For International Women’s Day, the amazing folks at Girls on Film are putting on an evening of female football films, including the cult classic Bend it Like Beckham. There’s also a panel discussion where I’ll be speaking about the Laces, alongside documentary film maker Fleur Cousens who’ll be talking about her latest project Who Moved the Goalposts. Come along!
There are 146 numbers saved in my phone with the prefix ‘JAFC’ — Just Another Football Club. When I set up Hackney Laces 6 years ago, that’s what we were. A single club for girls in my borough. And now it’s morphed in to so much more.
Woman are underrepresented in the creative industry. Study upon study shows gaps in pay; job function; seniority …
I work at Nice and Serious. As a studio of 17 in London and 3 in New York, we have 6 women. 3 are in project management roles, 2 creatives and one in senior management. Whilst we are above industry average, we know there’s so much more to do. There’s also so much more we need to understand about the issue. Why aren’t we getting more job applications from women? How can we attract women to both us as an agency and the industry as a whole?
For the next three weeks, This Because has set up shop in Soho. Stocking only beautifully designed, sustainable products, you’ll find all kinds of gems. Like tote bags made from old bouncy castles. Or this beer made from bread waste. Pop in, have a peruse and say hello to the wonderful Zoë, the brains behind this fantastic business.
Find This Because at 18 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 8HS. Opening times: 10-8pm Monday – Saturday | 11 – 6 Sundays until 14th December.
Five years ago today, Hackney Laces was born. Back then we had no idea what we were doing. I knew that my neighbourhood needed a football team for the high number of teenage girls that wanted to play. And I knew that I could find some space and rally together some friends to get involved. I didn’t know that we’d be inundated with players, or that more than 90% of our players wanted to be famous as their future aspiration.
In a few short weeks, the Laces family will be saying goodbye to Alice. And that’s ok because Alice is moving on. First she’s going to America on a soccer scholarship. Then, the world is hers for the taking. Mark my words (you heard it here first) Alice is going places and where ever those places are, she’ll make them better through her compassion and her infectious energy for life and learning. There’s needs to be a stronger synonym for the word proud so I can use it here. That’s how I feel.
Big thanks to director Miles Langley and photographer Philippa Langley who came along to our Tuesday night kick about to shoot this.
In recent years charities and other cause based organisations have used the act and cost of buying a cup of coffee as a metric for change. Donate your cup of coffee to <insert charity here>. For the amount you spend on a coffee each morning you could <insert outcome for person here>. It’s a nice hook, people can relate to it. It’s a moderately simple sacrifice for a better good. However it has also become so overused as a marketing hook that the effect can be lost.
Why should you give an X in the upcoming UK election?
Because if you don’t vote you can’t complain. You can’t stand up for what you believe in. You can’t decide who decides important things like your reproductive rights as a woman or how elderly people are treated. You can’t have a say in how education, healthcare or any public services are run. People all over the world fight for democracy in their countries everyday so don’t take the right to vote for granted, show conviction and use it.
When Hackney Laces first began four years ago, I don’t think any of us – players, volunteers or coaches – expected for us to grow beyond Hackney. I know I didn’t. Now our sister club Limehouse Laces is taking Tower Hamlets by storm, attracting so many young women to the club and inspiring them along the way.
Andiamo needs your help. The tiny London based social venture is running a campaign on Indiegogo to raise the money needed to prototype their idea.
Andiamo’s mission is to make 3D printed orthotics for children in a matter of days. In the current healthcare system it takes weeks, if not months for this. And during this time circumstances may change – diseases may have progressed, disabilities may have changed.