to be one of the first councils in England to ringfence homes specifically for care leaves.A direct let and local lettings policy will be devised, meaning that a select number of homes within each development will be ringfenced for care leavers."Young people leaving care face a care cliff where support drops away overnight and they have to leave care and become independent," Ms Sacks-Jones said."That can often happen on their 18th birthday."We've heard of young people on their actual birthday being taken down to the homelessness department."We want to see an end to the care cliff so young people get the support they need to make that transition into adulthood at a time that's right for them in a managed way." Councillor Lucy Smith said: "Starting your own home is always challenging and it can be especially difficult for our care leavers."Finding high-quality housing to help transition into adulthood is just one of the many improvements we have recently made for our care leavers." University student Jessica-Rae Williamson is among those who would have benefited from a scheme like this had it been in place at the Williamson, who moved out of her foster home the week before her 18th birthday, described the scheme as a "really good idea"."We all have the worry of our local authority just deciding not to support us anymore," she said."It's happened to me before and that was ripped away from me."So I think we all have the same worries that that support is going to be taken away before we were ready for it." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Pool bans transgender women from female category after UK Supreme Court ruling
The ongoing debate about transgender women in sport has moved into pool - with competitors now banned in the female category. Ultimate Pool Group (UPG), the professional body for eight-ball pool, have enforced the law change after two transgender women contested the final of the Women's Pro Series Event earlier this month. The encounter by Harriet Haynes and Lucy Smith sparked furious protests amid what had also seen legal proceedings brought by female-born players over UPG's transgender policy. Haynes defeated Smith 8-6 in the final of the Ultimate Pool Women's Pro Series Event 2 at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan, but that will now no longer happen in future. In cohesion with a Supreme Court judgment's recent ruling, UPG had been undertaking their own review into whether biological males had a natural advantage over females in the sport as defined by the Equality Act. Their findings found that to be true and have therefore banned trans athletes from competing in female categories. Haynes beat Lucy Smith - another trans athlete - but that won't happen any more due to rule changes enforced by Ultimate Pool Group banning non-biological females from competing UPG said in a statement: 'UPG today have amended our eligibility rules for the Women's Series (and all women's competitions held under UPG). With effect from 23rd April 2025, entry and participation in Ultimate Pool women's events are open only to biologically born women. 'We respect that some people within the pool community may find the changes challenging. As an organisation, we are committed to being empathetic to all members of our community and we expect all members of our community to reflect this.' UPG explained further with a change to its terms and conditions on its website that they had been 'caught in a vacuum of uncertainty surrounding the issue of eligibility to participate in its women's series' before receiving clarity about the situation. 'Since its inception UPG has been caught in a vacuum of uncertainty surrounding the issue of eligibility to participate in its women's series. Two recent developments have now made the position clear,' their updated terms read. 'UPG obtained an expert's report upon the question: 'Was eight-ball pool a gender-affected sport as defined by the Equality Act 2010?' 'Crucially this report was commissioned to reach a conclusion not only on the question of whether there were biological differences between women born as women and transgender women recognised as women by way of a Gender Recognition Certificate, but also whether any biological differences meant that transgender women had an advantage in the specific sport of eight-ball pool. 'The clear conclusion of the biological and cue-sports expert who jointly authored the report was that eight-ball pool was a gender-affected sport and that in cue sports female players have unique disadvantages compared to male players and that transgender women retain male advantages. 'Separately, the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers was handed down on 16 April 2025. In this judgment the Supreme Court ruled that a Gender Recognition Certificate does not change a person's legal sex for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010. 'The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner has confirmed that the ruling has brought clarity and that trans women cannot take part in women's sport and that the EHRC would pursue organisations which do not update their policies. UPG welcomes the clarity which this judgment brings.' The change should see an end to female-born players' previous furore - which has also seen Piers Morgan and Sharron Davies wade in to support their annoyance. In November 2023, Haynes was handed a walkover victory in the Women's Champion of Champions final in Prestatyn after opponent Lynne Pinches refused to play, citing fairness concerns. Pinches later told TalkTV: 'Whenever you play a transgender player, even if you win, it doesn't make any difference because in your heart, you know it's unfair. 'This is a category advantage, being biologically male and playing against females, gives you a clear category advantage. 'Every time I play a transgender player, I think about it before, during and after the match, about how unfair it is and how this is a level I can't reach. 'I watch some of the shots they play, and I think females don't play these shots down the rails like this and they don't clear up like this. They have a longer reach, a lot of them are taller than us. 'Women have been silenced because of fear of being transphobic, that is why people don't speak out about this subject. It's not a gender issue, this is a fairness issue.' The incident at Prestatyn, which saw Pinches forfeit the match after the opening lag shot, drew international headlines and provoked fierce debate. Haynes later revealed she was inundated with abuse online, describing it as a 'cess-pool of awfulness' and saying: 'It was unreal… horrific. A lot of vile abuse.' Haynes, who transitioned over a decade ago, has repeatedly defended her right to compete in the women's category. 'Trans women are not a threat to pool,' she told the BBC. 'We're not coming over in droves… there's nothing to fear.' Governing bodies had struggled to settle on a consistent policy. In August 2023, the World Eightball Pool Federation (WEPF) and Ultimate Pool Group issued a statement saying 'only naturally born women would be eligible' to compete in the women's series, but that ruling was later reversed. The WEPF later clarified: 'Providing regulatory conditions are met… transgender and non-binary players will be able to participate in the women's series.' That U-turn disappointed players like Pinches, but Haynes defended the change, insisting she would step away from women's pool if there was clear evidence of an unfair advantage: 'If the rules were changing and there was categoric evidence that I had a massive advantage over someone else, I would stop. But there isn't.'
The Independent
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Mac has relaunched its studio fix powders, and they're so much better
More than 30 years since its launch, Mac's studio fix powder (£34, has had a makeover. There were 53 shades in its original iteration, but now there are an additional 25 to suit every complexion. If you've never used Mac's studio fix powder, it's a two-in-one pressed powder and foundation. It's non-cakey, a godsend for oily skin and has been used on models for shoots and catwalks. Now, the well-loved formula is catering to deeper skin tones after axing its talc component and, with it, any unwanted ashiness. If that wasn't enough, Mac claims it has doubled the shine control in studio fix 2.0, promising to offer 24 hours (compared with the OG's 12 hours) of blurred, oil-free coverage. Alongside updated ingredients, there's a refillable option, using 45 per cent less packaging. The question is, how does it hold up in practice? We got our hands on the new launch before its market release – scroll on for our full review and verdict across different skin types. How we tested With a broader shade range and modified formula, it seemed only right to test the product across several skin tones and types. We applied the powder to bare skin, documenting its finish and feel before continuing with our day-to-day make-up as usual. We paid attention to how the product wore as the hours passed and noted any caking, feelings of heaviness or excess shine. Keep scrolling to find out how we got on. Why you can trust IndyBest reviews For this review, our three testers were IndyBest beauty writer Lucy Smith, who has tested everything from Korean powder foundation to waterproof setting powders; beauty writer Jane Cunningham, who has reviewed complexion products for a range of publications; and beauty creator Nicole Ocran, who is hugely familiar with a wide range of make-up products, spanning brands from Fenty to Charlotte Tilbury and, of course, Mac.
