This blog is run by social affairs journalist, commissioning editor and Guardian contributor Saba Salman. Saba was the news editor at a series of London weekly newspapers and a news reporter on the nationals before becoming the Evening Standard’s local government & social affairs correspondent. She has written on women’s issues for magazines like Marie Claire and Cosmo and was also the assistant editor of Housing Today magazine as well as a freelance writer for several trade magazines (admittedly a strange, but intriguing mix of writing platforms).
For Guardian articles click here, for other newspaper and magazine news and features, try here.
Saba has a particular interest in disability issues and also manages the blog for the leading social care learning disability organisation the VODG (Voluntary Organisations Disability Group). Read about the reasons behind the Social Issue blog here or check this page.
Saba lives with her young family in Surrey where the cosmopolitan community includes Mohammed Al Fayed, reality tv star Kerry Katona and Bucks Fizz singer Jay Aston, disproving the assumption that cities alone are social and cultural melting pots. ‘Saba’ means seven in Swahili, morning breeze in Arabic, is a type of Japanese mackerel and the acronym of the Syracuse Area Bellydancers Association.
You can follow Saba and The Social Issue on Twitter (bellydancers and sushi-fans might be disappointed) or head over to her Linkedin profile to find out why at least one of her former bosses believes she should be available on the NHS.
Kate Murray is a freelance writer and editor, specialising in social affairs and housing and a regular contributor to Society Guardian. She worked on a series of regional weekly and daily newspapers, is the former editor of Inside Housing magazine and edits the HQN (Housing Quality Network) governance magazine, The Governor. You can catch up with Kate Murray’s thoughts on social policy, music and Millwall on Twitter.
Carrie Holroyd is 22-year-old old freelance writer and mental health activist from Leeds, West Yorkshire. She is a member of the Very Important Kids participation group, part of the young people’s mental health charity YoungMinds, which aims to promote emotional wellbeing in young people, influence government policy and campaign for change by listening to those who have direct experience of mental health problems. Carrie is also a young ambassador for the disability rights charity RADAR and has written for YoungMinds magazine, One in Four, Mental Health Today and also blogs regularly for VIK. Carrie is also studying for a physics degree. You can follow VIK on Twitter.
Lol Butterfield is a qualified mental health nurse and campaigner. Lol has worked in mental health services as a clinician for over 30 years; over the last few years he has become more involved with working towards eliminating the stigma and discrimination of mental health. Lol has also acted as an advisor for the Time to Change national anti-stigma campaign in the north east of England where he lives. Lol’s media work to challenge the many misperceptions and negative stereotyping of mental health includes television and radio appearances and newspaper articles. His autobiography, Sticks and Stones, includes his childhood experience of stigma as a consequence of his father’s mental health issues. You can follow Lol on Twitter.
