Latest news with #Sullivans
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
I transformed my council house garden into an extra parking space to help neighbours but people pointed out same issue
And scroll down to see how the family respond to trolls who claim they're 'jobless spongers on benefits' DIY DRIVE I transformed my council house garden into an extra parking space to help neighbours but people pointed out same issue A DAD-OF-12 has revealed his freebie garden makeover after converting it into an extra parking space - all to stay on his neighbours' good side. Ben, 50, and Zoe Sullivan, 46, and their bumper brood make up one of Scotland's biggest families. 4 The Sullivans have 12 children and stay in a six-bedroom house Credit: The Sullivans The pair are parents to Elizabeth, 20, Olivia, 18, Noah, 15, Eva, 13, Toby, 12, Agnes, seven, Joseph, six, Flo, three, and two sets of twins, Charlotte and Isabelle, 17, and Leah and Erin, nine. They live in a six-bedroom council house in Burghead, Moray, where they regularly document their hectic lives on their YouTube channel. After buying a Fiat 500 as a "runaround car" for their eldest daughters, the couple were worried they were taking too much on-street parking away from their neighbours They already have two people carriers for ferrying around the whole family on day trips and holidays, and only had room for one car in their driveway. And they feared that having two cars parked on the street could create an issue. Ben said: "Since the girls have now got their car, the issue with parking is raising its head. "We don't want to take the mickey. We don't want to take up too much space outside because obviously it's a cul-de-sac. "There's lots of houses and most homes these days have cars and some two cars and it's just creating a bit of a traffic jam out there. "What we don't want to do is just to overtake an entire road with cars." As a solution, they decided to sacrifice their spare front garden space and converted it into another parking spot instead. I'm fuming after nosy neighbours left note on my car asking my 'plans for parking', despite having a four-car driveway Ben said the decision "improves curb appeal and makes their council home more functional". In a recent video, he documented his one-day transformation of the front garden - and it didn't cost a penny. Alongside sons Noah and Toby, Ben removed the front garden fence, digged out the deep fence posts and filled the holes with mud and stones that were already in the garden. Their job was made easier as the council had already removed half of the fence to accommodate for sewage works. And Ben "got the green light" from officials to remove the rest of the fencing too. Showing off the finished results, the delighted dad said: "That just leaves the little runabout just parked near to our house so it just saves a lot on space. "We're not taking up too much space and we've actually got a place to park." 4 Ben removed the fence from their front garden to convert it into a parking space Credit: Youtube/The Sullivans 4 They had to dig out the deep fence posts Credit: Youtube/The Sullivans 4 The finished result means the Sullivans can now park two cars in the drive Credit: Youtube/The Sullivans But after sharing the transformation on social media, people were quick to point out a potential issue. "You need a dropped kerb now putting in which is an expensive job", one person said. Somebody else chimed in: "I guess if the kerb isn't dropped you run the risk of being blocked in if someone parks there?" And a third added: "Some jealous eejit will report for not having a drop kerb and removing the fence/posts." But Ben insisted that: the kerb is "partially dropped already" and added: "It's fine for now." "I put an application in with the council, plus it was the council who removed half the fence for us in the first place ️ "People will always try and trip us up unfortunately there are little bullies everywhere." Social media support Other people, however, were full of praise for the savvy dad's DIY project. One said: "Wow, I bet it will make a huge difference getting the cars on the drive! Much easier for you all... easier to load up... and safer off the road. Great job all." Someone else wrote: "Great job on the driveway, hopefully will make a difference especially now with the girls car. Well done to your helpers too." "Nice you can park on the drive now. So considerate of you as you have three cars", chimed in a third. A fourth agreed: "Front is looking good, much better use of the space in the front, and leaves the street less crowded." "Great job converting it into a driveway!! Looks really good!!" gushed a fifth. And a sixth said: "That's a great idea parking the two bigger cars in the driveway and the wee Fiat on the street it would be lovely if more neighbours were thoughtful like this and considered others." The garden renovation comes after the Sullivans were forced to hit back at trolls who claim they're jobless spongers on benefits - insisting they couldn't be more wrong. Zoe was faced with hateful messages after revealing she spends £400 on the weekly food shop. Opening up about the hate, Zoe said: "There is this assumption that number one, we don't work and number two we bring in mass incomes on benefits and then spend it all on rubbish. "People seem to be so angry at large families, [they] just assume you have children and you suddenly become a sponge on society. "We pay our taxes, we pay our bills, we pay our council tax, we pay our rent, we pay all that stuff." "Obviously getting us by, there's 14 of us, it takes quite a lot of money. But we budget, we make ends meet."
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
I transformed my council house garden into an extra parking space to help neighbours but people pointed out same issue
A DAD-OF-12 has revealed his freebie garden makeover after converting it into an extra parking space - all to stay on his neighbours' good side. Ben, 50, and Zoe Sullivan, 46, and their bumper brood make up one of Scotland's Advertisement 4 The Sullivans have 12 children and stay in a six-bedroom house Credit: The Sullivans The pair are parents to Elizabeth, 20, Olivia, 18, Noah, 15, Eva, 13, Toby, 12, Agnes, seven, Joseph, six, Flo, three, and two sets of twins, Charlotte and Isabelle, 17, and Leah and Erin, nine. They live in a six-bedroom council house in Burghead, Moray, where they regularly document their hectic lives on After buying a Fiat 500 as a "runaround car" for their eldest daughters, the couple were worried they were taking too much on-street parking away from their neighbours They already have two people carriers for ferrying around the whole family on day trips and holidays, and only had room for one car in their driveway. Advertisement And they feared that having two cars parked on the street could create an issue. Ben said: "Since the girls have now got their car, the issue with parking is raising its head. "We don't want to take the mickey. We don't want to take up too much space outside because obviously it's a cul-de-sac. "There's lots of houses and most homes these days have cars and some two cars and it's just creating a bit of a traffic jam out there. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous "What we don't want to do is just to overtake an entire road with cars." As a solution, they decided to sacrifice their spare front garden space and converted it into another parking spot instead. I'm fuming after nosy neighbours left note on my car asking my 'plans for parking', despite having a four-car driveway Ben said the decision "improves curb appeal and makes their council home more functional". In a recent video, he documented his one-day transformation of the front garden - and it didn't cost a penny. Advertisement Alongside sons Noah and Toby, Ben removed the front garden fence, digged out the deep fence posts and filled the holes with mud and stones that were already in the garden. Their job was made easier as the council had already removed half of the fence to accommodate for sewage works. And Ben "got the green light" from officials to remove the rest of the fencing too. Showing off the finished results, the delighted dad said: "That just leaves the little runabout just parked near to our house so it just saves a lot on space. Advertisement "We're not taking up too much space and we've actually got a place to park." 4 Ben removed the fence from their front garden to convert it into a parking space Credit: Youtube/The Sullivans 4 They had to dig out the deep fence posts Credit: Youtube/The Sullivans 4 The finished result means the Sullivans can now park two cars in the drive Credit: Youtube/The Sullivans Advertisement But after sharing the transformation on social media, people were quick to point out a potential issue. " You need a dropped kerb now putting in which is an expensive job ", one person said. Somebody else chimed in: " I guess if the kerb isn't dropped you run the risk of being blocked in if someone parks there? " And a third added: "Some jealous eejit will report for not having a drop kerb and removing the fence/posts." Advertisement But Ben insisted that: the kerb is "partially dropped already" and added: "It's fine for now." "I put an application in with the council, plus it was the council who removed half the fence for us in the first place ️ "People will always try and trip us up unfortunately there are little bullies everywhere." Social media support Other people, however, were full of praise for the savvy dad's DIY project. Advertisement One said: "Wow, I bet it will make a huge difference getting the cars on the drive! Much easier for you all... easier to load up... and safer off the road. Great job all." Someone else wrote: "Great job on the driveway, hopefully will make a difference especially now with the girls car. Well done to your helpers too." "Nice you can park on the drive now. So considerate of you as you have three cars", chimed in a third. A fourth agreed: "Front is looking good, much better use of the space in the front, and leaves the street less crowded." Advertisement "Great job converting it into a driveway!! Looks really good!!" gushed a fifth. And a sixth said: "That's a great idea parking the two bigger cars in the driveway and the wee Fiat on the street it would be lovely if more neighbours were thoughtful like this and considered others." The garden renovation comes after the Sullivans were forced to hit back at trolls who claim they're jobless spongers on benefits - insisting they couldn't be more wrong. Advertisement Zoe was faced with hateful messages after revealing she Opening up about the hate, Zoe said: "There is this assumption that number one, we don't work and number two we bring in mass incomes on benefits and then spend it all on rubbish. "People seem to be so angry at large families, [they] just assume you have children and you suddenly become a sponge on society. Read more on the Irish Sun "We pay our taxes, we pay our bills, we pay our council tax, we pay our rent, we pay all that stuff." Advertisement "Obviously getting us by, there's 14 of us, it takes quite a lot of money. But we budget, we make ends meet."
Scottish Sun
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I have 12 kids & live in council house – trolls say I'm a ‘jobless sponger on £6k benefits', they couldn't be more wrong
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MUM-OF-12 has hit back at trolls who claim she's a jobless scrounger on benefits - insisting they couldn't be more wrong. Zoe, 46, and Ben Sullivan, 50, and their bumper brood make up one of Scotland's biggest families. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Zoe Sullivan is a mum of 12 who lives in Scotland Credit: The Sullivans 2 The Sullivans document their lives in social media and make money from the platforms Credit: The Sullivans The pair are parents to Elizabeth, 20, Olivia, 18, Noah, 15, Evangeline, 13, Tobias, 12, Agnes, seven, Joseph, six, Flo, three, and two sets of twins, Charlotte and Isabelle, 17, and Leah and Erin, nine. They live in a six-bedroom council house in Burghead, Moray, where they regularly document their hectic lives on their YouTube channel. In a recent video, Zoe exposed comments from trolls who flooded her with hateful messages after revealing she spends £400 on the weekly food shop. One read: "All paid for by the taxpayer, lovely." "When the benefits roll in", a second wrote. A third claimed: "Think you'll find they receive a lot in benefits. Child benefit, Scottish child payment ad whatever other UC they are claiming." "Neither parent works", another poison note read. Meanwhile, a fifth added: "£400 a week on shopping? That's crazy. She's either got a hardworking husband who can earn enough to feed his family or she gets good benefits." Opening up about the hate, Zoe said: "We get attacked quite a lot by trolls. "We can say it doesn't bother us as much as we like but there will be times when it does bother you. I'm a mum of two and get a £1.7k Universal Credit payday each month people hate me as they work 40 hours a week for the same "A lot of people say 'well you put yourself out there so you deserve what you get'. Well actually no, you don't. You don't deserve that at all. "You don't Just because we choose to share our life online that doesn't mean that we deserve to be bullied and made fun of." She added: "People assume that we claim like £6,000 a month in benefits. "I was like 'wow can you even claim that much?'. We definitely don't. "There is this assumption that number one, we don't work and number two we bring in mass incomes on benefits and then spend it all on rubbish. "People seem to be so angry at large families, [they] just assume you have children and you suddenly become a sponge on society." And the busy mum was quick to set the record straight about the money her family earns and the bills they pay. She revealed that Ben has a military pension after serving 26 years in the RAF. Now, the couple make cash from social media platforms where they share their experience as a large family. She said: "That is how we earn money. We are both self-employed so we both earn on social media. And whilst it might not be huge amounts, it's enough to get us by. "Obviously getting us by, there's 14 of us, it takes quite a lot of money. But we budget, we make ends meet. "There are some people that get really aggravated by the fact that they think their taxes go directly to me and my 12 children, to our family of 14. "They automatically assume you've got 12 kids so you must be on every benefit under the sun and paying nothing into the system. "We pay our taxes, we pay our bills, we pay our council tax, we pay our rent, we pay all that stuff." Even when talking about child benefit, Zoe pointed out: " A third of our children are actually adults."
The Irish Sun
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I have 12 kids & live in council house – trolls say I'm a ‘jobless sponger on £6k benefits', they couldn't be more wrong
A MUM-OF-12 has hit back at trolls who claim she's a jobless scrounger on benefits - insisting they couldn't be more wrong. Zoe, 46, and Ben Sullivan, 50, and their bumper brood make up one of Scotland's 2 Zoe Sullivan is a mum of 12 who lives in Scotland Credit: The Sullivans 2 The Sullivans document their lives in social media and make money from the platforms Credit: The Sullivans The pair are parents to Elizabeth, 20, Olivia, 18, Noah, 15, Evangeline, 13, Tobias, 12, Agnes, seven, Joseph, six, Flo, three, and two sets of twins, Charlotte and Isabelle, 17, and Leah and Erin, nine. They live in a six-bedroom council house in Burghead, Moray, where they regularly document their hectic lives on In a recent video, Zoe exposed comments from trolls who flooded her with hateful messages after revealing she spends £400 on the weekly food shop. One read: "All paid for by the taxpayer, lovely." "When the benefits roll in", a second wrote. A third claimed: "Think you'll find they receive a lot in benefits. Child benefit, Scottish child payment ad whatever other UC they are claiming." "Neither parent works", another poison note read. Meanwhile, a fifth added: " Most read in Fabulous Opening up about the hate, Zoe said: "We get attacked quite a lot by trolls. "We can say it doesn't bother us as much as we like but there will be times when it does bother you. I'm a mum of two and get a £1.7k Universal Credit payday each month people hate me as they work 40 hours a week for the same "A lot of people say 'well you put yourself out there so you deserve what you get'. Well actually no, you don't. You don't deserve that at all. "You don't Just because we choose to share our life online that doesn't mean that we deserve to be bullied and made fun of." She added: "People assume that we claim like £6,000 a month in benefits. "I was like 'wow can you even claim that much?'. We definitely don't. "There is this assumption that number one, we don't work and number two we bring in mass incomes on benefits and then spend it all on rubbish. "People seem to be so angry at large families, [they] just assume you have children and you suddenly become a sponge on society." And the busy mum was quick to set the record straight about the money her family earns and the bills they pay. She revealed that Ben has a military pension after serving 26 years in the RAF. Now, the couple make cash from social media platforms where they share their experience as a large family. She said: "That is how we earn money. We are both self-employed so we both earn on social media. And whilst it might not be huge amounts, it's enough to get us by. "Obviously getting us by, there's 14 of us, it takes quite a lot of money. But we budget, we make ends meet. "There are some people that get really aggravated by the fact that they think their taxes go directly to me and my 12 children, to our family of 14. "They automatically assume you've got 12 kids so you must be on every benefit under the sun and paying nothing into the system. Read more on the Irish Sun "We pay our taxes, we pay our bills, we pay our council tax, we pay our rent, we pay all that stuff." Even when talking about child benefit, Zoe pointed out: " A third of our children are actually adults."
The Independent
16-04-2025
- The Independent
US missionary kidnapped during church service rescued after shoot-out in South Africa
Police in South Africa have rescued a kidnapped American pastor "miraculously unharmed" following a deadly shootout, authorities said on Wednesday. Josh Sullivan, 45, was seized by armed men last week as he led a prayer service at his church in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape Province. He was rescued in the same city on Tuesday, South Africa's elite police unit Hawks said in a statement. Three suspects were killed during "a high-intensity shootout" as law enforcement officers approached a vehicle at a location where Sullivan was being held, police said. The 45-year-old US citizen Josh Sullivan, from Tennessee, has been based in the Motherwell township branch of the Fellowship Baptist church since 2018, alongside his wife and two children. The missionary was abducted last Thursday evening when four men broke into the Fellowship Baptist church in Motherwell. They stole two mobile phones from members of the congregation before seizing Mr Sullivan from the pulpit and bundling him out of the building. His truck was found abandoned a few hours later. A multi-agency task force, including the Anti-Gang Unit and the Serious Organised Crime Unit, took over the investigation. On Tuesday night, they approached the location where they suspected Mr Sullivan was being held, a house in KwaMagxaki, Gqeberha, about a 20-minute drive from the Baptist church. According to police, a shootout began when suspects in a car parked outside the house tried to escape and opened fire on them. Three unidentified suspects were killed, police said. "The victim was found inside the same vehicle from which the suspects had launched their attack," Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba said. "Miraculously unharmed, he was immediately assessed by medical personnel and is currently in an excellent condition." The number of kidnappings in South Africa has risen by 264 per cent over the past decade, police data showed. According to the Institute of Security Studies, a think tank specialising in Africa, kidnapping has become a key tactic in armed robberies and carjackings. In its latest Africa report, the ISS notes that less than 5 per cent of kidnappings in South Africa involve ransom demands. Since his release, Mr Sullivan, who describes himself as "a church-planting missionary" on his personal website, has been reunited with his wife, Meagan and their two children. A man named Tom Hatley, whom Mr Sullivan describes on his personal blog as his childhood and training pastor, posted a picture of Mr Sullivan and his family on Facebook. Explaining that he had received "the go-ahead to let it be known", Mr Hatley said: "Josh has been released. "Thank you for your support and prayers. Please do not stop praying for The Sullivans. "Also, PLEASE respect The Sullivans' privacy and their parents'. A lot of folks love The Sullivans, and they love you back, but give them some time."
