Drawn Poorly is a Manchester based arts and community project, providing a platform for creatives responding to chronic illness, disability and mental health. The project aims to address the widespread isolation felt with these conditions, encouraging open conversation and reducing stigma. For their first birthday, they decided to create a series of stickers and cards […]
I hope you’ve all had a lovely Christmas, it’s been a pretty quiet one in the Cleasby household which has suited us just fine. We’ve had a few visitors but it’s been mainly just the five of us and lots of chilled days watching movies, playing games, eating cheese and ham and family time, so […]
There’s a line in the amazing Hamilton that says “if you stand for nothing, what’ll you fall for?” and it always sticks with me when I face the nasty internet comments for the work I do to raise awareness of life with an ostomy bag and chronic illness. Because though I feel that I am […]
Did you know about the CEA card? It is a national card scheme developed for UK cinemas by the UK Cinema Association. The Card enables a disabled cinema guest to receive a complimentary ticket for someone to go with them when they visit a participating cinema. A complimentary ticket is provided on the assumption that […]
I saw Mr Brown yesterday and the plan is for yet another surgery, it will be in the new year. I have two large hernias and they are causing daily, almost constant pain. One is behind my stoma and one is in the old stoma site. I also have a 6.6cm cyst on my ovary […]
I remember the nativities at school, year after year, yearning to be Mary. It’s what I thought about all year. To be fair, I went to a catholic primary school where the head teacher was a nun so you know, there was a lot of bible talk all year round. But I really wanted to […]
We ask kids all the time what do they want to be when they grow up, they may answer astronaut or doctor or teacher and some of they may mean it! We ask again when they’re about to choose their GCSE options, the lucky ones will have an aim and know which road they’re heading down. […]
In celebration of International Men’s Day I wanted to big up some of the most amazing men! Of course I have to start with my lovely Timm. Not only has he been my rock in the past few years and supported me through so much, he is also a brilliantly talented man. From photography, to […]
Two years ago I started working for Scope as the senior community officer. I saw the job advertised on Twitter and retweeted it saying how I wished I lived in London so I could apply. I got a reply saying that for the right applicant they would consider remote working and so I decided to […]
I wish people understood that I live my life in pretty much constant pain, that I survive by popping painkillers, high strength codiene every day. I wish people understood that each day feels like an uphill struggle, that having a jangling, aching pain drags you down and that there are times when it’s just all […]