There’s still sexism at every level of the Beautiful Game
Women are the subject of sexism at every level of football, from the kits they are forced to play in, to the misogynistic abuse they receive.
Kick It Out received 400% more complaints of sexism and misogyny in the so-called Beautiful Game during their 2022/23 campaign compared to the season before.
Sheffield Wire have investigated why sexism is still on the rise.
Why are some women still forced to play in men’s kit and uncomfortable boots?
This week, Project ACL has been launched to research why the injuries are so common within women’s football and address why some female players have to pay for their own surgery.
Hemsworth Miners Welfare Ladies explains the concerns around personal safety and having pitch time cut in favour of male counterparts. This is just at grassroots level, and barely scratches the surface.
The stark increase in sexist abuse coincides with the comments made by controversial ex-footballer Joey Barton.
Kathryn Batte, a football reporter, said: “When high-profile people are coming out with certain opinions, it gives credence to people that hold them that either haven’t been saying them or had just been ignored before.”
“It makes you feel so disgusted. It just makes your skin crawl,” says Abigail Rudkin, football artist and Liverpool fan.
More attention is being given to women’s football in England than ever before, but there is still an extremely long way to go to dismantle these deep-rooted issues.
Sidelined by Sexism is hoping to bring women’s voices to the forefront of this conversation.
‘It just makes your skin crawl’: The online sexist abuse faced by women in football
Sexist abuse, receiving unsolicited sexual photos and messages have become commonplace for women working in football.
Last season, reports of sexism and misogyny to Kick It Out increased by 400% compared to the previous campaign.
Abigail Rudkin, 23, an artist and Liverpool fan who works closely with fan media and recently appeared on Gary Neville's The Overlap podcast, has suffered sexist abuse on a regular basis since she began posting on Twitter (X) four years ago. She is also regularly bombarded by sexual messages, photos, and videos, primarily from men.
"It's always naked pictures of random men or naked pictures of them in the mirror.
"If I don't reply, they ask: 'Why did you ignore me?' Sometimes they comment on my artwork with 'check your DMs' and I feel like putting back: 'What, so I can respond to a picture of your k**b?'"
The 23-year-old also regularly receives requests from men wishing to pay for her worn socks or underwear, or to become a financially dominated "paypig." A paypig is someone who provides another person with money for sexual gratification.
"People will send you videos of them masturbating and then : 'This was me looking at pictures of you'," said Abigail. "It makes you feel so disgusted. It just makes your skin crawl."
Twitter messages received by Abigail (Source: Abigail Rudkin)
Elicia Jane, therapist and editor of The Knowledge of Freedom, has examined the psychology behind this trend, highlighting the male sex drive is responsive, meaning that sending or receiving naked pictures is arousing.
"However, the same does not work in return for women, because the female sex drive does not respond to the male, it is its own thing," said Ms Jane.
"This is the problem that should not be a problem but now is, because we have created a world where men and women have become so disconnected from who each other are that far too many people have no idea that these differences exist in the way they do.
"We have sold sex positivity to men as a sign that women love sex and want sex just as much as them. So, the psychological reason why men send women d*ck pics is likely that they truly believe women think and work like men. Until we change that mistaken belief, the d*ck pics will likely keep flooding women's inboxes."
Despite a number of positive strides being made, such as Rebecca Welch becoming the first ever female Premier League referee, and Women's Super League attendances increasing by 43% this season, misogyny towards women in football on social media continues to rise.
"I remember someone posted on one of the paintings I did of Klopp, saying 'If a lad had done this, no one would have bought it. You are all only buying it because she is a girl'.
"I remember feeling really crap about it at the time. I was 19 and it felt like the end of the world."
As a Liverpool season ticket-holder, Abigail often posts football opinions on Twitter, and was asked about her team's chances of winning the title on The Overlap.
However, since Joey Barton began posting negatively about women involved in football on social media, she has noticed a spike in the negative backlash to her football-related posts.
The controversial ex-footballer has repeatedly made headlines for his negative social media posts about female players, pundits and commentators, which led to ITV pundit Eni Aluko fleeing the UK over fears for her safety.
"There has been a massive increase in abuse since Joey Barton's comments. I did The Overlap, and people tagged Joey Barton in comments I had made to try and get him to respond or say something about what I had said.
"It's not just people tagging him, it is also a massive rise in people thinking your opinion is irrelevant."
During the 2023 Women's World Cup, FIFA revealed that one in five players suffered online abuse, with female players 29% more likely to encounter online abuse compared to male players during the 2022 Men's World Cup.
Kathryn Batte, a football reporter at the Daily Mail, has noticed the rise of controversial figures such as Joey Barton has led to sexist abuse becoming more normalised across social media.
"I think when high profile people are coming out with certain opinions it almost gives credence to people that hold them that either haven't been saying them or had just been ignored before.
"When the Kevin Keegan thing happened, that was different as it was more of an uneducated comment, he wasn't doing it to be deliberately abusive to women working in football, he just made a comment that could be perceived as sexist.
"That then gave credence to lots of people saying 'yeah, women are rubbish at talking about football,' and it almost gives validation to people who wanted to take it further than what Keegan said."
Kathryn, who has been working as a football reporter for nearly five years, covers West Ham's men's team as well as the WSL and the Lionesses, and is encouraged to post opinions and comments on social media as part of her job, but this can often lead to sexist abuse.
She said: "You are doing that knowing not everyone is going to agree with you. But there's a difference between people disagreeing and having a debate and just being abusive.
"You have to try and have thick skin, but sometimes you can't have it everyday, and the littlest comments get to you.
"Sometimes it makes you think 'God, have I got the energy to actually post something?"
In sports journalism, there remains a gender disparity, with women only making up 14% of those registering for NCTJ-accredited sports journalism courses in 2022, a long way off the organisation's target of 25%.
Kathryn said she hopes the abuse women in football, particularly those on TV, receive will not put younger women off wanting to go into sports journalism.
"I hope not, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did. If you are looking at someone like Eni Aluko or Lucy Ward, whether you think they are good or not, the amount of abuse they are getting just for being a woman, before they you even decide whether they are good at their job or not.
"People know that if you make any hint of a mistake it is going to be picked up."
Some female ex-players who are now pundits and commentators such as Alex Scott, who played 140 games for England, have studied journalism courses, something which male ex-players such as Gary Lineker, the highest-paid BBC presenter, have not done.
Kathryn said: "I think that shows how women have to go out there and get a qualification to prove they can do the job, because they know if they make a mistake it is probably going to be highlighted more than a man in the same position."
Graduate Visa: What is it and why is it under threat?
The Graduate Visa allows international students to stay in the UK for two to three years and to stay in the UK to work or search for work after leaving university.
On a Graduate Visa, students can work in any job role or look for work in any sector.
When the government first introduced the current Graduate Visa route in 2019, Priti Patel, who was the Home Secretary at the time said: “The new Graduate Route will mean talented international students, whether in science and maths or technology and engineering, can study in the UK and then gain valuable work experience as they go on to build successful careers.
“It demonstrates our global outlook and will ensure that we continue to attract the best and brightest.”
The scheme, which welcomes international students to stay and work in the country after the successful completion of their studies, was celebrated by businesses, students and universities when it was first announced in 2019.
At that point the UK saw a spike in the number of international students coming to the country, with a whopping 605,130 students arriving to study in the UK in 2020-2021 - which surpassed the 600,000 target ten years earlier than the scheme had anticipated.
Since the Graduate Route was finally established in 2021, a total of 175,872 Graduate Visas have been granted.
In addition, research by the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) in their 2023 report International Graduate Routes: Narratives from the UK job market, conducted among 345 international graduates found that 72% of Graduate Visa holders were in graduate-level employment.
Why is the Graduate Visa under threat?
In December of last year, the government announced that they intended to review the Graduate Visa scheme after Home Secretary James Cleverly called for a “rapid review”, alleging that the system was “undermining the integrity and quality” of the UK Higher Education system.
In his letter commissioning the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the Graduate Visa by 14 May, Mr Cleverly said: “We recognise that UK universities’ reputation for quality could easily be put at risk if evidence emerges of immigration abuse or visa exploitation which are not tackled.
“We want to ensure the Graduate Route is not being abused. In particular, that some of the demand for study visas is not being driven more by a desire for immigration rather than education.”
Mr Cleverly’s announcement has sent universities into turmoil over fears that uncertainty over the Graduate Visa will lead to a sharp decrease in international student numbers
A survey by Universities UK (UUK) found that international student applications dropped by 40% this year. With tightened visa policies, international students who pay nearly twice as much as home students could be dissuaded from choosing the UK as a study destination due to uncertainty.
At the same time, international students already studying in the UK, who chose UK universities with the promise of two years to work or look for jobs, have been sent into a panic.
Expressing their concern about the “accelerated timeline” of the review, UUK commented: “Having publicly recommitted to the Graduate Route on its current terms in May 2023, any further changes would be extremely damaging to our reputation as a welcoming destination for international students, and risks undermining a UK success story that generates more than £20 billion a year in export earnings for the economy.”
A report by student recruitment firm AECC found that the policies are already affecting demand towards the UK as a study destination, with 40% of respondents saying that they are concerned about policy changes.
Financial impact on universities
Universities are expected to be hit hard if the scheme is altered with admission numbers already falling.
Jake Foster, chief commercial officer of AECC, told Times Higher Education that further changes to visa policies could lead to the “total collapse” of the educational sector which is reliant on international student tuition.
He said: “Changes to the graduate visa policy affecting international students could cause irreversible harm to the UK’s higher education system.
“Modifications to graduate visa rules could result in thousands of job losses and force prominent UK institutions to drastically reduce their size or shut down.”
The review of the Graduate Visa scheme is part of a series of visa changes made to cut net immigration.
Starting this year, overseas care workers and senior care workers can no longer bring dependants to the UK. Last December, the Home Office also announced that the salary threshold for a Skilled Worker Visa would be raised by 48%, bringing the minimum salary requirement from £26,200 to £38,700.
Volunteer-led group campaigns to make spiking a stand-alone offence
Campaigners are calling on spiking to be made a stand-alone offence and change what they say is currently a victim-blaming system.
Community-led group The Egalitarian campaigns on spiking and offers training to venues to help them tackle the crime. The group also provides a space for people to report their spiking incidents online as 97.64% of victims do not report to police, say Stamp Out Spiking.
Leesh Daniells, 22, Campaigns and Outreach lead, said: “We’ll keep campaigning, and the day that it is made a stand-alone offence, our work will continue to hold people accountable for that.
“It’s so unempowering to report to the police in the way that our criminal justice system works at the moment.”
The group was invited to parliament in March by MP Judith Cummins, who is an advocate for taking action against spiking. They discussed making spiking a stand-alone offence and what this law would look like.
Miss Daniells said: “We’ve created the Safe Place Project where we certify places on how to be victim-led. We want to move the narrative from blaming victims to blaming perpetrators.
“We’d like to see training for venues being made mandatory in terms of their licencing. We recently trained Wakefield to become the first Safe Place City, so that means every venue you go to will have the same response in dealing with spiking.”
According to Government statistics, the average age for being spiked in the UK is 26 and for every one in six cases of spiking, the perpetrator's motivation is to make it easier to commit another crime against them. This is usually sexual assault, rape, physical violence or theft.
Chloe Butler, 24, has been supported by The Egalitarian since she was spiked in Leeds while on a night out with her friend.
She said: “My friend told me that we went outside, and I threw up and laid down and she thought it was funny at first but then really quickly she realised that I wasn’t just drunk. I wasn’t moving, I wasn’t responding, and I wouldn’t wake up.”
Miss Butler and her friend were taken home by the police, she remembers nothing between 1am and 4.30am when she awoke to find to paramedics in the flat.
She said: “The paramedics said they don’t see this very often and they thought there was something else at play. My sick was bright yellow and frothy which is a reaction which you can get from drugs used for spiking.”
Miss Butler said the police did not believe she had been spiked: “The immediate dismissal that I’d had too much to drink or that I’d taken something, was really disappointing, especially when we were in a location that is a known hotspot for spiking.
“It should have been taken more seriously. I was in such a dangerous situation. It was two female police officers, which was really disappointing.”
Assistant Chief Constable Samantha Millar, National Police Chiefs’ Council Violence Against Women and Girls Strategic Programme Director, said: “Forces work closely with bars, pubs and clubs to tackle spiking, and during the first national spiking police week of action in March, forces collectively visited over 1,900 licensed venues to ensure that staff understood how to support victims.
“I would encourage anyone who is a victim of spiking to report it to the police, you will be listened to, and you will be taken seriously.”
Spiking rife among students, with more than one in 10 falling victim to the crime
Four fifths of drink spiking victims are university students according to shocking new police data.
The statistics revealed 81% of recorded victims were students, while a survey by university news site, The Tab, showed 11% of students believed they had been spiked.
Victims of the crime say it has affected their ability to socialise and their time at university.
Emeli Hanson, 22, who was spiked in her first year at the University of Bristol, said: “I just felt violated. The fact that something's inside of your body as well that you haven't chosen to be there just makes you feel completely out of control over something that's entirely yours.”
A survey by the Alcohol Education Trust suggested more than 1 in 10 students have been victims of spiking.
The offence isn't just happening in bars and clubs, it can also occur in ‘more secure’ environments. Emeli, from Lincolnshire, was spiked during a house party in October 2021 during her second year at Bristol University, where she was studying Politics and Philosophy.
The last thing Emeli remembers is leaving the party with a friend who explained when she got to their house, "her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she was vomiting up a black substance”.
Emeli, who was taken to A&E by her friends, said: “Once I came around, I couldn’t feel anything past my hips and in the lower half of my body, which is obviously extremely scary.
“I couldn’t use my bladder or wee because that was causing extreme pain. They ended up having to catheterise me to get fluid out because they were worried about my bladder bursting.”
Spiking can cause confusion, nausea, vomiting, disorientation and memory loss, but the psychological symptoms can often outweigh the physical symptoms.
Emeli, who is currently studying International Development at the University of Sheffield, said: “It was before the outbreak of spiking at UK universities, so they weren’t testing for it in the hospital.
“I won’t ever know what substance was inside my body which took a lot of coming around to. That’s something that I had to let go of, where I was already in a situation where I already didn’t have control.”
“At night, as a woman, the certain vulnerabilities that I feel and the fact that it felt like somebody had taken advantage of that made that feeling worse.
“I'm now extra cautious when I go out. I’m aware of the people around me, I constantly have a hand over my drink, I don’t accept drinks from people and constantly think that someone has an ulterior motive.
"I felt so angry that I went on a night out at university to have fun and then something happened to me that is probably always going to have some impact on me.”
Shannon O’Rourke, 23, from London, was spiked not long before she started University of Lincoln and said it heavily affected her experience as a student.
She had met up with friends in a Wetherspoons pub in London, but very quickly lost control of her limbs and could not walk. Shannon, had ordered her second drink from the venue app. After finishing it, she went to the toilet and doesn't remember anything after leaving the bathroom.
“The next thing I remember was waking up in a dark room in a hospital bed," said Shannon. "I had to go on Google Maps to find out where I was. I had no idea where my friends were or if anyone I knew had been contacted.
“I was completely unaware of everything that was going on. I was only 19. It was terrifying. I don’t remember anything after leaving the toilet.
“I woke up to bruises and cuts everywhere. I needed to have a CT scan on my nose to make sure it wasn’t broken.”
A few months later Shannon, who is now studying for her PGSE, started university during the The COVID pandemic. She said: “It actually made life a lot easier for me because I didn’t have that nervous feeling of going out and someone else being near my drink. I could keep my alcohol to myself and keep myself to myself - I knew exactly how much I was having and what I was having.”
During her second year of university, Shannon began struggling with going out and drinking. She said: “I did get quite nervous. I didn’t really drink in my second year. It definitely threw me slightly - there was also a big hit of spiking at that time.
"Going on nights out and drinking is a massive part of university and if you have one bad experience, it can throw you completely.
"If that can happen in a pub, what can happen in a nightclub or bars that I’m not familiar with or people I’m not comfortable with yet?"
The Department for Education and Home Office released a statement in May 2022 expressing their dedication to tackling the number of spiking incidents that students face.
Universities Minister Michelle Donelan said: “This is an issue that is very close to my heart, having had someone close to me spiked when I was younger, which had devastating consequences. So I know first-hand what a horrific crime this is and I am determined to stamp it out.”
Some universities have already set up their own initiatives to stop spiking. Nottingham Trent University is funding and delivering bystander intervention training to staff in the night-time economy. The University of Exeter is also offering drink safety test strips.
As well as a call to action for universities to prevent spiking, there is also encouragement for victims to come forward and report if they’ve been spiked. According to Stamp Out Spiking’s national survey, over 97% of victims don’t report being spiked to the police.
If you’ve been affected by spiking, you can report it online, by calling 101, or by visiting a police station. Click here for more information.
Spiking victim calls on bars and venues to do more to prevent crime
Lorna Street was just 18 when she was spiked in her hometown of Norwich. She was in a near-empty club, when all of a sudden, she passed out in the toilet, coming in and out of consciousness, with little recollection of the night. She only had one glass of wine. She was then carried out by a security guard, put in a taxi, where she was constantly vomiting.
It wasn’t until years later that Lorna realised she’d been spiked that night. She said: “If I'd known at the time what had really happened to me, I would have one hundred percent got myself checked out.
“This is why I’m super passionate about it, because even if it happened years ago, it’s still important to recognise that it wasn’t okay.”
Lorna, who is an ambassador for Stamp Out Spiking, used her love for live events and music to spread awareness of the dangers of spiking and what staff at venues can do to prevent it.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council found that 80% of spiking incidents happen in public places. Almost half of the incidents happened in a bar, with nightclubs being the second most common location.
Lorna, who became an ambassador in 2021 after being spiked herself, hosted three events and raised over £3,000 for Stamp Out Spiking. With this money, Lorna has educated various venues around Norwich, where she’s from.
Lorna said: “A massive thing that’s lacking is education across staff and security.”
Pairing up with Eastern Pathology Norfolk, a Pathology Department, Stamp Out Spiking spent some of the money on self-test kits so people that have been spiked in Norwich can now go into the walk-in centre and test themselves.
The Stamp Out Spiking ambassador said: “It took a lot of work. But I always say to people: ‘if I’m one person, imagine if there was one of me in every area in the UK doing the same.’ It would make a huge impact.
“There’s already so much change that has happened. Obviously, not enough, but a lot has happened since I started volunteering.”
The government says that soon all security staff who hold a licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA) will be required to do mandatory spiking training.
The Home Office will also be providing up to £250,000 of funding for a training programme for night-time economy staff.
Lorna, who’s a QC and Customer Rejections Lead, said: “It should be as important as health and safety training for staff. It should be something that everyone has to do to be able to do the job.
“When you work around alcohol, it should be mandatory and I honestly don’t know why it isn’t.”
As well as venues like bars and pubs, festivals have also seen a huge problem with spiking over the years.
Lorna, who studied at Norwich university, said: “I definitely think anyone working there, whether you’re doing staging or if you’re around alcohol, or people that are drinking, you should have training in how to deal with spiking and how to stop it.”
The government offers advice for venues and festival organisers, including offering training to all staff on how to recognise spiking and what to do when it happens.
The Association of Independent Festivals relaunched its Safer Spaces at Festivals campaign in 2022, where it showcases its commitment to tackling sexual violence, harassment, and assault. Over 100 festivals have signed up to the initiative.
Most festivals have drug testing tents where festival-goers can test to see if something is potentially dangerous. Many events do this via a third-party, where confiscated drugs or substances are left in amnesty bins.
If something potentially dangerous, or stronger than usual is found, a warning will go out.
Despite the calls to action, Lorna expresses sympathy that spiking can be a difficult offence to deal with. She says: “It’s really hard to locate because there are different ways of spiking people now.”
Emma Sugrue-Lawrence, 45, was spiked through a vape on a night out. The support worker, and mother-of-three, was on a night out with her daughter and friends when a man borrowed her vape and returned it after ‘showing it to a friend’.
It was within minutes of inhaling from her vape that Emma - who wasn’t drinking at the time - began to feel unwell. She was left out of complete control of her body and ended up in hospital.
Stamp Out Spiking’s October 2022 poll of 2,067 UK adults found that 3% of spiking incidents were through a vape.
Chloe Hammerton, 26, was also spiked through a vape at the Isle of Wight Festival.
Chloe told the BBC: “It was like the entire world went into slow motion, pins and needles throughout my body and then I collapsed onto the floor - within a minute I was unconscious.”
The paramedic was left unconscious and was taken to the festival’s on-site hospital.
Lorna said: “I think the important thing is looking out for yourself and others and how to prevent these things happening to you.
“You might not be able to physically stop these people spiking, but you can protect yourself by being aware, keeping in a group, and making sure everyone is looking out for each other.”
What pubic venues and festivals should do to stop spiking:
- Have CCTV that works effectively and covers all possible areas.
- Display anti-spiking posters/ graphics on screens which include clear information on how to protect yourself, what to do if you’re spiked, and how to report it.
- Display anti-spiking posters/ graphics on screens which include the criminal punishments for spiking. This will act as a deterrent.
- Have information leaflets and packages available which include information on how to report being spiked.
- Training for all staff members at the venue or event which includes how to look out for spiking, how to deal with it, and how to report it.
- Post anti-spiking information on all social media channels.
- At festivals, have medical and welfare teams available, with specific training on how to deal with spiking.
- Provide drink covers and anti-spiking bottle stoppers for all types of cups or bottles.
- Offer drink safety test strips.
- Work slowly with and develop a good relationship with local police forces.
- Remove unattended glasses or cups
- Be alert of suspicious requests.
All spiking incidents should be approached with compassion and victims should be provided with all the necessary information on how to report the incident.
Resources, such as e-learning, posters, and guidance are available here.
‘I was the autistic and gay kid, I was going to get bullied’: The 17-year-old author using his platform for good
A teenage author has sold over 70,000 copies of his book telling of his struggles with autism and bullying - in an effort to raise awareness of the condition and money for charity.
Charlie Michael Baker, from Leyland in Lancashire, self-published Autism and Me, and sold 14,000 copies in the first week.
He said: "I’d been bullied all throughout school. It started really in my young years in primary school and with singling me out. I’d sit on my own for lunch and when I went to secondary school it just got worse.
“I was being called names, I actually had to delete social media. People wouldn’t be friends with me and I went home and cried every night. I had to literally lock myself into classrooms. I bunked off class because I had things thrown at me and I wouldn't be allowed to move to the back of the classroom.”
Charlie said he had been surprised by the book's success.
“I was thinking I’ll sell about five copies to my family and friends, so I said I’m going to donate all the proceeds to charity," he said. "I posted it on Instagram and a few shares came through and then I put it on the local Facebook page and then it blew up from there.
“The local papers picked it up, then the national papers picked it up and then international papers picked it up and now I’m global.”
In addition to being sold in the UK, Charlie’s book is also sold in Australia, Dubai and America where it is stocked in Walmart and Barnes and Noble. All of the money made from the sales is donated to various charities across the world that help people with autism with daily life.
Following this success, Charlie suddenly started to see his follower count on Instagram rising.
“I used to be able to name every single person that followed me and now I’ve got my own Google page and I get papped which is weird.”
Charlie now has 1.4 million Instagram followers with his online platform, he is continuing to share his story and struggles in an effort to help those who may be able to relate to his experience of autism and bullying.
He was diagnosed with autism at six years old, but did not have a Education, Health and Care (ECH) plan in place at school until he was 15.
Shortly afterwards he was permanently excluded from school because they were not equipped to deal with his autism and could not resolve the bullying he was experiencing.
Charlie said: “I would just take myself away, but I’d lock myself in the toilets, I’d run away, I’d hide on the stairs. It was awful, the school did nothing.
"They just kept punishing me for missing class. Basically they couldn’t deal with it all, I was in there crying every single day, so they said you can’t be here, we can’t deal with it.”
“They had an exclusion room that was literally like a prison. There were tiny square tables with a blackboard in between the tables so you couldn’t talk to people or look at people, you’d just have to sit there and look at the desk and I was in there a lot.”
Charlie moved to Shaftesbury High School, a pupil referral unit, to finish school where he had a far more enjoyable time. He explained the classes were much smaller, sometimes with only five students.
He said: “I loved it there, we didn’t move classrooms either, which I like because I don’t really like changing of scenery because of my autism.
“I mean I was the autistic and gay kid, I was going to get bullied. It was just because I was different, I’d just be the odd one out all the time. I’d do different things to other people and they didn’t like it.”
He explained his autism traits include a fear of becoming ill, and making noises.
“I hate being ill, I’ll sit there and cry, it just scares me and I don’t know why. I make noises as well, out of the blue. I’ll just be sat watching a film and I’ll scream - I haven’t got Tourette's, that’s just the autism. I have bipolar traits as well because autism and bipolar are sisters, so one minute I can have a smile on my face, next minute I’ll be having a row with you.”
Charlie’s mum Danielle, who works on a mental health ward, said: “Charlie’s always been a character from a young age, so it was a bit surprising to find out he had been going through all of this at school. He never told us, he didn’t tell anyone. When we found out, we were obviously devastated and moved fast to get the right support for Charlie.
“In terms of his autism diagnosis, we spotted the signs quite early on, and we were lucky to get him diagnosed from such a young age, especially now with the extortionately long wait times.”
While Charlie is grateful for his online platform because he has the chance to spread awareness, he was not expecting the bullying he had finally escaped from at school to come back even fiercer in the form of online trolls.
He said: "In my DMs it’s either mums telling me I’m great, I’m fantastic or fake accounts telling me they’re going to kill me in my sleep. Me and my manager reckon from the time I published my book, which was March last year I’ve had at least 100,000 threats against my safety. There’s just too many to block so I just tend to stay off my DMs.
“It’s words on a keyboard, none of them are actually going to do anything. It doesn’t affect me anymore because I’ve had it literally my whole life and it boosts my book. It doesn’t matter if you’re clicking on because you hate me or if you’re clicking on because you love me, if you’re messaging my account, you’re boosting my engagement.”
Despite the horrific abuse, Charlie said he would not change it for the world. “Would I rather not raise all this money for charity and not help people at all? No, I want to raise loads of money and awareness."
You can buy 'Autism and Me' here: Charlie Baker: Autism And Me: Amazon.co.uk: Baker, Charlie Michael: 9798389316577: Books
Autistic staff bring opportunities, not problems – say companies working to close the employment gap
Many UK companies are showing their commitment to closing the autism employment gap - from providing specialist training for colleagues to innovatively changing their hiring process.
Just three in ten autistic adults are in work, according to statistics from the Department of Work and Pensions, compared with half of all disabled people and eight in 10 non-disabled people.
In 2019, Auto Trader became the first business to receive the National Autistic Society's Autism Friendly Employer award. This was in recognition of work they did to develop specialist standards across recruitment, staff awareness of autism and support for autistic employees.
Sarah Brookes-Pearce, Auto Trader’s head of early careers, said: "Neuro-inclusivity has been central to our Diversity and Inclusion strategy for years.
"In 2018, we started working closely with the National Autistic Society and we found that some of the smallest changes were the most effective – like numbering meeting rooms and adding clearer signage, providing quiet spaces, and being mindful of stimuli like food smells and lighting.
“We aim to keep learning, keep talking, and create a psychologically safe space to enable our colleagues to have a great career. And we’d love to see more businesses join us and share their learnings on this journey."
Chris Murray, 52, is the Skills Bridge lead of Harrogate Skills 4 Living, a charity which aims to reduce inequalities and support people with learning difficulties and autism. It offers a supported employment service, as well as offering work placements at its café and chocolate factory.
He said: “There is a huge need for a service for autistic people entering employment. Our workplaces are safe places for people with autism and learning difficulties to learn skills for work, build confidence, make friends, and not feel so isolated. It also gives employees a chance to earn their own money and gain independence.
“Everything we do at Skills Bridge is geared towards our learners leaving us and hopefully going into employment in the local area. We support the people who come to us to look for outside opportunities. We have great relationships with local employers where we introduce learners to different workplaces.
“We educate and inform local employers about the benefits of employing people with autism and the adjustments they can make to their recruitment policies and procedures.
"Innovative change is needed for employers to rethink the recruitment process. In person trial shifts can be a much better measure of an autistic person’s potential than a traditional CV and interview.
“Simple things like not hot desking for autistic employees and letting them know their tasks ahead of time can make a huge difference. It’s not enough just to say you have an EDI policy or that you are a disability confident employer. You need to act on it as well."
Another company leading the way for recognising autistic potential is Park House Barns, a chocolate studio and horticulture centre near York, offering employment opportunities for autistic adults.
The social enterprise offers a variety of roles for different levels of ability, working to individual strengths. Over half of their paid employees are on the autism spectrum and on average, they offer 160 placement sessions each month for young people to develop work skills on site.
Manager Michelle Lumb said: “It’s very rewarding when you’ve got a young person who has really struggled to get a job, or who has been out of work for a while, and they find something here that works for them.
“A lot of these kids are coming from school or college and have never been in a workplace. We provide a place where they feel safe, doing a job which is fulfilling and makes them happy.
“The biggest thing for me here is that I understand my staff. You have to work for people that understand your condition. We are a team, and we play to everybody’s strengths. In some ways, autism can be a bonus because a lot of my staff won’t stop until they have finished a specific job.
"There are a lot of hard workers here. If you can provide the right setting, they can work just as well, if not better in some cases, than anybody would.
“Companies need to learn about autism and how people with the condition can contribute to their business as opposed to seeing it as a problem.
"I think things are improving and there are a lot more businesses now doing specific courses to learn about autism and teaching their staff about the condition. Awareness is key.”
The National Autistic Society provides a range of resources and autism-friendly guides to help businesses understand the needs of autistic employees.
To sign the campaign for all businesses to have autism awareness training, click here.
Parents set up spiking charity after their son’s death
The parents of a student who was killed by drink spiking are campaigning to modernise old-fashioned laws.
Greg Mackie was 18 years old when he tragically died in November 2017 after his non-alcoholic drink was spiked with the equivalent of five ecstasy tablets.
His parents, Colin and Mandy Mackie, who launched the charity Spike Aware UK, after their son’s death, said: “There was no one there for us to turn to or talk to. There was nothing, we were just left with it.”
Greg was in his first year of a film and television production course at Edinburgh College when he was spiked in his student accommodation. His flatmates put him to bed assuming he was drunk, but later that night he died from the drugs that he had unknowingly taken.
“For Greg, going to university was an adventure,” said Colin, from Moffatt, Dumfriesshire. “It was about the new friends he was going to make, but unfortunately they weren’t as friendly as he thought they were going to be.”
The police initially thought Greg had taken the ecstasy tablets himself, but his parents knew their son would never knowingly take drugs.
Greg’s girlfriend at the time confirmed this was the case and explained he had been offered drugs at parties before and turned them down.
The university student competed nationally for the Castleford Castles junior speedway team as well as boxing and cross-country running, meaning he had regular drug testing.
Colin claims if his flatmates had called an ambulance or taken Greg to A&E, he could have got the treatment he needed. Despite the police believing that he was drunk at the time, a toxicology report after his death found no traces of alcohol in his blood at his time of death.
Over six years have passed since Greg died and still no one has been charged for his death. Colin believes the case was dropped due to a lack of evidence. Scotland’s criminal law requires at least “two sources of reliable and credible evidence to corroborate that an offence was committed”.
Greg had planned to make an anti-drugs film as part of his university course. He also appeared as an extra in the 2018 film Outlaw King, and was due to take a role as an extra in Outlander.
Colin, who believed his son was heading towards a career in acting, said: “We’ll never know now where he would have gone or what he would have ended up doing.”
Greg’s story is not what is largely believed to be a stereotypical victim. He was male and was not spiked in a club or bar, instead in his own student accommodation.
Colin said: “If he’d been in a nightclub or that kind of environment, he’d be a bit more alert.”
After his son’s death, Colin and his wife, Mandy, set up Spike Aware UK to help victims receive the support they need, as well as campaign for changes in the law.
The charity offers advice for victims who feel they cannot go to the police, or for those who have been and felt the police did not do a good enough job handling their case.
Victims of spiking can get support from their website or by calling 07368 191124.
Maddy Cusack Foundation celebrates six-month anniversary of launch
In the last six months, the foundation has raised £35,000 and has plans for a charity football tournament and a summer ball.
The Maddy Cusack Foundation celebrated its six-month anniversary last Sunday in memory of the late Sheffield United Women's football player, Maddy Cusack. The midfielder, aged 27, was found dead at her home in September last year. The FA announced a formal investigation into her death on 24 January.
Since announcing the launch of the foundation in November, aimed at supporting young girls during their football careers, the family have rallied nationwide support for the athlete, often hailed as Miss Sheffield United.
The first foundation events were two pub raffles held in Cusack's hometown of Derby in December last year. During the event, the foundation gifted two pairs of football boots to young supporters Neveah and Maddison.
Olivia Cusack, Maddy's sister, said: "The support has been amazing. It's gone from strength to strength, and we are on our way to achieve what we wanted to.
We've always wanted to make some moves and benefit not just young girls in general, but also girls and young women in Maddy's position that are at the stage in their career where they might need a helping hand".
In March a West Hallam Panthers v West Hallam Pumas memorial match took place to celebrate Miss Cusack, who played for West Hallam Juniors when she was six years old.
Richard Cusack, the footballer's brother, played with Cusack's friends, family and old teammates while wearing replica kits that were made specifically for the event.
On 7 April, Sam Turner, a friend and colleague of Miss Cusack who worked with her in the Sheffield United marketing department, ran the Sheffield half marathon in her honour. Courtney Sweetman-Kirk, a Sheffield United teammate, also completed the Monsal Trail Half Marathon on behalf of the foundation.
"Very proud to have done this run to raise money for [the foundation] and I was honoured they were at the finish line to cheer me on," wrote Courtney on her Instagram.
The foundation recently sponsored the Lionesses Supporters Group, who approached the family and asked if the foundation would sponsor their kit. Players of the team will be sporting the kit at the Maddy Cusack Summer Ball at Pride Park on 23 August.
Olivia Cusack said: "We chose to support this team because we recognise that middle teens to late teens is a really crucial time for extra support. We identified that as the age range that we want to work with.
"It's so fulfilling to be able to keep the foundation moving – we're super proud. We wanted to put everything into it and have the work ethic resemble Maddy as a person and a player.
"She didn't want to do anything without doing it 100% and making it a success. I didn't want to attach anything to her name without putting all our effort in.
"We get messages from young girls that say they are glad that there is an outlet for them to keep in touch with Maddy. She meant a lot to people – young girls in particular".
Maddy Cusack's teammates from Aston Villa, Georgia Hewitt and Hayley Crackle, will be hosting a tournament in Birmingham. For £20, girls can form teams and play against each other to raise money on 22 June.
On 23 June, female footballers ranging across different teams Cusack played for will play against each other in a match that has already gained attention from supporters.
Supporters can get involved with fundraising events through the foundation's social media @themaddycusackfoundation
Embrace love as a catalyst for change with Love & Social Justice
This week Utopia Theatre are hosting an event that pioneers embracing love as a catalyst for change.
Bell Hooks, a renowned feminist author, emphasised the transformative power of love in her seminal work, "All About Love." She argued that love, in its various forms, is not only crucial on personal and spiritual levels but also fundamental to driving social justice movements.
In response to this cultural shift, the Centre for Equity & Inclusion presents "Love & Social Justice," an evening of thought-provoking discussions and captivating performances, to reignite the conversation around the significance of love in advancing social justice agendas.
This event will take place on Wednesday, April 24th, from 6pm to 8:30pm at the Utopia Theatre in Sheffield.
Their distinguished line-up of speakers and performers includes Tasnim Hassan, a PhD Researcher at Durham University, who will delve into the intersection of love and activism. Joining her is Danae Wellington, Sheffield's Poet Laureate and Cultural Producer, who will share her insights on the transformative potential of love through artistic expression.
Ezimma Chigbo, Collective Care Facilitator at Act Build Change, will explore practical strategies for integrating love into our activism efforts. Additionally, the Sahba Daf Ensemble, accompanied by Yousef Sadat, will enchant the audience with mesmerising Persian music performances.
In addition to stimulating discussions and captivating performances, attendees are invited to partake in food and love bingo, fostering connections and community engagement. A detailed program will be shared closer to the event date.
"Love & Social Justice" is brought to you by the Centre for Equity & Inclusion, an organisation dedicated to providing support and opportunities for postgraduate researchers of colour at the University of Sheffield. Through collaborative efforts with local partners, the Centre aims to challenge systems of racial oppression within and beyond higher education.
Join the Centre for Equity & Inclusion on 24 April as they embrace love as a catalyst for positive change, fostering a more equitable and inclusive society for all. Together, let they hope ignite the flame of love and justice that burns within each of us, illuminating the path towards a brighter future.
Tickets for the event can be obtained here.
For accessibility-related inquiries or to share specific needs, please reach out to alex.mason@sheffield.ac.uk.
Sheffield Wire’s Guide to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Election 2024
Next Thursday, South Yorkshire will head to the polls to elect its Mayor – the third since the position was established in the mid-2010s.
Sheffield Wire has produced this guide, alongside a series of TikToks, to help you understand the what’s, who’s and why’s of this year’s election.
What are people going to be voting for?
The election will contest the position of Mayor of South Yorkshire, who chairs the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Board. This consists of the four council leaders of the major settlements of the county – Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.
According to the SYMCA: “The Mayor acts to promote South Yorkshire as a place to live, work and invest,” while the MCA has the power and funding to create jobs and improve both the economy and infrastructure in the county.
Why is an election happening now?
The last election took place in 2022, when Oliver Coppard replaced Dan Jarvis (both Labour). Elections normally take place every four years. However, the Mayor will incorporate the roles of the Police and Crime Commissioner from next month, hence why an early election was called.
The SYMCA said the new roles will include setting the objectives of South Yorkshire Police, listening to communities’ needs, securing victim support services and holding the Chief Constable to account.
When can I vote, and when will the results be announced?
Voting will take place on Thursday 2 May. It is no longer possible to register to vote, but if you have, you should have received a polling card or a postal vote, if you applied for one. The polling card tells you the only polling station you can vote at.
Polling stations will be open between 7am and 10pm on election day. You must remember to bring voter ID if you are voting in person. You do not need to take your polling card, although it may save time.
Unlike in a General Election, the results will not be declared in the same night after the polls close. Instead, a result will be declared on Saturday 4 May.
Who are the candidates?
The incumbent Mayor Mr Coppard will be standing for re-election, representing Labour. Cllr Nick Allen, who represents the Doncaster ward of Bessacarr, will stand for the Conservatives.
Cllr Hannah Kitching (Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Penistone West ward) will stand for the Liberal Democrats, Cllr Douglas Johnson (Sheffield City Council, City ward) is the Green Party’s candidate, while the Social Democratic Party will be represented by David Bettney – a Mexborough-born former soldier, who is endorsed by Reform UK.
Who should I vote for?
We are not endorsing a candidate here at Sheffield Wire. We believe you should read the candidates’ policies to make an informed decision. What we will say is, if you are registered, VOTE! It is your democratic right.
Even if you do not support any of the candidates, spoiled ballots are counted. Prospective candidates use them to calculate how to get your vote back, so a spoiled ballot is better than no ballot!
More information on the South Yorkshire Mayoral Elections can be found here. Don't forget to vote on Thursday 2 May!