happiful september 2021

Gender neutral
emojis are coming
in 2022, along
with multiracial
handshakes
Wolf-whistling
and catcalls could
be made crimes
under proposals
for new laws
against public
sexual harassment
Japan has hired
its first Minister
for Loneliness to
tackle its mental
health crisis and
rising suicide
rates
Monthly Google
searches related
to ‘hayfever’
increased 220% in
the past 5 years
A bride recreated
her wedding at
a care home in
Bridgend for her
nan who couldn’t
attend the big day
The
wellbeing
wrap
Stub it out
Five councils in England
are kicking smoking to the
curb, in support of outdoor
eating culture. These
authorities banned smoking
on stretches of pavements
where establishments have
outdoor tables, getting
ahead of the curve with
the UK government’s bid
to become
smoke-free
by 2030.
Musician Pink offered
to pay the fines for
the entire Norwegian
women’s beach
handball team, after
they were penalised
for breaking uniform
rules which dictate
that female athletes
must wear bikini
bottoms, while the
men’s team are able
to wear shorts.
Working it out
Supporting accessibility with exercise, deaf online
fitness instructor India Morse recently created a
series of deaf-friendly videos alongside Joe Wicks,
which now feature on The Body Coach YouTube
channel. India, who runs You Lean Me Up, is
passionate about opening up exercise to anyone
who wants to be involved. What a champ!
The greatest gift
Donating an organ is a huge life decision, and a
recent study has investigated the mental impact of
this – with some heart – warming news. Published
in the British Journal of Health Psychology, the study
found that donating a kidney to a stranger had a
positive impact on mental wellbeing, with participants
reporting feeling that they’d contributed to society,
and experienced positive emotions.
A new project looks to provide sustainable
shelter for homeless people in London, as
the Salvation Army, Citizens UK, and Hill
Group team up to build 200 ‘pod homes’
over the next five years. Fully-furnished
pods will be on pockets of unused land
across the city, suitable for one person,
and highly efficient, expected to cost just
£5 per week to run. Plus, the total build is
predicted to come in under £50,000!
Grow with it
A farmer from Western
Australia is doing something
incredible to support mental
health, following a friend
taking his own life. Sam Burgess
is donating all profits from 60
hectares of his crop to mental
health charities for the rest of
his farming career. Now
that’s the root of
kindness.
Time to shell out
In a landmark case, a court in
the Netherlands has ruled that
oil company Shell is responsible
for its own and suppliers’ CO2
emissions, and must cut these
by 45% by 2030! This is the first
time a company has been legally
required to comply with the Paris
climate accords, and found liable
for its impact on climate change –
a big win for eco-warriors around
the world.
Nicola Coyle, a retired nurse
from Nottinghamshire, has set
up The Grey Muzzle Canine
Hospice, to take care of old,
abandoned, terminally ill, or
stray dogs in their final days.
Bringing the animals into her
home, Nicola tries to ensure
their tails keep wagging,
as they get to live out
their days to the fullest.
Independence day
A disabled dad has been able to take
his newborn son for a walk, thanks
to his wife Chelsie, a teacher, and a
group of her students from Maryland,
USA. Together, they designed the
WheeStroll – a special child seat which
can attach to a wheelchair, providing
much more independence for Jeremy!