The Standard

While chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled measures aimed to ease the cost-of-living crisis, for many Londoners it’s simply not enough.Inflation and spiking bills are heaping misery on the capital’s most vulnerable people - with at-risk women often suffering most from the economic fallout.Eleanor Greenhalgh, Women’s Development Unit manager for Solace Women’s Aid and the Connection at St Martin’s, examines the impact of today’s Spring Statement.It comes after an increase in women sleeping rough on the streets of central London during the pandemic.Last month, analysis by a cross-party group found there were almost twice as many women impacted by “hidden homelessness” in the capital than men.Now, with funding from the Evening Standard’s homeless appeal, the Women’s Development Unit run through the Solace Women’s Aid and the Connection at St Martin’s charities is helping more female clients than ever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amputee former servicemen and women are deploying their military experiences to help young people become more resilient to the challenges of modern life.The Making Generation R project is a collaboration between veterans organisations Blesma and The Drive Project.Hear how the squad’s experiences and coping strategies shared at innovative workshops are inspiring schoolchildren to better navigate the stresses of the 21st Century.We speak with south Londoner Dan Richards, now a project manager and competitive cyclist, after recent session held at Sadler’s Wells theatre in Clerkenwell.Dan was formerly a trumpeter with King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery who needed his right arm and shoulder amputated after a horrific motorbike crash.He describes his mental health battle as he struggled to get a job after making over 300 applications following his medical discharge from the army.The Leader also speaks with Jon Bryant, Blesma chief executive and former Army Air Corps colonel, who tells us about the battlefield injuries being suffered in Ukraine.More than a dozen ex-servicemen and women are involved in the project.You can donate to the Standard’s Ukraine Appeal here: gofundme.com/eveningstandardukraineappeal.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hackney-based artist Idris Khan is creating prints from a watercolour painting based on the Ukrainian flag washed over sheet music paper from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, to raise money for the Evening Standard’s Ukraine appeal.It’s part of a collaboration with Migrate Art, an organisation working with artists to raise funds for refugees, with all profits going to the Disasters Emergency Committee.Listen to Idris in conversation with the Standard’s deputy arts editor Jessie Thompson, describing how the horrifying images of war moved him to use his skills to raise money to help out by creating the vibrant piece, which is called ‘I Thought We Had More Time...’Signed prints of I Thought We Had More Time... are £300 and available until 31st March via migrateart.com/products/idriskhan.Donate to the Standard’s Ukraine Appeal at gofundme.com/eveningstandardukraineappeal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Youtuber turned entrepreneur Caspar Lee joins the show to talk about his incredible career as one of the first-ever social media stars and his new job as co-founder of the Influencer marketing company.Check out the full interview with Caspar HERE.Caspar turned his back on creating videos with tens of millions of views, including many featuring A-list Hollywood stars, to pursue a long-held passion to build a start-up with his business partner Ben Jefferies.So how does someone who has made such a success of themselves doing one thing manage to transition to something else?He gives advice for those who want to become the next big thing on TikTok, and for those who want to work with them on brand awareness campaigns.And we talk about the pressures that being a Youtuber can bring to a young person, and what it’s like being “the grandfather of the internet” aged just 27.Additional Material:Joe & Caspar hit the Road: BBC StudiosCaspar Lee: YoutubeWonder Park: Paramount Pictures & NickelodeonInfluencer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a week they would rather forget for the Met.A YouGov poll found that the majority of Londoners think the force is sexist and racist. There’s been the appalling story of a 15-year-old black school girl in Hackney who was strip searched whilst on her period, without adult supervision.And all this is happening whilst the selection of a new Met commissioner is on hold until Cressida Dick’s pay-off is sorted out. Emma Loffhagen is a columnist from the Evening Standard. She explains what the new commissioner will need to do to improve public opinion and whether or not it’s possible to build back trust in the Met. Today we talk about:Emma’s reaction to the 15-year-old girl who was strip searched (1:07)Is the Met fit for purpose? (2:54)What she wants to see from the new commissioner (5:52) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shock and disbelief as P&O Ferries sacks 800 crew members and suspends its services. In a statement, P&O confirmed the workers would be made redundant immediately as a result of “unsustainable” financial losses. The move has been condemned by unions as “a betrayal of British workers”.The Independent’s Travel Correspondent, Simon Calder, joins us from Dover to discuss the aftermath. Today we talk about:Reaction from Dover (0:43)The confirmation that 800 staff members have been sacked (2:02)How will P&O Ferries manage the backlash? (6:13) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The day is finally here, after six years imprisoned in Iran, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is coming home. The mother-of-one is on a flight along with British–Iranian businessman Anoosheh Ashoori, who had also been detained since 2017. Another British national, Morad Tahbaz, has been released from prison but remains in Iran. We hear from Eilidh Macpherson, an Amnesty International UK campaigner who has worked closely with the families.Today we talk about:EiIidh’s reaction to photo of Nazanin on the plane (2:05)How it feels knowing Nazanin and Anoosheh are coming home (2:30)Amnesty International UK calls on the government to do more (7:19) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s some light at the end of the Crossrail tunnel. London’s Transport Commissioner, Andy Byford, has confirmed that the long-delayed Elizabeth Line will open before 30th June 2022. Although, he won’t give an exact date just yet.The east-west line, which will link Reading and Heathrow with Shenfield and Abbey Wood via twin tunnels between Paddington and Whitechapel, was initially meant to have opened in December 2018 but has fallen years and billions over budget.The Evening Standard’s City Hall Editor, Ross Lydall, explains everything we know so far about the £20 billion line. Today we talk about:The latest Crossrail developments (4:14)Whether the Elizabeth Line will be worth the wait (5:58)The ten new stations (7:19) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK government’s ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme has officially launched. Homeowners can sponsor named individuals, or families, to stay in their home for a period of at least six months. Those who do open their doors will receive £350 a month as a thank you.Rachael Burford, the Evening Standard’s Political Reporter, explains how it all works, the criticisms and whether the UK is doing enough for Ukraine. More than 2.5 million people so far have fled Ukraine because of Russia's invasion, in what the UN has called the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War Two.Today we talk about:The 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme, what is it? (1:15)Has the UK improved its visa system for refugees yet? (3:34)How does the UK compare to other European countries when it comes to helping Ukrainian refugees? (5:07) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As part of the Evening Standard’s International Women’s Day podcast special series, we’re joined by Ann McNeill, professor of tobacco addiction at King’s College London.Professor McNeill is also vice-dean of culture, diversity and inclusion at the university’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience.She discusses how family experiences inspired a focus on harm from smoking, succeeding in male-dominated academia and how her team’s pioneering research led to an overhaul for cigarette shop displays in UK shops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.