# data[].attributes.body
Valerie Brown

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Valerie Brown was one of 9 women who took to Canary Wharf with a hammer and chisel in hand.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
London mayoral candidate shatters windows at HSBC HQ as part of XR protest

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Valerie Brown was one of 9 women who took to Canary Wharf with a hammer and chisel in hand.

# data[].attributes.body
Black Lives Matter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Edward Colston statue: British protesters dismount statue of slave trader, toss it in harbor | ABC7

# data[].attributes.body
Marcus Rashford

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In April, when Matt Hancock suggested that Premier League footballers should "play their part" in helping ease the financial crisis caused by the pandemic, what he meant was that they should accept sweeping cuts to their salaries. You know, just like MPs didn't. What the health secretary could not have imagined was that one footballer would "play his part" by launching a snowballing campaign to prevent children in England from going hungry. Or that in doing so he would highlight underlying inequality and the plight of England's poorest families.

At the beginning of 2020, the most urgent task facing the England star Marcus Rashford was recovering from a double stress fracture in his back so that he would be match fit for his Manchester United games. But that turned out to be a minor detail in his extraordinary year (his vertebrae got none of the media attention they were due). Instead, in the spring, with the pandemic having brought the 2019-20 season to a halt, the 23-year-old centre-forward used his free time and growing influence to become a formidable voice for social justice. He took on the UK government - and, crucially, won over the public, too. So now, at the end of this bleak year, Marcus Rashford MBE is a fully fledged national hero, recognised here and abroad for his poverty activism as much as for his footballing talent.

While many of us were staying at home, afraid of catching coronavirus - which we then knew so little about - Rashford spent the early part of lockdown helping to deliver food to families who relied on free school meals. When the government announced the free meals programme would not be extended over the summer holidays, he wrote an emotive and persuasive open letter to MPs, imploring them to reverse that decision and help feed the 1.3 million families whose children risked going hungry as a result of it. "This is about humanity," he wrote. "Looking at ourselves in the mirror and feeling like we did everything we could to protect those who can't, for whatever reason or circumstance, protect themselves."

Rashford has often cited his own early experiences as motivation for his work to end child hunger. "I came from little," he tweeted in November, while in his open letter he wrote: "Food banks and soup kitchens were not alien to us; I recall very clearly our visits ... to collect our Christmas dinners every year."

Boris Johnson claimed to have been unaware of Rashford's campaign even when, under immense pressure from the campaign, his government announced a £120m Covid summer food fund. When the summer was over, the government seemed convinced that the storm had passed - or perhaps it thought the public wanting to see hungry children fed was another lockdown oddity, like listening to birdsong or drinking too much - because Conservative MPs were whipped to vote against Labour's motion to extend the provision into the October half-term.

In response, Rashford again took to social media to whip up support and make sure that the most vulnerable in society were not forgotten. Businesses across the country, despite many of them struggling financially after months of social distancing, lockdowns, partial lockdowns and tiered systems, responded with offers of free food to children who needed it to help them get through the holiday.

The outpouring of compassion and generosity that unfolded, and was tracked donation by donation on social media, was astonishing to witness. This enormous and spontaneous burst of unity and compassion stood out - even in a year in which communities have delivered food and supplies to medically vulnerable people and millions stood on their doorsteps to clap for health workers. Rashford's petition to end child food poverty, launched in October, quickly gained over a million signatures. It forced a second government U-turn with the announcement of the Covid winter grant scheme.

Unquestionably, Rashford should be celebrated for using his voice and his platform to help some of the most vulnerable people in the country. But he should also be admired and lauded for the calm grace with which he has dealt with those who attempted to undermine his character. In November, the Daily Mail published a story announcing that the "campaigning football star bought five luxury homes worth more than £2m". Rashford responded by saying on Twitter: "Please don't run stories like this alongside refs to 'campaigning'." But equally he could have asked the newspaper: is that all you've got? That a young man who has fed hungry children derives some income from property - something 2.7 million people do in Britain every year?

Because, despite everything that has happened because of Rashford in 2020, and all the plaudits that have been laid at his feet, we should not lose sight of the simple fact that he should not have had to do any of this. It is not the responsibility of a footballer, especially one in his early 20s, to ensure that the poorest children in England do not go hungry during the school holidays. Rashford's job is to score goals for Manchester United, not to force a government to care about poor children. That he has done it says a lot about him - and much about the Britain of 2020.

Readers on Marcus Rashford

His actions to ensure that no child goes hungry are outstanding and moving. That he has managed to twice force the government into doing what is right while also playing great football is almost worthy of its own film script. An impressive young man in every way, and a role model for many.
Philip Egan, retired, London, 67

Marcus has been a beacon highlighting the plight of the poorest families. He has spoken movingly from his own experience, and his plea has been purely based on humanitarian grounds. He has avoided making this a political campaign; in doing so he has united people. He has already been honoured, but the work goes on, and I am impressed by the sheer decency of the man.
Richard Rosser, retired, Canterbury, 71

He petitioned for the most disadvantaged children in our society when our government did nothing. He is a role model who deserves all the recognition he can get.
Jake Wilson, student, Bury, 23
Compiled by Alex Mistlin

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Marcus Rashford's campaign for hungry children tells us about the footballer - and Britain

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The 23-year-old sports star is a fully fledged national hero. It's time to celebrate his commitment and grace - but remember he should not have to do any of this

# data[].attributes.body
Princess Diana

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The season 4 finale of The Crown, "War," follows Princess Diana as she embarks on her first solo royal engagement overseas- a trip to New York that plants the seeds for the advocacy work she would soon become known for. Having long felt restless and alienated in her role as a royal, and with her marriage to Charles now beyond repair, Diana comes into her own during her time across the pond. In one particularly moving scene, the show recreates Diana's visit to a pediatric AIDS ward in Harlem, where she hugs a young boy suffering from the disease.

In real life, this incident played out very similarly to how it does onscreen. But groundbreaking though that moment was, it wasn't Diana's first visit to an AIDS ward, nor would it be her last. Here's the true story of Diana's years-long efforts to raise awareness and dismantle stigma around HIV-AIDS.

London, April 1987

Diana publicly took on the HIV crisis as a cause in the year 1987, when she opened the U.K.'s first HIV/Aids unit, at London's Middlesex Hospital. During her first visit to the newly opened unit, she made a point of shaking hands with one of the patients, who was terminally ill with AIDS. This was hugely significant, because in the 1980s, stigma around the disease was still running rampant, and many people were afraid to touch those suffering for fear that they could be infected themselves.

In his 1992 biography, Diana: Her True Story-In Her Own Words, Andrew Morton discusses the moment, noting that in shaking the patient's hand Diana had "done more than anyone alive to remove the stigma surrounding the deadly AIDS virus... While she was not able to fully articulate it, Diana had a humanitarian vision for herself that transcended the dull dutiful traditional royal engagements."

New York City, 1989

During her visit to Harlem Hospital, The New York Times reported, Diana "paused to stroke five babies...[then] the Princess noticed a 7-year-old boy in blue pajamas. ''Are you heavy?'' she asked, scooping him up and cuddling him."

This is similar to the moment depicted in The Crown, where Diana walks up to a young boy on the ward and says hello to him. The hospital director explains to her that this boy is one of many on the ward who desperately need foster homes, but people are afraid to adopt them "because of the stigma." Diana, visibly upset by this, hugs the boy tightly as cameras flash.

This scene is not a case of dramatic license being taken-the real-life moment really was just as impactful. Dr. Margaret Heagarty, the pediatric director at Harlem Hospital, told Diana: "Your presence here and in Great Britain has shown that folks with this disease can be hugged, can be cared for."

London, 1991

Four years after the HIV/AIDS ward opened at Middlesex Hospital in London, Diana paid another visit to the ward. This time, she was accompanied by then-First Lady of the United States, Barbara Bush. During the visit, Diana had an encounter with a patient which mirrored the one from Harlem two years prior. Morton describes this incident in detail:

As America's then-first lady, Barbara Bush, discovered when she joined the Princess on a visit to an AIDS ward of the Middlesex hospital in July 1991, there was nothing maudlin about Diana's attitude towards the sick. When a bed-bound patient burst into tears as the princess was chatting to him, Diana spontaneously put her arms around him and gave him an enormous hug. It was a touching moment which affected the First Lady and others who were present.

In Morton's transcript of Diana's own remarks, she describes this visit as a "stepping stone" in her own quest to finding fulfillment and a sense of purpose. "I had always wanted to hug people in hospital beds," she told Morton. "This particular man who was so ill started crying when I sat on his bed and he held my hand and I thought: "Diana, do it, just do it," and I gave him an enormous hug. It was just so touching because he clung to me and he cried."

Throughout the 1990s, Diana continued to visit AIDS patients in a number of countries, including at a children's hospital in Brazil and a hospice in Toronto, Canada.

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

In April of 1991, Diana gave a speech at the Children and AIDS Conference, stating in words what she'd already made clear through her actions. "HIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give them a hug," she said. "Heaven knows they need it." She went on to explain that it was also safe to share a home, a workspace or a playground with an infected adult or child, emphasizing scientific fact and logic over hysteria and bigotry. "We all need to be alert to the special needs of those for whom AIDS is the last straw in an already heavy burden of discrimination and misfortune."

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The True Story of Princess Diana's Groundbreaking AIDS Advocacy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The season 4 finale of The Crown , "War," follows Princess Diana as she embarks on her first solo royal engagement overseas- a trip to New York that plants the seeds for the advocacy work she would soon become known for.

# data[].attributes.body
I May Destroy You

# data[].attributes.body
Rankin

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Brought to you by Royal London, the UK's largest mutual, life and pensions company, in collaboration with photographer Rankin, Lost for Words is a digital exhibition that aims to inspire an open conversation about death, grief and how to be more prepared for it.

Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, as a society we have looked to each other for support more than ever before. Death has dominated the headlines and affected our daily lives, yet we still find it hard to talk about. Royal London wants to help everyone to have those important conversations during this difficult time.

Through video interviews and original portrait photography shot by Rankin over the summer of 2020, household names such as Gloria Hunniford, Ashley Walters, Konnie Huq, Jeff Brazier and Divina De Campo have come together to share their personal stories of bereavement and break the silence around death. You can see the full exhibition film featuring everyone who came together to voice their experiences of death, here. Launched on 16 November 2020, the exhibition aims to help us all to be better prepared for death - practically, emotionally and financially.

Click on the portraits below to hear their stories.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Brought to you by Royal London, the UK's largest mutual, life and pensions company, in collaboration with photographer Rankin, Lost for Words is a digital exhibition that aims to inspire an open conversation about death, grief and how to be more prepared for it.

# data[].attributes.body
Humanitas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dutch retirement home breaks boundaries and age divide

# data[].attributes.body
The Trussell Trust

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Together,
we can create a
Hunger Free Future

When one person goes hungry, our whole society is weaker. More people than ever are facing extreme poverty. It's time to work together to build a hunger free future.

million

The number of emergency parcels provided to people in the first six months of the pandemic.

47% increase

The increase in food bank use at the start of the pandemic.

2,600 food parcels

The average number of emergency food parcels provided daily for children in the first six months of the pandemic.

Aneita's Story

Aneita was working in education when a problem with her tax credits meant she was forced to use a food bank.

"I was suddenly plunged into a financial nightmare, not knowing how I was going to pay my bills, feed myself and my daughter, buy the things we needed...

"I remember sitting in the waiting room, with my daughter, waiting to be given a food parcel. I was holding back my tears not wanting my daughter to see me upset and thinking 'how has it got to this?'

"We need to get rid of food banks. We need change - a real living wage, benefits that reflect the cost of living, more social housing. Poverty does not discriminate - it can and will single you out through no fault of your own. We need to bring people together and think about whether this is the life we want - and how we can change it. It's the community that can influence change."

Give money

F und work that helps people in crisis now, as well as our work towards a hunger free future.

Donate now

Add your voice

Add your voice alongside thousands of others and help drive lasting change.

Learn more

Give your time

Support projects that help build a better, more just future.

Learn more

Over 100,000 people have already joined our movement for positive change. That's over 100,000 people who are giving their time, voice, and money to build a better future for everyone.

Join our campaign

Make a single donation

Big or small, every gift you give helps transform lives.

Make a regular donation

Regular gifts allow us to work towards ending hunger.

Latest Hunger Free Future News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Together, we can create a Hunger Free Future When one person goes hungry, our whole society is weaker. More people than ever are facing extreme poverty. It's time to work together to build a hunger free future. The number of emergency parcels provided to people in the first six months of the pandemic.

# data[].attributes.body
Africa's Great Green Wall

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why is Africa building a Great Green Wall? BBC News

# data[].attributes.body
Survival International

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
More than one hundred and fifty million men, women and children in over sixty countries live in tribal societies. Their voices too often go unheard; their perspectives are routinely ignored.

They are the best guardians of the natural world, but they experience appalling racism and genocidal violence. Their lands and resources are stolen for profit and their ways of life are being deliberately and systematically destroyed.

Tribal Voice gives them a platform to speak out about what matters to them. Hear their thoughts on issues you care about by watching the videos below.

If you are an indigenous person and you would like to send us a Tribal Voice video, please get in touch: [email protected]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
More than one hundred and fifty million men, women and children in over sixty countries live in tribal societies. Their voices too often go unheard; their perspectives are routinely ignored. They are the best guardians of the natural world, but they experience appalling racism and genocidal violence.