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North West Bylines | Powerful Citizen Journalism •

I’ve just finished watching The Good Place: Here’s what it taught me

Created by Michael Schur, The Good Place aired from 2016 to 2020, following a young woman called Eleanor Shellstrop (portrayed by Kristen Bell, known to a young generation as the voice of Anna from Disney’s Frozen). Eleanor has recently died, and finds herself in the afterlife. A being called Michael (played by Ted Danson), opens up a door to an office and greets her. He explains that she is in ‘The Good Place’, although he is clear that the afterlife does not adhere to Christian ideas of Heaven...
North West Bylines | Powerful Citizen Journalism •

SEND is not overdiagnosed: My take as a SEND student and tutor

Growing up with dyspraxia wasn’t the easiest thing.It meant that I was often ostracised by my peers, who had little to no understanding of neurodiversity, and did not know how to broach these topics sensitively.  Generally speaking, if they perceived anyone to be what they considered as weird or different, they would be socially excluded. Not only that, but I struggled with a lot of school subjects-PE and Art especially. I also struggled in Music, Design Technology, Food Tech and with some aspec...
North West Bylines | Powerful Citizen Journalism •

I was right to be worried about Reform UK: why we need to respond to Lancashire’s local election results

England’s local elections have just occurred, and like many people up and down the country, I cast my vote for the party I wanted to represent the local area. Because I am at university, I was voting in the place I study as opposed to my home area. However, both are in Lancashire. I voted for the party I felt would best represent the interests of my local area and the people in it. What I can say is that I most certainly did not vote for Reform or the Conservatives. Yet Reform UK absolutely swep...
The Tab •

A disabled student's guide to the seven best spots for resting on Lancaster Uni's campus

This isn’t just a review of the cafes on campus, we swear, and yes, the South Spine is superiorA lot of students struggle with mobility, which can mean that having a place to rest is invaluable. So, where are the best spots for students who struggle with mobility to sit on campus?  
Let me break down my top seven recommendations for you, as a disabled student myself.

Conveniently located in Alexander Square, at the heart of the campus, Costa provides a brilliant place for respite. It’s a warm a...
North West Bylines | Powerful Citizen Journalism •

Dark days have arrived: Trans women are no longer classified as women

On April 16th 2025, just over a month after International Women’s Day, it was announced that trans women would no longer be legally classified as women. In their Press Report, they said that the reason behind the judgement arose from three laws: The Sex Discrimination Act (SDA) of 1975, interpretation of the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) 2004, and an interpretation of the Equality Act (EA) 2010.This was a dark day for many trans women who just want to live their lives, and be taken seriously, as...
North West Bylines | Powerful Citizen Journalism •

Thoughts on the Heartstopper film announcement, from a Heartstopper fan

On Tuesday, 22nd April 2025 (exactly three years after the first season aired), it was announced that there would not be a fourth season of the Netflix hit, Heartstopper. This came after a period of mass speculation, from the fans and the media alike, about whether the story would continue on the screen, or if Season Three marked the end of Heartstopper altogether. Instead of there being a fourth season, it has recently been confirmed that a film is going to be made, instead of a fourth season....
My Site 2 •

Tacking Taboos: Why Jacqueline Wilson is One of My Inspirations to this Day

By Lydia PearsonI haven’tAs a twenty-one year old writer, if you asked me about writing inspirations, I'd have a few names to give you. Here's just one of them. (Warning: spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk). On May 23rd, 2023, I had the honour of meeting my lifelong idol, the author who made my childhood with her books. I read her books so much that, at my primary school, they asked me to read more books by other authors to diversify my writing. She came to Kirkham, in the county I live in (L...
YoungMinds •

Dyspraxia: How I Got Through My Education

It’s been really hard, being dyspraxic.
A lot of people will look at that word and say, ‘what’s that?’, ‘don’t you mean dyslexia?’ or ‘doesn’t that make you clumsy?’ There isn’t as much support or understanding out there for dyspraxia as there should be, and as a young dyspraxic person, I’m determined to change that. Getting through my education with dyspraxia has been hard, but with the right support I’ve been able to achieve a lot. I hope reading about my experience can help you to get support...
North West Bylines | Powerful Citizen Journalism •

The rise of Reform UK in Lancashire: why I’m concerned

At this point, it’s a well-known fact that there is a trend in general of countries moving to the far right. Look at the AFD Party in Germany, for example, or the Republicans and MAGA in the USA. Several supporters of the far right own big social media companies (the likes of Elon Musk, for example), so there appears to be a lot of online radicalisation pushing people in this direction and I fear this trend can be found in Lancashire too.I’ve always lived in Lancashire. I was born here, I was mo...
North West Bylines | Powerful Citizen Journalism •

The second presidency of Donald Trump: dark days ahead

“Those who do not learn history are condemned to repeat it.” – Spanish-American writer and philosopher, George Santayana (1863-1952)If you were asked a few weeks ago who the US President was when one of the most powerful people in the world performed a Nazi salute to a cheering crowd, you’d probably find yourself looking up who held the presidency in the 1930s. Now, you would likely say it’s Donald Trump. On 5 November, 2024, the United States elected Donald J Trump for a second term as presiden...
Support for neurological conditions | The Brain Ch •

“I felt weird and different, but now it's my purpose to raise awareness”: Lydia's dyspraxia journey

Overcoming misunderstandings around dyspraxia
Dyspraxia is a common neurological condition affecting an estimated 5-10% of the UK population. Dyspraxia, also known as developmental coordination disorder (DCD), is a neurological condition that affects fine and gross motor skills.People with the condition may have difficulty with timekeeping and tasks such as writing, tying shoelaces, catching a ball, or using scissors.It is more prevalently diagnosed in males than females, though it can...
North West Bylines | Powerful Citizen Journalism •

Scrapping the personal statement – sink or swim?

It was announced in July 2024 that the 4,000-character essay included in personal statements for University applications is to be scrapped, and replaced with questions to help ‘scaffold it’ (according to UCAS). According to the BBC, there will be three questions asking students why they want to study the course, how their qualifications and studies have helped them to prepare for the course, and what else they have done to prepare outside education. As someone who wrote and submitted their perso...

Being An Adopted Adult: Feeling Left Behind

The Overlooked Voices of Adopted AdultsAdopted adults often feel overlooked in adoption discussions, as much of the focus remains on adoptive parents and children. We, as adoptees, often get neglected in both media and public conversations.


Growing Up Adopted Is HardAdoption stories frequently stop at childhood, with characters like Annie or Tracy Beaker representing adopted children.


Unfortunately, modern media and literature rarely feature adopted adults. Growing up adopted can be confus...
North West Bylines | Powerful Citizen Journalism •

Why you should be old enough to vote at 16

The voting age should be 16. The age of consent is 16, you can join the military at 16 and you can drive at 17. You choose A-Levels at 15 or 16, and you apply to university at 17 (verging on 18). Clearly, young people are capable of making important life decisions, so why should voting be any different?The legal age for consensual sexual intercourse is 16, while individuals can obtain a driver’s licence at the age of 17. Both driving and having sexual intercourse can have drastic consequences fo...
Words With Weight •

Dyspraxia: Why Our Voices Matter

On April 20th, 2024, the Dyspraxia Foundation shut down. As a Dyspraxic person myself, my heart broke when I discovered this. What's worse is the fact that I made this discovery while looking into UK Dyspraxic charities. I was already aware of the existence of this foundation, however, I wanted to see whether or not there were more foundations I could support or raise awareness of. What I found was that the one and only charity specifically established to support those living with Dyspraxia had...
Words With Weight •

Realising I'm Queer: Being Panromantic

I haven’t always known who I am. Has anyone? There is no permanent sense of self. Our age changes, year by year. We grow up, grow into ourselves, and grow so much, our past selves cannot see who we are, because it is beyond the horizon of what they thought was possible in their minds. It’s hard to comprehend what your adult life will be like, when you’re a child. I think it’s safe to say that this is applicable to everybody, regardless of your identity. It is especially true, however, if you are...
WhyNot •

WhyNot | Unfiltered Thoughts: Tackling the Cost of Living

In today’s economic crisis, the increasing cost of living isn’t just a number—it’s shaping our lives and squeezing our wallets. For younger generations, it’s a whirlwind of balancing high rents, student loans, and rising cost of groceries.
The culprit? The big shots – the duopolies and monopolies in various sectors. Competition gets tossed out the window, sending prices through the roof. Whether it’s tech titans dictating terms or corporate real estate moguls playing Monopoly with our housing ma...
WhyNot (Responsible Enough) •

WhyNot | Unfiltered Thoughts: Make it 16

What if we lived in a world where 16-year-olds could not just get a driver’s licence, hold down a job, leave school, move out of home etc. etc. but also had the option to vote?
The Make it 16 campaign is all about lowering the voting age to 16. Yep, you heard that right! They believe that young people, like us, should have a say in shaping the decisions that affect our lives.
Supporters of the campaign are fired up! They think it’s time to break down barriers and empower young voices. They say t...