Author: Gavin Haines

The Whitley Awards, organised by the UK charity Whitley Fund for Nature, were held last night, celebrating grassroots conservationists and their work to protect imperiled species and ecosystems. Each of the winners were awarded at least £50,000 to scale up their projects. These conservationists have saved charismatic songbirds, rehabilitated the reputations of persecuted animals, and… Continue reading Seven conservation pioneers who are ‘saving the world’

This week saw a series of good news stories that brought hope and optimism. From slowing time to new treatments for brain cancer and increasing butterfly numbers, the articles highlighted innovation and success across several sectors. Scientists at George Mason University in Virginia found that memorable visual stimuli can slow our perception of time. The… Continue reading What went right this week: the good news you should know about

A non-profit organisation named Light Up is offering trauma-informed therapy to young adults from low-income and vulnerable communities in India through its flagship programme Project Phoenix. This one-year programme provides one-to-one therapy, group exercises and life skills training to develop their social and emotional learning (SEL). Light Up aims to work with individuals who have… Continue reading A class act: the therapy school for children raised in Delhi’s red light district

Secondhand fashion is becoming more mainstream, with bargain hunters hunting for preloved garms in charity shops, online marketplaces such as eBay, and swapping clothes with friends. The trend towards preloved clothing is driven by a desire for new looks at a lower cost, as well as concerns over the environmental impact of fast fashion. Charity… Continue reading Tell us about your relationship with secondhand fashion

The Brighton Festival, England’s largest multi-arts festival, has a guest director for this year’s events. Frank Cottrell-Boyce, best known for his work as a children’s book author and screenwriter, is focused on the power of hope and how it can extract joy, even during turbulent times. In an interview, Cottrell-Boyce said: “I’ve been looking for… Continue reading ‘I would like people to feel like kids again – to be amazed’

A new law to protect children from social media has been passed in the US state of Florida, as growing evidence highlights its negative impact on mental health. The strictest law in the US bans children under 14 from having a social media account and obliges platforms to delete accounts for children under this age… Continue reading What went right this week: the good news you should know about

From Somalia to France, this week has seen a host of positive events, including the fact under-5 child mortality rates have reached an historic low. The United Nations revealed that the reasons for this were multiple, but had been driven largely by successful healthcare programs in countries including Cambodia, Malawi, Mongolia, and Rwanda. Despite the good… Continue reading What went right this week: the good news you should know about

A new single is aiming to raise awareness of the lack of biodiversity in UK conifer plantations. Where Now A Dark Wood Stands, by Scottish composer Alexander Chapman Campbell and folk singer Julie Fowlis, encourages the reimagining of timber forests so that nature can flourish in them. The country’s dense planting of conifers creates dark,… Continue reading Call of the wild: can this song breathe life into our barren spruce plantations?

Utrecht, a city in the Netherlands, is providing a glimpse of what cities could look like in a decade. One example is Catharijnesingel, which was a six-lane road for cars but has now been transformed into a canal for boating and nature. The project, which cost around €1bn, began after a referendum in 2002, where… Continue reading The city where ‘the future has already arrived’

Amidst all the negative news, there are always positive stories to be found. Here are some good news stories from this week: Cancer mortality rates in the UK have dropped by 37% in men and 33% in women since 1993, according to a recent Cancer Research UK study. The biggest decrease was in cervical cancer… Continue reading What went right this week: the good news you should know about