19th September 2024

Disconnected: Digital dependency in young people

As a young woman who has been active on social media from the age of 11, Mairaed Barber, 21, expresses her struggles with self image that are exacerbated by the use of social platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. 
Mairaed said: "From a very young age I have compared myself with other people.
"I feel like whenever I open Instagram or TikTok I am shown pictures and videos of girls who are living a dream life and sometimes it can be disheartening....

19th September 2024

The evolution of fashion and trends

Fast fashion started to flourish before the 21st century with brands like H&M coming on to the scene in 1947. Mass production and mass consumerism really took off in the 1950s, prompting a shift in manufacturing to offshore factories which were able to offer even more competitive prices, resulting in lower prices for consumers. 
But the next wave of fast fashion began in the mid 2000s as stores like Primark began to sell clothes for extremely cheap prices and an even faster t...

19th September 2024

“Confront your mind”: What you can do to reach peak physical and mental wellbeing

South West Londoner • 24th July 2024

Londoner Summer Magazine: A focus on health and beauty

In this edition of The Londoners we talk about all things health and beauty. 
We spoke to a few influencers and experts from across London to bring to you their top tips for becoming healthier and happier so all that you have to do is dive in!
There is also an exploration of discrimination issues in the workplace faced by pregnant women which we break down and offer solutions for.
We ask the question of whether it has become more socially acceptable for men to wear makeup, and look at how one Lo...

South West Londoner • 22nd July 2024

Is university as accessible to working-class students as it can be?

We have come a long way from the times where a person’s social class would determine their future in education, but where do we actually stand now?
Statistically, the number of working class students who choose to go to university is still growing.
The amount of young people eligible for free school meals progressing to higher education continues to rise as the rate increased to 29.2% in the 2021/22 academic year from 28.1% the previous year  – the highest recorded level. 
But it would be an inj...

jess little • 26th June 2024

The rise in vaping amongst young people

The use of flavoured disposable vapes has skyrocketed over the last couple of years. There is no doubt that if you walk down the streets of London today, you would inevitably see somebody using one. Although these kinds of vapes should be seen as a positive alternative to smoking tobacco, lots of people have fears over the potential long term effects of vaping and the popularity of them amongst young people. I spoke with Louise Ross, the Chair of the New Nicotine Alliance, about why some of the negative perceptions of vaping may have been blown out of proportion.

South West Londoner • 28th February 2024

London house prices are decreasing

House price inflation has been slowing down in London, with average prices decreasing by 4.8% in the 12 months leading to December 2023, new data from the HM Land Registry shows.
This is the same for the whole UK as average house prices across the country decreased by 1.4% (around £4,000) in this same time period. 
Grant Humphries, mortgage and protection adviser at YesCanDo Money, said we are entering a recalibration phase in London’s housing market, but the challenges of complex lending condit...

South West Londoner • 11th May 2023

London knife crime charities stepping up efforts ahead of Knife Crime Awareness Week

Knife crime charities across London are stepping up their efforts leading up to Knife Crime Awareness Week starting on Monday. 
Both The Ben Kinsella Trust, who announced the week long event, and Steel Warriors have begun effective campaigns and getting involved with their community to help raise awareness. 
This all comes as knife crime is back on the rise after a short decrease throughout the pandemic. 
There were 282 homicides committed using a knife or sharp instrument in the year to March 2...

South West Londoner • 14th February 2023

Innovating Industries - Episode 1: Fashion

Have you ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes of some of the UK’s leading industries?
The Innovating Industries podcast explores exactly that, plunging into the troubles they face, their current achievements and finally their next steps.
In this three part series, we focus on three sectors that are trying to overcome their failings in sustainability, speaking to multiple professionals at the forefront as well as people with outside perspectives, to hear what’s changing and what t...

South West Londoner • 10th December 2022

Retailers continue to struggle in the run up to Christmas

Retailers in London continue to struggle in the run up to Christmas due to low sales growth as inflation has risen up to 11%. 
Currently retailers are looking at an average of 1% sales growth despite their bills increasing by around 10%, meaning that their profit margins are narrow whilst their expenses grow.
Tom Holder, Head of Communications at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers face a really difficult time at the moment as the retail sales growth is fairly anaemic and is in no wa...