The new issue of Positive News is out now. From our cover story about the movement for good, affordable bread, to our feature on the Ministry of Imagination – it’s filled with stories of people doing brilliant things. Subscribe now
You may not have read these stories in the mainstream media, but they all happened in the first six months of 2019. Rebalance your media diet with our latest What went right? roundup
"Some women are scared to allow tradesmen into their home. Being able to access a register of certified, fully qualified tradeswomen is one way they can take back some control"
Now, Positive News wants to hear from our UK readers about the signs of progress where you live or work. Whether a community project, social enterprise, policy or person that’s successfully tackling a particular challenge, get in touch – details here 👇
When it became impossible to run his real-life choirs as normal this week, vocal leader James Sills launched The Sofa Singers. The virtual group invites people from all over the world to connect through the power of song – from the comfort of their sofas
From providing workshops on digital safety to women, to a Twitter tool that turns abusive messages into positive ones, online bullying is being tackled.
@seyiakiwowo
and
@MonicaLewinsky
are behind Nos. 79 and 80 in
#TheHope100
Gert-Jan Oskam, a Dutchman who was paralysed in a cycling accident, is the first person to walk again thanks to implants in his brain that can read his thoughts
Read more on this story, and find out what else went right this week:
It’s been a turbulent year, with raging wildfires and a divisive election campaign at home. But there have been plenty of positives this year, too. We’ve rounded up what went right in 2019
The new issue of Positive News is out on 5 April. From our interview with
@elliegoulding
on climate optimism and celebrity carbon footprints, to features on communal living and rewilding the sea – it’s fresh with stories of renewal and hope. Subscribe now:
We’re excited to reveal the cover of the new issue of Positive News, featuring popstar
@elliegoulding
. In our interview, we hear how she moved from ‘apocalypse fatigue’ to climate optimist, and how she puts hope into action. Subscribe to read it, out 5 Apr
Why buy when you can borrow? At the crowdfunded Library of Things in south London, visitors can pay as little as £1 a day to rent everyday items, such as ice cream makers, lawn mowers and even ukuleles
“I wasn’t taking heroin because it tastes nice, it was a way of dealing with the fact that I couldn’t connect, couldn’t find union.” Russell Brand in the new issue of Positive News magazine –
@rustyrockets
Meet Shuranjeet Singh (
@Shuranjeet
). He founded Taraki, a campaign to reshape how Punjab communities approach mental health. He is 5/20 mental health leaders that we are celebrating this
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
It's been a year of ups and downs, including a tweet-obsessed president and EU uncertainty. But not everything went wrong – from conservation wins to poignant social progress, we look at what went right
In a landmark victory for Africa’s LGBT activists, Botswana’s high court decriminalised homosexuality in June, overturning a colonial-era law: 9/20 signs of progress from 2019 so far
#WhatWentRight
The German government has approved a €49 (£43)-a-month public transport ticket offering unlimited journeys on regional trains, buses, trams and metro services.
Read more on this story, and find out what else went right this week:
As salons boycott gossip magazines, we want to spread an uplifting, empowering alternative: Positive News magazine. So we're giving FREE subscriptions to the first 100 salons to email info
@positive
.news. Please share! Tell your local salon!
#BeKind
A slew of tree-planting schemes have been announced worldwide since the announcement of findings by Swiss scientists about the potential that mass-scale reforestation has to help combat the climate crisis
The Infinitum bottle deposit hub recycles 97 per cent of Norway’s plastic drinks bottles, almost all to such a high standard that they can be turned back into bottles. Should the world follow suit to help tackle the menace of plastic pollution?
Planting billions of trees globally is by far the most impactful – and affordable – way to tackle the climate crisis, according to the scientists behind a new study
Say hello to the new issue of Positive News magazine! It features
@rustyrockets
as our cover star. He talked to us about how addiction is a scale and we're all on it. Get your copy at
There's been plenty of bad news this year, from EU uncertainty to the drama of a tweet-obsessed president. But much changed for the better too. From conservation wins to milestones in equality, here's our annual round-up of what went right. Happy new year!
“Perhaps one of the reasons for the particular resonance of myth and fairytales these days is the fact that we inhabit a world in transition, a world which seems to be so often in crisis” –
@sharonblackie
"What a spring it’s been. Something momentous seems to be happening." A plan published today by Rewilding Britain (
@RewildingB
) calls for a quarter of the UK to be rewilded to help tackle the climate crisis
Meet the London-based beavers that are improving water quality, reducing flooding and attracting more insects and wildlife to their home in the west of the capital
Walking sticks and hunched-over figures are familiar depictions of old age, but should they be? A road sign competition is challenging stereotypes – and the winner is in
A blooming good idea? In this trial, strips of wildflowers are being planted in crop fields to encourage natural pest control and cut the need for pesticides
A £75-a-week basic income could prevent up to one million cases of depression annually in the UK, leading to significant healthcare savings, a study claimed.
Read more on this story, and find out what else went right this week:
Could Brexit make Britain beautiful? Surely not, you cry! And yet, leaving the EU might just be a once-in-a-century chance to restore our countryside and rescue its wildlife, writes Martin Wright
Breaking news: one in eight Britons is now vegetarian or vegan, according to a new report. The research suggests a significant shift toward more mindful eating habits
The uplifting new issue of Positive News is out now. From our cover interview with wildlife broadcaster Chris Packham, to the world’s first zero-waste restaurant – it’s full of inspiring stories to help you start the year right. Subscribe to get your copy:
Hand sanitiser dispensers used during the pandemic are being filled with free sunscreen in the Netherlands as part of an anti-skin cancer initiative.
Read more on this story, and find out what else went right this week:
Online behemoths like Amazon may be cheaper, but can anything beat a real shop run by a book-lover? As indie bookshops grow in number for the second year after a 20-year decline, we meet some of the people tempting us back to the high street
To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2021, we celebrate 20 people who, in diverse ways, are making a difference to the wellbeing of millions
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
“There are influences bringing out the darker side of human nature, so we’re trying to bring out the good side: the collaborative and the caring side, recognising our common humanity” –
@MarkWilliamson
of
@actionhappiness
The Lost Spells by
@RobGMacfarlane
and
@JackieMorrisArt
has become a hit at a time when many of us are looking to connect with nature. It will soon be put to music for a free livestreamed show
“We are facing climate and ecological emergencies worldwide, but we have the power to make a difference” – London mayor Sadiq Khan (
@MayorofLondon
) on the arrival of beaver kits in the capital
Stories of empty supermarket shelves and people duelling over loo roll paint a bleak image of humanity during the Covid-19 outbreak. But most people want to pull together and help. As social distancing becomes the norm, here are 10 tips to boost solidarity
Mass extinctions could be avoided by rewilding a third of the world’s most degraded lands, a report found – plus seven other things that went right this week
Green roofs have been installed on bus stops in the Dutch city of Utrecht in an effort to support bees. The roofs help to capture fine dust and rainwater, providing ideal conditions for bees to thrive
A community in Scotland has completed one of the country’s largest ever grassroots land buyouts – and is now turning the estate into a nature reserve. Read this plus seven other bits of positive news from last week