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Sunday World
4 days ago
- Health
- Sunday World
Lorraine Keane goes all in on pre-loved fashion with booming charity initiative
BIG HIT | 'I blew my first pay packet on Prada boots and my mom had to lend me my bus fare' The television star is among the 66,182 families across the country gearing up for the Leaving Cert exams this week. But her youngest daughter with musician husband Peter Devlin, Romy, is aiming high as she sets her sights on studying law at third level. 'She's working her ass off, God love her,' continues Lorraine. 'She's a great little actress, and she's an amazing singer, and she always said that she wanted to do music as a career, but she decided that she was going to follow the academic route first.' Lorraine with her daughters Emilia and Romy at the VIP Style Awards The former Xposé presenter now has a passion project of her own after setting up charity initiative Fashion Relief, which has raised a staggering €400,000 for Breast Cancer Ireland in just 18 months . And it all began when she decided to 'KonMari' her envious walk-in wardrobe at home in Monkstown, south Dublin, she tells Magazine+ , as she sifts through the latest haul of pre-loved gems destined for the Frascati Centre clothing store in nearby Blackrock. 'I'd come back from my 11th trip to the developing world, to Bangladesh, to see the garment workers who don't get paid a living wage. All these amazing, beautiful women who don't even get to see their children because they're living in slums and working in factories,' says Lorraine. Lorraine Keane with the TV3 Xpose presenters 'Seeing how fast fashion was destroying our planet and destroying lives. 'So I came back and decided to do a wardrobe clearout, and mentioned it to a couple of people in the business, and they were all like, 'Jesus, I'll give you some stuff' … anyway, it ended up turning into a massive event in the RDS.' Fast forward seven years, and the annual fashion spectacular, which went online during lockdown, has grown into the permanent boutique, which Lorraine says resells 'everything from Zara to Prada', with the stylish star having to resist the urge to buy more than she donates. 'Myself and [fellow managers] Michelle and Marie are probably the best customers, because we do get incredible pieces in,' she jokes. 'Everything's above board. I don't want people to think that I'm pricing it and then buying it — we have professional pricers that do that for us! 'For me, I've always loved finding a bargain, and boasting about it. I always shopped second-hand, as we used to call it back then. Lorraine and Peter Devlin married in 2003 'For me, it's even more special because it's unique. If it's a designer piece that you're getting at a bargain price, the fabric, the cut, everything is more superior, so you're getting a piece that has longevity; it's already been around for whatever amount of time, and it'll last.' Although relatively ruthless when it comes to clearing out, Lorraine, who also has her own gradual tanning cream called Decadence made by Irish brand Beauti Edit, admits there are some investment items she could never bear to part with. 'I have a lovely Jean Paul Gaultier two-piece that I bought for my first appearance on The Late Late Show with the gorgeous Gay Byrne, [and] I still get wear out of it. 'I've a pair of Prada boots that I bought for myself with my first wages in AA Roadwatch, we didn't earn that much, [but] I spent my entire month's salary on them… my mom had to lend me my bus fare. Lorraine Keane's Fashion Relief pre-loved clothing boutique . . 'I didn't have any money to go out, so I stayed in and wore them, and watched The Late Late Show three Friday nights in a row — I got out on the fourth,' she laughs. 'Imagine, I still have them — they're still absolutely perfect.' The boots have stood the test of time, and so too, has her association with tailbacks, Lorraine reveals, as she's still recognised as the voice of traffic updates in the pre-Google map era. 'Oh, my goodness, I was so lucky,' she reflects on the radio presenting gig that helped turn her into a household name. 'To be on national radio, and repeating my name time and time again. Lorraine at the shop in the Frascati Centre News in 90 Seconds - 3rd June 2025 'It opened up so many doors and opportunities for me, so it's [an association] I'll never get sick of, and I'm always proud of. 'In fact, it's the one thing I still [am known for],' adds Lorraine, who started out on TV subbing for Thelma Mansfield on Live at 3 alongside the late Derek Davis. 'I get into a taxi, and I'll be chatting away, and then nine times out of ten, the taximan will look in the wing mirror, and he'll go, 'Are you Lorraine Keane, AA Roadwatch?' So it won't be that they'll recognise my face, it's the voice — it's so funny.' In recent years, she's lent that instantly recognisable voice to the cause of women's health. Long before Davina McCall in the UK or Drew Barrymore in the US, the Dubliner was the first to normalise speaking openly about perimenopause and menopause in the public eye, and she recalls thinking long and hard about becoming Ireland's poster girl for 'the change'. Lorraine Keane's Fashion Relief pre-loved clothing boutique . . 'Oh my God, I was so nervous about it,' says the 53-year-old. 'Back then, it was seen as your last stage of life — you were old and decrepit and past it when you were in menopause. 'And that's why women were embarrassed and ashamed to talk about it, it was their dirty little secret: 'Sweep it under the carpet, just get on with it, put up and shut up'. 'I was 38 when I went into perimenopause, but because I had suffered in silence for so long, not knowing that that's what it was, and that it was something that I could actually manage, then I just thought, 'OK, this is ridiculous'. 'Why are we made to feel like this when there's nothing we can do about it? From feckin' PMS to periods, periods to pregnancy, pregnancy to postnatal depression to endometriosis… why? Because we were given the reproductive organs to do all this. 'There's no way God is a woman,' continues Lorraine, 'because if she was a woman, she would have spread it out more evenly. Read more 'Because then we go into perimenopause, or menopause, we're supposed to be embarrassed about it? No chance. We should be worshipped, we should be adored and minded, and cared for — it should be the opposite. That's why I was like, 'Screw this, I'm going to talk about this'. I just decided, 'Put your money where your mouth is, you're always saying you're a woman's woman, and we should support women more', and it's been the best thing I've ever done.' Far from 'past it', the mum-of-two was the picture of glamour when she attended the VIP Style Awards with her two daughters, Emelia (21), who has just earned a drama degree, and Romy last month, and she says it's down to weight lifting that the three, three decades apart, can share frocks. 'I love the fact that my daughters say, 'It's not about being skinnier, mom, it's about being stronger',' tells Lorraine, who does three 30 minute workouts per week. 'When we were growing up, we were told, 'Eat less carbs, pound the pavements', whereas now we realise that's actually wrong; we need to be eating more protein and we need to do more weight resistance training. 'It was lovely to have the opportunity to get dressed up, and to see the event through their eyes, because I've been going for a long time now, 22 years. 'The stage they're at, 18 and 21, it's great now that they can actually share my wardrobe with me. I wouldn't say now that I'd share much of theirs — but they can definitely dip into mine!'
Scotsman
16-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Be prepared to take action on dust-related health risks
Charlotte O'Kane warns that a string of 'dust prosecutions' shows the HSE's determination to crack down on breaches Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A string of prosecutions in the UK should spur UK manufacturers to take action to meet their legal obligations to address health risks arising from dust. In the last year, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecutions have resulted in cases in which businesses – and, in one case, a director – were hit with criminal penalties for non-compliance with health and safety laws. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA), employers have a general duty to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees. Silica and wood dust are listed as 'health risk priorities' in the HSE's 2024-25 business plan (Picture: There are further regulations that specifically address risks posed by hazardous substances that apply to dust. The HSE has demonstrated its focus on businesses' dust control measures by bringing increased criminal prosecutions over the past 12 months, including four successful 'dust prosecutions' in January. The most recent case involved London property developer Nofax Enterprises Limited which was fined £63,000 and ordered to pay costs of £25,622, after pleading guilty to HSWA offences relating to a range of failures – including not sufficiently addressing risks of exposure to large amounts of silica dust and failing to protect workers from exposure to wood dust. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In publicising the outcome of the case, the HSE said exposure to either wood or silica dust 'can result in very serious and life-threatening health conditions, including asthma, nasal and lung cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and silicosis'. Charlotte O'Kane, Senior Associate in Pinsent Masons' Litigation and Regulatory team (Picture: Peter Devlin) HSE inspector Tracy Fox said: 'Companies need to be aware that when HSE identifies repeated similar significant failings in the workplace, a prosecution will always be considered.' There is increasing political will to make sure workers stay healthy and stay in employment. One of the cornerstones of the UK Government's plan for economic growth is getting people into work and staying in work. The government's recent activity, including its 'Get Britian Working' white paper and 'Keep Britain Working' review, all point to the expectation that employers have a crucial role to play – and managing dust-related health risks is a vital element in this regard. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In its business plan for 2024-25 the HSE listed silica and wood dust as 'health risk priorities', planning a total of 4,000 proactive inspections as part of a broader initiative to 'reduce work-related ill health', which is a central goal of the 10-year strategy it published in 2022. 'To reduce workers' exposure, we will build regulatory influence by working with our partners and others in the supply chain. From quarry to construction sites, the focus will be on eliminating risk and substituting with less dusty products and processes,' the HSE added. The HSE said its plans to reduce work-related ill health will involve enforcement and that its inspections will 'enforce preventive controls for occupational lung disease from exposure to respirable crystalline silica, wood dust and isocyanate paints'. The direction of travel from the HSE, as evidenced not just by its comments in its business plan, but by its actions in bringing prosecutions, is clear: manufacturers should prepare for inspections of their approach to managing dust-related health risks and for enforcement action in the event failings are identified.
CBC
08-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Workers 'devastated' as Fanshawe College moves to cut 400 jobs
Social Sharing Staffing at Fanshawe College will be cut by 35 per cent — roughly 400 full-time employees — as the school faces financial pressures driven largely by a sharp drop in international students. Speaking to employees packed into a lecture theatre at the London main campus on Thursday, with hundreds more watching online, Fanshawe President Peter Devlin said the school is projecting a $72-million deficit in the coming two years. "We are working toward a target of a 35 per cent workforce reduction. That's a lot," Devlin said. "That amounts to approximately 400 folks." In April, Fanshawe College said it would be ending 40 programs effective in the fall of 2025, including police studies, applied aerospace manufacturing, construction project management, fine art and retirement residence management. Devlin told employees there will be 30 per cent fewer total student enrollments in full-time programs for this coming year. Due to international student permit cuts, there would be 63 per cent fewer international students attending. Devlin said the school will begin working toward the 35 per cent staff reduction target in June as a part of Fanshawe's "road to sustainability" restructuring plan. He did not say how the cuts would be spread between the school's teaching and support staff, but said that "all employee areas will be affected." Devlin said about 170 of the job reductions will come from removing vacant positions and offering some workers early retirement. As part of the restructuring, the school will also reduce the number of vice-presidents from five to four, with the retirement of Michele Beaudoin, the VP of student services. Despite the extent of the staffing cuts, Devline said they won't be enough to put Fanshawe's books back into balance.. "There will still be a funding gap, and so there is a need for provincial action," he said. News 'devastating' for employees Adam Rayfield has worked 15 years as a locksmith at Fanshawe and also is president of Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local 109. He spoke to employees after Devlin presented details of the restructuring. He said news of so many staff reductions is unsettling. "Folks are fearful, they're anxious they're devastated," said Rayfield. "At the end of the day, there's going to be a chunk of people who are no longer here, and personally, that's devastating." Fanshawe's international student population has been among the highest in Ontario, with roughly 11,700 permits approved for the college in 2023. That number was recently cut by more than half after the federal government reduced the number of student visas it would give out. International students pay roughly double the tuition cost that domestic students do.
CBC
08-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Fanshawe College cutting 400 jobs as student enrolment drops
The president of Fanshawe College announced that 400 employees will lose their positions as the school struggles with a dramatic drop in full-time domestic and international students. Speaking to employees packed into a lecture theatre at the London main campus on Thursday, with hundreds more watching online, Peter Devlin said the school is projecting a $72-million deficit in the coming two years. "We are working toward a target of a 35 per cent workforce reduction. That's a lot," Devlin said. "That amounts to approximately 400 folks." In April, Fanshawe College said it would be ending 40 programs effective in the fall of 2025, including police studies, applied aerospace manufacturing, construction project management, fine art and retirement residence management. Devlin told employees that 30 per cent fewer Canadian students have enrolled in full-time programs for this coming year. Due to international student permit cuts, there would be 63 per cent fewer international students attending. Fanshawe's international student population has been among the highest in Ontario, with roughly 11,700 permits approved for the college in 2023. That number was recently cut by more than half after the federal government reduced the number of student visas it would give out. International students pay roughly double the tuition cost that domestic students do.
CBC
02-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Fanshawe College program suspensions announced to staff as major cuts begin
Fanshawe College has begun telling staff and faculty which programs will be cut as it faces a dramatic drop in enrolment. The school is anticipating 64 per cent fewer international students, a major source or revenue, by next year, said President Peter Devlin in February. Fanshawe's international student population has been among the highest in Ontario, with roughly 11,700 permits approved for the college in 2023. That number has recently been cut by more than half. On Tuesday, meetings were held across campus where employees learned the fate of different programs. Other colleges across Ontario have already made public their plans, allowing students and staff to plan for the upcoming year. Devlin has repeatedly said he would wait to make the news public until a provincially funded audit was complete this spring. He is expected to provide more information on the specifics Wednesday. Meanwhile, CBC News has learned eight programs in the Faculty of Creative Industries will face cuts, a faculty that includes the School of Media and Digital Arts, and the School of Design. CBC News has also learned the postgraduate in the Journalism of Television and Digital News program has been indefinitely suspended. Other faculties at the college, which has locations in London, St. Thomas, Simcoe and Woodstock, are also expected to be impacted. It's not yet known which courses will be cut. Tuesday's meeting made no mention of layoffs as officials are waiting to see how many staff members will choose the early retirement option. While Fanshawe won't accept new students for those eight programs, those who are already enrolled in them will be able to finish their courses, CBC News has learned. 'Right-size' the college The audit was being done by Consultants StrategyCorp Inc. and looked at which programs have high demand, retention, labour market need and how much they bring in, along with reviewing off-campus spaces Fanshawe leases. Devlin asked for the review in October after sounding the alarm on how much pressure the federal government's cap on international student enrolment had put on the school's budget. Fanshawe is offering an early retirement incentive to full-time staff who are 55 and older and have been working there for more than 10 years. It's part of its efforts to "right-size" the organization, according to an internal email sent to employees last week. The college implemented a formal hiring freeze in February. "We will have fewer programs and a right-sized workforce. We will have a deficit position while we reshape Fanshawe over time," Devlin said, in February. Ontario's colleges have increasingly relied on international students, who in some cases, pay double what domestic students pay, and fund everything from buildings to professors. Ottawa said it would approve approximately 360,000 undergraduate study permits for 2024 — a 35 per cent reduction from 2023. In September, the federal Liberal government said it would further slash the number of international student permits it issues by 10 per cent.
