The Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs begins work today. Last December the government also announced plans for a new Child Protection Authority to tackle child abuse and exploitation. My take when the plans were first revealed for @bigissue.com ⬇️ www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

A BTS of what it’s like getting up to do the morning paper review on Sky News. 👋

Some reporting I’ve done this week 👇 🟣 ICO launches a campaign to make accessing your care records easier! I spoke to the Information Commissioner and the wonderful Jackie McCartney for a piece on @bigissue.com, exploring why access to records matters. www.bigissue.com/news/childho...

NEW: On the day the US Government Shutdown becomes the longest in history, representation breaks new ground across America. 🚨 Zohran Mamdani has been elected as NYC’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor. 🚨 Ghazala Hashmi becomes the first Muslim American woman elected to statewide office in the US.

This TEDx Talk questions how journalists report on underrepresented communities in the UK media. 🔎 Is our reporting designed to inform… or inflame? 🔥 Let’s take a look at last summer’s anti-immigration riots… Watch the full talk: youtu.be/fJy__NhRqJA

My full TEDx Talk ‘What makes a life newsworthy?’ is now live. It draws on both my experience as a journalist working at @bigissue.com and my life as a care-experienced person who has been interviewed in the media. Watch in full on YouTube now 🎥: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJy_...

My full TEDx Talk ‘What makes a life newsworthy?’ is now live. An honour to share insights from my work as a journalist and my own lived experience at TEDx St Albans earlier this month. 🎥: tinyurl.com/tedxsophia

We need your help finding the UK’s top 100 Changemakers! Nominations are now open for you to celebrate the people and organisations making a positive difference in your community. Do you have a local hero? Or know an empowering organisation? Nominate them here: www.bigissue.com/news/activis...

💍 My out of office says I’m not accepting pitches, but of course I said yes to Andrew’s. Can’t wait to manage the thrills of my SEO transition from Hall -> Watkins 💻

Do any of my followers live in Yorkshire and have seen or been impacted by the smoke from the Langdale Moor fire? Drop me a comment if you have, or if you’ve been impacted by a recent UK wildfire local to you. ⬇️ 💬

'Children in care shouldn't be a route to profit': Baroness Lola Young on privatisation of children's homes www.bigissue.com/news/politic...

I spoke to Zelda Perkins who has been leading the fight to get NDAs that silence workplace harassment or discrimination banned in the UK. Yesterday was a huge step towards that goal. Read my interview below. 👇 www.bigissue.com/news/employm...

It's my day off. I'm on my way to Glasgow. But that didn't stop me from writing a reactionary op-ed for @bigissue.com this morning after a Reform councillor referred to some children in care as “not just naughty children... but downright evil.” Read my take below. ⬇️ www.bigissue.com/opinion/refo...

Coming back onto Bluesky to announce… I’m going to be a TEDx speaker! My talk at TEDx St Albans is on ‘The Life Behind the Headline’. It’s about how we as news consumers can read more critically, uplift underrepresented voices, and make sense of sensationalist journalism. 15 October here we come!

🗣️ Investigation call-out I’m looking for people (most likely care experienced, adopted, estranged or bereaved) who have had issues with accessing healthcare due to lack of family medical history. My @bigissue.com investigation looks to expose the potentially life-altering consequences of this. 👇

💜 @sophiassocials.bsky.social went into foster care as a teenager. Today as Deputy Digital Editor at Big Issue she’s working to change the narrative 💜 This #InternationalWomensDay we’re amplifying the voices of women at Big Issue Support our mission to end poverty, become a member bit.ly/3QCPf6p

Ezra Collective winning the Brit Award for British Group feels like such a huge win for not only a brilliant band, but grassroots youth music programmes too. 💥🎺 Ife Ogunjobi told @bigissue.com last year he “Wouldn’t be where I am today” without them. Big up Tomorrow's Warriors. 🙌⬇️ bit.ly/41nzZPL

This morning Big Issue published my piece on Chloe’s struggle to secure an autism assessment. 🚨Just a few hours after publication, Chloe was directly contacted by Psychiatry UK who apologised and offered to schedule a new assessment.🚨 Journalism creates change. 🙌 www.bigissue.com/life/health/...

🚨 Student told to wait 18 YEARS for NHS autism assessment A University of Oxford student has been told they won’t get an autism diagnosis until 2043 due to severe backlogs. Thousands across the UK face similar waits, with experts warning the delays are denying people vital support. bit.ly/41zH0yy

🚨 “The Grenfell Tower Inquiry report made 58 recommendations of which 37 were directed at the government. The government accepts the findings of the report and will take forward ALL of the recommendations.” 🎥 Angela Rayner says “I am very sorry” to Grenfell Tower survivors and bereaved families.

I’ve seen a couple of companies start to advertise a ‘Self Defence Class for Women’ to ‘celebrate’ International Women’s Day next week. 🥊 With today’s high levels of gender-based violence, free self defence classes are a great idea… but why are they scheduled for IWD? What message does that send? 🤔

As news breaks about Luis Rubiales being found guilty of kissing Jenni Hermoso without consent @ World Cup, I'm taken aback by the amount of publishers using a picture of the kiss in their articles. If this were any other legal case, would news outlets be using a picture of an assault taking place?

On Wednesday, Sadiq Khan told me rough sleeping in London will get worse in 2025 before we see an improvement in 2026. New CHAIN stats published today reveal he’s right. In Oct-Dec 24 we saw a 5% increase in the no. of people rough sleeping, and a 26% annual rise of people on the streets long-term.

The Mayor of @london.gov.uk told the Big Issue he expects street homelessness in the capital to get worse before it gets better but committed to the ‘biggest single investment’ in tackling rough sleeping. 💷 🎥: @sophiassocials.bsky.social 📰: @lgeraghty23.bsky.social www.bigissue.com/news/housing...

When America sneezes, the world catches a cold, the saying goes. 🤧 So how sick is Donald Trump going to make us? 🇺🇸🇬🇧 As Donald Trump is sworn in as US President, here’s everything you need to know about how his actions and decisions could impact the UK. 🇺🇸🇬🇧 www.bigissue.com/news/politic...

Feeling very lucky to have kicked off Christmas with my longest ever Sky News appearance this morning. 📺 I did three hits (totalling half an hour) and it was particularly special as just 6 hours earlier, I was volunteering with Crisis at Christmas. V glad I was able to mention their work on air.👇

Join me on Sky News this morning for two more paper reviews at 7:45am & 8:45am 📺

Such a privilege to play in the Journalists vs Politicians football match organised by Sadiq Khan at @chelseafcn.bsky.social. ⚽️ We beat the politicians’ team 7-3 💅 but more importantly we all signed up to do a shift with @crisis-uk.bsky.social over Christmas. ❤️ Thanks for having us @london.gov.uk!

Three Big Issue journalists, @sophiassocials.bsky.social, @gregbarradale.bsky.social and @adey70.bsky.social helped take the journalist team to victory last night at @london.gov.uk’s inaugural 'London VS Homelessness' match. ⚽ Check out more of the photos from the game below. ⬇️

I visited Downing Street earlier to week to speak to a group of care experienced people who are petitioning the government to scrap local housing connections; a measure promised earlier this year at the annual Labour conference. Learn more. 👇 www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

Keir Starmer has revealed six ambitious milestones to tackle what he calls Britain’s “tepid bathtub of managed decline.” 🌍🏠⚡ Here’s a quick breakdown of Labour’s big plans for the next five years: A Thread 🧵 👇

In this week’s Big Issue, we’re celebrating the joy dogs bring to our lives – and now, we’d love to celebrate yours! 🐾 Want your furry friend featured? Snap a photo of your dog with our Santa Paws issue and share it below. Your pup might just make it into the magazine! 🐶📸 ⬇️

Last year a tweet of mine went viral after I shared how I was able to buy my first proper Christmas tree — a dream of mine since leaving foster care. ❤️🎄 I was asked to write a piece about it & share why Christmas can such be a lonely time in the care system. You can read it below. ➡️ bit.ly/3OnYAhm

What are you doing for Christmas? A question that fills some of us with dread... but it doesn't have to be like that ❤️‍🩹 Gold from the Stone founder Lemn Sissay tells you how you could help give a Christmas Day to remember to care leavers across the country Watch ⬇️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx8o...

Some parts of the UK saw snow this morning for the first time this festive season. ❄️ While this could be joyful for some, it could be deadly for others. As temperatures plummet, read @bigissue.bsky.social’s guide on how to help people who are homeless in winter. ⬇️ www.bigissue.com/news/housing...

It’s tiring to see a promise like this…. just TWO years ago the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care was published; the gov failed to act. We were told the review was a ✨once in a lifetime✨ opportunity to reform the care system. I’m a former foster kid - we’re fed up of unkept promises. 🚫

🚨 The total number of empty and second homes not in use stands at 998,784 — which is around one in every 25 homes across the country. 🏘️ That’s according to Empty Homes’ analysis of government council tax data. 📊 @lgeraghty23.bsky.social has the story. 👇 www.bigissue.com/news/housing...

Follow the journalists, editors, and regular contributors that make the Big Issue — bringing you the latest news across social affairs, politics and culture. 👋 👉 go.bsky.app/AzhztsB

Simeon McAnoy died after taking nitazenes. His mum believes he could have been saved As part of @bigissue.bsky.social investigation into the deadly new drug, I've pieced together Simeon's life and death, to bring to light just one of the hundreds of lives lost www.bigissue.com/news/nitazen...

Hi, I’m Sophia Alexandra Hall and I’m deputy digital editor @bigissue.bsky.social. 👋 As a journalist, I’ve reported from protests at Parliament, to the press room of the White House.👩‍💻 I’m also proudly care experienced (someone who grew up in foster care). 💖 Excited to rebuild a community here. 🤝

Felt very proud to be part of the award-winning(!) Big Issue editorial team at last night’s Society of Editors Awards 🏆 I was also nominated for the Women in Journalism Georgina Henry Award for my Toolkit for Journalists and Care Experienced People! 📘 You can read about it here: shorturl.at/ypADE

🚨 A record high of 151,630 children are now homeless and living in temporary accommodation in England as the country’s spiralling crisis has left more people than ever without a home. “This is a genuine humanitarian crisis.” ⬇️ www.bigissue.com/news/housing...

Went camping for the first time this weekend, joining our Irish friend on the Wild Atlantic Way. 🇮🇪 In one week we traveled across four different counties. The weather was wild but the landscapes more than made up for it! Couldn’t have chosen a better camping debut than the beautiful West Coast. 💚

First time sharing my journalism on Bluesky 💻 The Orchestre Symphonique de Québec lost their guest conductor, Bramwell Tovey, to cancer last year. One year on from his passing, a chemo patient donated her hair to make a violin bow which was played by the orchestra in Tovey’s memory ❤️ watch below

S Club are releasing music for the first time in 20 years this Thursday. ‘These Are The Days’ will be released on 26th July and marks the (now 5-piece) band’s 25th anniversary. The song will be accompanied by a film tribute to their former bandmate, Paul Cattermole who passed away in April.

Oppenheimer should win the Oscar for Best Sound at the 96th Academy Awards. Despite being a music journalist, I was most struck by the film’s use of silence, which at times, was even more powerful than its musical choices. The film’s sound designer, Richard King, already has 4 Oscars to his name.

Barbie made $377m (£293m) at the box office, making history for Greta Gerwig as the highest-ever opening weekend box office for a film directed by a woman. Oppenheimer, like Barbie, soared past initial projections and opened to $174.2m (£135.4m); a triumph for Christopher Nolan and Barbenheimer.