Have you ever thought what happens if you can’t pay for a funeral? Just how much does it cost and who do you go to for help? Teresa, Rick and Thomas share their struggles with funeral poverty and the charity Down To Earth offer help and advice on where to turn.

Main presenter: Lindesay Mace

Editing and production: Helen Clapp

Music and sound design: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/

Organisations mentioned in the podcast and helpful links:

Down to Earth: https://www.quakersocialaction.org.uk/we-can-help/helping-funerals/down-earth

News on the CMA interim report: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-proposes-major-funerals-probe-after-identifying-serious-concerns

Funeral directors signed up to the Fair Funerals pledge: http://fairfuneralscampaign.org.uk/map

Social fund funeral expenses payment: https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments

Bereavement support payment: https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment

Grant search: www.turn2us.org.uk

Money Advice Service on funeral plans https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/funeral-plans

Sun Life report: https://www.sunlife.co.uk/siteassets/documents/cost-of-dying/cost-of-dying-report-2018.pdf

Royal London report referenced in podcast: https://www.royallondon.com/siteassets/site-docs/funeral-plans/royal-london-national-funeral-cost-index-2017.pdf

https://www.royallondon.com/siteassets/site-docs/media-centre/national-funeral-costs-index-2018.pdf

Funeral director comparison website (this site can give an indication of which funeral directors may be less/more expensive, but please note that prices given may not be completely accurate and it would be best to contact the funeral director for an exact quote): https://beyond.life/

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Sharon and Ruth have worked all their lives but when illness and disability strike they both turn to the benefit system for help. As the government prepares to move disabled claimants onto Universal Credit, we bring you two more stories of people struggling to get the help they need.

Main presenter: Helen Clapp

Editing and production: Helen Clapp

Music and sound design: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/

Organisations and Reports mentioned in the podcast:

Zacchaeus 2000 (Z2K) http://z2k.org

Statement on Visit to the United Kingdom, by Professor Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Poverty/EOM_GB_16Nov2018.pdf

Welfare conditionality project http://www.welfareconditionality.ac.uk/

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues mentioned in this episode, get help and information here:

St Paul’s Money Advice Centre: http://www.sph.org/get-involved/teams/money-advice-team

Islington People’s Rights: http://www.ipradvice.org.uk/

Crosslight: https://www.crosslightadvice.org/

Zacchaeus 2000 (Z2K): http://z2k.org/

Citizens Advice: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Cardinal Hume Centre https://www.cardinalhumecentre.org.uk/

Advice Services Alliance http://asauk.org.uk/

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One in four families are single parent households and one in three in London. In the final episode of this series, four Mums share their stories of life as a single parent and we ask what's it really like raising a child alone?

Main presenter: Christine Bacon

Editing and production: Helen Clapp

Music and sound design: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/

Organisations mentioned in the podcast:

Gingerbread https://www.gingerbread.org.uk/

ABTA Lifeline Charitable Trust http://www.abtalifeline.org.uk/

Other useful links:

Family Lives https://www.familylives.org.uk/advice/your-family/single-parents/advice-on-becoming-a-single-parent/

Single Parent Action Network http://www.singleparents.org.uk/

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London is fast becoming a 24-hour city, in this episode we talk to some of its growing number of night workers. What's it like to work while most of us are asleep? Why do workers choose to be nocturnal? Is it a choice at all?

Main presenter: Rebecca Scroggs

Editing and production: Helen Clapp

Music and sound design: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/

Organisations and research mentioned in the episode and useful links:

Mayor unveils first ever 24-hour vision for London

https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayors-24-hour-vision-for-london

National Sleep Foundation: Shift Work Disorder

https://sleepfoundation.org/shift-work/content/shift-work-disorder-–-symptoms

Rough Nights: The Growing Dangers of Working at Night - The Young Foundation

https://youngfoundation.org/publications/rough-nights-the-growing-dangers-of-working-at-night/

A Hard Days Night- TUC 2015

https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/AHardDaysNight.pdf

260,000 more people working at night in past five years, finds TUC

https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/260000-more-people-working-night-past-five-years-finds-tuc

The undercover author who discovered Amazon warehouse workers were peeing in bottles tells us the culture was like a 'prison'

http://uk.businessinsider.com/amazon-warehouse-like-prison-where-workers-used-pee-bottle-2018-4

Race report statistics | Equality and Human Rights Commission

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/latest-projects/race-report-statistics

Night shift: the dangers of working around the clock

https://www.ft.com/content/f99b316c-5e16-11e8-ad91-e01af256df68

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What does is mean to be LGBT+ in the capital? Does Pride in London speak to you? We visit Galop and the Outside Project and share stories from members of London’s LGBT+ community, exploring attitudes to Pride in London and how a seaside excursion gave rise to UK Black Pride.

Main presenter: Seb Aguirre

Editing and production: Helen Clapp

Music and sound design: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/

Organisations mentioned in the episode:

The Albert Kennedy Trust: A service for homeless LGBT youth Twitter

Galop: If you’ve experienced hate crime, sexual violence abuse, we’re here for you. We also support lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people who have had problems with the police or have questions about the criminal justice system. Twitter

Gendered Intelligence: Gendered Intelligence is a Community Interest Company whose object is to deliver arts programmers and creative workshops to trans youth from across the UK in order to increase the quality of young trans peoples life experiences. Twitter

The Outside Project:  The Outside Project is a homeless/crisis shelter & community centre in response to those within the LGBTIQ+ community who feel endangered, who are homeless, ‘hidden’ homeless & feel that they are on the outside of services due to historical & present prejudice in society & in their homes.  Twitter

Pride In London:  The Pride in London Parade provides a platform for every part of London’s LGBT+ community to raise awareness of LGBT+ issues and campaign for the freedoms that will allow us to live our lives on a genuinely equal footing. Twitter

Stonewall: Stonewall campaigns for the equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people across Britain.  Twitter

Trust for London - Still Out There: Despite significant progress in LGBT rights, issues of prejudice remain. Research published today presents a worrying picture for many LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) individuals accessing both specialist and mainstream services, despite great strides in LGBT rights. Twitter

UK Black Pride: UK Black Pride promotes unity and co-operation among all Black people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent, as well as their friends and families, who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender.  Twitter

Do the privileged have the monopoly on the top universities? Would you be prepared to work for free? We talk to students, teachers and actor George Costigan to bring you stories of people striving to level the playing field.

Main presenter: Waleed Akhtar

Editing and production: Helen Clapp

Music and sound design: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/

Sara’s words voiced by Rebecca Scroggs

Organisations and research mentioned in the episode and useful links:

Newham Collegiate Sixth Form http://www.thencs.co.uk/
Trust For London report ‘The Inbetweeners’ https://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/publications/inbetweeners-new-role-internships-graduate-labour-market/
ONS report into graduates in the labour market https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/graduatesintheuklabourmarket/2017
‘The Party’s Over’ Paula Cocozza https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/jul/11/the-partys-over-how-tuition-fees-ruined-university-life

‘I went to Oxford. As a black female student, I found it alienating and elitist’ - Afua Hirsch https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/15/oxford-black-female-student-elitist-ignorant-minority-universities

NCS article about Newham Collegiate Sixth Form https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/lawyer-headteacher-95-per-cent-pupils-top-universities-gave-up-six-figure-salary-mouhssin-ismail-a7896121.html

Diane Reay - Miseducation: Inequality, education and the working classes https://policypress.co.uk/miseducation

The Acting Class – Deirdre O’Neill, Mike Wayne https://theactingclass.info/

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From the smallest strike the UK’s ever seen to nationwide action, we head to the picket line to bring you 3 stories of London’s most inspiring Living Wage campaigns. How far would you go for a fair day’s pay?

Main presenter: Christine Bacon

Editing and production: Helen Clapp

Music and sound design: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/

Freddy and Angelica's words voiced by Sebastian Aguirre and Lisa Caruccio Came

To support the Picturehouse Strikers, check out

http://www.picturehouselivingwage.com/

Follow your most local strikers on Facebook and Twitter (find links via website above) and join them on the picket line the next time they announce strike action

Sign their collective petition here

https://www.change.org/p/picturehouse-pay-proper

Donate to the campaign here

https://www.crowdpac.co.uk/campaigns/250/picturehousestrike

And buy a T-shirt here

http://livingstafflivingwage.tictail.com/

To support the McDonalds strikers:

Buy a T-shirt here https://fastfoodrights.wordpress.com/

Donate directly here https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/fast-food-rights-uk?source=direct_link&

Follow Shen Batmaz https://twitter.com/shenbatmaz

And fast Food Rights https://twitter.com/FastfoodRights

Add your support and stay in touch: http://www.mcstrike.co.uk/

Freddy and Angelica have thankfully had their low pay issue resolved.

Donate directly United Voices of the World, the small union that helped them win here:

https://www.uvwunion.org.uk/supporter/

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Yousif’s struggled with homelessness, Caroline’s cooked with cockroaches and Rebecca’s called some unusual places home. 3 stories of renting in the capital and some thoughts on what needs to change.

Main presenter: Lindesay Mace

Music by: Michael Edwards http://www.michaeledwards.tv/

Find out more about Yousif’s story here: http://www.thepavement.org.uk/stories.php?story=1981

Organisations mentioned in the episode:

Generation Rent: http://www.generationrent.org/

St Mungo’s: https://www.mungos.org/

Homeless Diamonds: http://homelessdiamonds.org.uk/

Outside In: http://www.outsidein.org.uk/

Trust For London study on PRS: https://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/issues/housing/private-rented-sector/

London Assembly report: https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/london-assembly/london-assembly-publications/rent-reform-making-londons-private-rented

For help and information on the issues raised in this episode:

Streetlink: https://www.streetlink.org.uk/

Self-referral hostels: http://www.sih.org/our-services/short-term-accommodation/

http://www.northumberlandparkhouse.co.uk/

https://www.homeless.org.uk/homeless-england/service/missionaries-of-charity-gift-of-love

Homeless Link: https://www.homeless.org.uk/search-homelessness-services

The Connection: https://www.connection-at-stmartins.org.uk/

NHS Alcohol Support: https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/Alcoholsupport.aspx

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iceandfire.co.uk
podcast@iceandfire.co.uk

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