"Before COVID, I probably saw a few people on maybe a month basis, not more than 20 a year," said Hong. "I'm [now] seeing that almost on a daily basis, so the incidents have gone up tremendously... "

Here are 10 practical tips for keeping young people engaged throughout their Arts Award journey. This blog has been written by Abigail Hutchison, Tutor/Mentor and Arts Award Adviser at YMCA Manchester. Drawing on her experience working with young people in Alternative Provision settings, Abigail explores how to make the Arts Award framework accessible, meaningful and achievable, regardless of attendance patterns or challenges young people may face. YMCA Manchester is built on the belief that young people flourish when creativity, culture and opportunity are central to their development. Read the full blog to discover Abigail’s 10 top tips: hubs.la/Q04k4g3y0

Dear DfE, The biggest cause of pupil absence and teacher absence, by a very long way, is illness. Your own data shows this clearly. If you want to improve school attendance, you have to improve health. Start with HEPA air purifiers. They cost less than £10 per pupil. Please

The DfE knows that illness is the number 1 cause of absence - I'm using their data when I make this point.

The number one reason for school absence is illness. By a very long way.

Florence Nightingale wrote about the importance of fresh air, sunlight and good nutrition over 150 years ago. Good to see King’s College Hospital opening a rooftop garden for critical care patients. kch.nhs.uk/news/outdoor-crit…

Join us for our latest webinar, Delivering Arts Award and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, on 11 June at 4pm via Zoom. Discover how to connect Arts Award with your @DofE programme in this engaging webinar. Learn how Arts Award can support DofE's Skills Section and enrich young people’s creative development. Rosie Yates (DofE AAP Operations Officer) and Sarah Hughes (Business Development Manager, Arts Award) will be exploring the links between the awards, and discussing how participants can achieve both awards through engaging arts and cultural activities. Register for the webinar here: hubs.la/Q04jxhPT0

Loud and clear for journalists in the back: If you talk about post pandemic-onset increases of the very same “development vulnerabilities” that have been linked to COVID infections, yet point only to lockdowns and fail to consider viral impacts, you are fundamentally unserious.

If England can hit 35°C in May in 2026, imagine July 2036. The concerning part isn’t just the heat itself…it’s that little or no serious planning is being put in place for what’s coming. Cities, housing, schools, healthcare, infrastructure… all dangerously unprepared.

I try to stay as professional as possible on here, but the recent spate of tweets I've seen bemoaning that 'things just haven't been the same since 2020' or similar and then utterly ignoring the ongoing impact of SARS-CoV-2 infuriates me. Denial and ignorance in equal measure.

i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: the old wisdom of needing time for convalescence was right and it’s been lost in favour of temporary Productivity instead of solidifying long-term health, and it’s hurting us all. often it’s REST that’s most needed and hardest to achieve

If more kids are chronically ill with Long Covid than any other chronic illness, it is IMPOSSIBLE for Covid to be mild.

One of the worst things society has ever done is discussing infectious disease in binary terms: “you either die or you survive” This implies survival = full recovery. Surviving viral illness can often mean never returning to baseline health. And people need to remember this.

If there is one word that I have learned to abhor since 2020, it's the word, 'mild'.

But often what it really means is: "We know it can spread between people, but we don't want to say too clearly how, because then people might start asking questions about air, masks, ventilation, workplaces, schools, travel, and public responsibility."

Isn’t it great that we’re celebrating David Attenborough’s 100th birthday whilst ignoring the message he’s spent the last 20 years trying to get through to us:

"Once again, incredibly, the WHO is ignoring the precautionary principle: "Standard precautions combined with droplet precautions during close contact are considered sufficient. Routine airborne precautions are not typically required, except during aerosol‑generating procedures."" ⚠️BREATHING GENERATES AEROSOLS!!⚠️

The tragic truth is that many studies have shown that Covid infections can reactivate dormant cancer cells & trigger growth of secondary cancers. The BuDS Disability Service charity have an excellent summary of the latest research at the link below ⬇️ buds.org.uk/covid-and-cancer…

The Covid Inquiry is explicit: “In the short term, the use of HEPA filters should be prioritised within healthcare across the UK.” This should make it hard to ignore. Clean air is pandemic preparedness. It is infection control. go.corsirosenthalfoundation.… #CleanAir #CovidInquiry

Thirteen years ago today, I was invited to the very first autism-friendly performance of The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre. The atmosphere was so special. At first, there was a lot of movement and noise, but gradually the audience began to settle. Parents came prepared with sensory toys, iPads, earphones, and snacks all the little “bag of tricks” that help their children feel safe and engaged. I remember one young girl danced happily through every song, completely lost in the magic. Another young boy behind me shouted “I’ve been here long enough… its time for home!” a reminder that every child experiences things differently, and that’s ok. When the stage filled with the lion king characters, and changing lights, many children became calmer, drawn into the beauty of the performance. My favourites Timon, Pumbaa, and Hakuna Matata brought smiles, laughter, and clapping from families across the theatre. Of course, there were a few upsets which was to be expected , however what stood out most was the acceptance. Children were stimming, flapping, making noises… and no one was judged. Not a single raised eyebrow. Just understanding and support. Many families had truly enjoyed the experience, and many came up to me to say they followed me on social media and my work and thanked me. I remember one mum even chased after me, grabbed my sleeve, and gave me a hug , she got a bit emotional a moment I’ll always carry with me. She still follows me today. This is why autism-friendly performances matter. They open doors, create inclusion, and give families the chance to experience something magical together. Here’s to more theatres continuing to follow this example 💫 #Autism #AutismAcceptance #Inclusion #LionKing #TheatreForAll @lionking @lyceumtheatreldn