The number of on-time state school applications received by south west London councils has decreased following the autumn budget’s private school tax, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

Data obtained from Croydon, Kingston, Richmond, Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth councils each showed a decrease in the number of secondary school applications received by the 31st October deadline.

The announcement of a 20% VAT charge on private school fees last autumn had heralded outcry, but is yet to play out in the state sector. 

One teacher at a small private school in Surrey said: “There has been no sudden rise of pupil withdrawals. But I can see a few schools struggling in the future which could have a major impact on the state sector. 

“With the rising cost of living, even before the VAT increase, families were having to make sacrifices to send their children to private school. Now, the number of families who can afford the extra 10-20% gets even smaller.” 

The Independent Schools Council (ISC), which represents more 1,400 private schools in England, declined to comment on these figures but had previously suggested that an increase in private school fees to meet the additional VAT charges, would result in a migration of students into a ‘stretched’ state sector.

Richmond Council saw a 10% drop in applications from 2024 to 2025, although figures had already been decreasing since 2021, in line with dropping birth rates in the area. 

A council spokesperson said: “The number of on-time secondary school applications received for September 2025 shows a small decrease compared to the previous year, reflecting wider demographic trends that we will continue to track closely.

“At this stage in of secondary issions, we have not seen any discernible impact on our pupil numbers arising from the VAT charge on independent private schools. As we monitor this, our focus remains on ensuring that there are sufficient high-quality school places available for all children in Richmond upon Thames.” 

The capital’s rising cost of living, coupled with its dropping birth rates could be contributing to the fall in student numbers. 

One Wandsworth primary school is set to close over the summer, citing a dramatic decline in pupils and a resulting debt of approximately £300,000. 

St Anne’s Church of England took just eight children into their reception class in September 2024. 

Merton has seen a similar steady decrease in secondary school applications year on year, dropping by 10% since 2019. 

MP for Mitcham and Morden Dame Siobhain McDonagh said: “We have had a number of primary schools in Mitcham and Morden go down to one form of entry, you know, 30 a year rather than 60 because there simply aren’t the children around.

“We’re facing a terrible crisis in our schools in SW London with falling school rolls. Birth rates are down, people are just not having children and one of the factors at the top of our discussion is just how expensive it is to live in London and clearly if you have children, you need more housing and that is very difficult to access.” 

With regards to constituents raising concerns on struggling to afford the rising fees at independent schools, McDonagh added: “Maybe some time ago I had one or two, but as your Freedom of Information application indicates there has been no real impact.

“Some of the schools have absorbed the costs because private school fees have gone through the roof in recent years, so there may be quite a lot of money in the model.”

Despite dropping slightly this year, Sutton has seen a 5% increase in the number of state school applications received from 2019 to 2025.

A state school teacher in Sutton said: “Most of us here are in agreement that the move by the government makes sense. If what they’re saying is true then state schools will definitely benefit from the budget increases.

 “But I can see both sides, some people work really hard to just about manage to pay the fees so their child can get that top education, but probably won’t be able to afford it anymore.” 

The ISC together with a small collective of Christian faith schools and a parent-led group challenged the government’s VAT policy in court last month, arguing that it was discriminatory and against the legal right to an education. 

At the hearing, it was raised that higher fees could force 35,000 children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) into the state sector, which the claimants state to be ‘in crisis’. 

Representatives of the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, HMRC and the Department of Education argued instead that the policy will raise a predicted £1.3-£1.5b annually, to be put into raising the standards for the 94% of children in state schools. 

The hearing concluded at the Royal Courts of Justice on 1 May and a date for judgement has not yet been announced. 

Featured Image by MChe Lee on Unsplash

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A retired nurse in Merton has turned her shed into a rescue centre for hedgehogs.

Kelly Parsons, 45, founded Merton Hedgehog Rescue and Rehabilitation in 2020 to look after injured hedgehogs before releasing them back into the wild.

The idea came after Parsons first rescued a hedgehog, named Sonic, and drove 12 miles from Morden to the nearest rescue in Caterham.

Parsons said: “Then people started bringing hedgehogs to me.”

Realising Merton residents needed a more accessible rescue centre, she began researching ways to help hedgehogs in London.

Parsons’ renovated shed holds eight injured hedgehogs and is usually full.

Merton residents often her about hedgehogs spotted in their gardens, but some have come from as far as Camden and London Bridge.

As hedgehogs are nocturnal, Parsons often treats them at night.

She said: “It’s a good job I don’t sleep very well.”

The hedgehogs at the rescue centre have suffered from ear infections, leg injuries and internal parasites.

Many hedgehogs have contracted illnesses, or sustained injuries from gardening equipment such as lawn mowers and pesticides.

One hedgehog had his leg amputated after getting caught in a rat trap.

Parsons even had to delay this interview to rescue a hedgehog tangled in a football net.

Hedgehogs are classified as vulnerable to extinction on the Red List for British Mammals.

According to a 2022 report, while the hedgehog population is declining, research shows there might be a stable recovery in urban areas.

Parson is not the only hedgehog rescuer based in the Borough of Merton, with vetenary nurse Emma Onyejekwe lending a helping hand as well.

Onyejekwe, 32, founded the Mitcham Hedgehog Project in 2024 to identify the presence of hedgehogs in Mitcham Common and surrounding areas.

She surveys these areas with cameras and tunnels which track hedgehog footprints.

Onyejekwe has volunteered on various hedgehog conservation projects such as the Royal Parks Hedgehog Survey as well.

She is particularly interested in hedgehogs because they are an indicator species, meaning the presence or absence of hedgehogs can serve as a sign of the environmental health of an area.

Onyejekwe felt demotivated after sending out 255 leaflets for the Mitcham Hedgehog Project from which she only received four responses.

However, she kept going after finding a hedgehog killed in a road accident and getting a call about an injured hedgehog in the same week.

Onyejekwe said: “I need to continue and push on.

“It’s nice to know that I’ve helped people realise [hedgehogs] are here.”

Onyejekwe hopes to give talks at schools and raise awareness of hedgehog conservation.

As for Parsons, she has organised an information stall at the Merton Dog Watch on 24 May.

Parsons had an overwhelming response from people interested in volunteering at the stall.

Parsons said: “I have got a lot of very kind ers.

“[The rescue] does pull people together and it is a bit of fun.”

Feature image credit: Kelly Parsons

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You’ve scrupulously attended pregnancy yoga classes, followed an – almost – strict diet for nearly nine months, and checked the contents of your maternity bag about ten times. 

However, nothing makes you quite ready for what is happening next: Life with a new-born.

And, perhaps the most unexpected while you are supposed to be blessed by this new little person in your life, a feeling of loneliness. 

A 2022 report commissioned by the Greater London Authority and authored by by Neighbourly Lab, Campaign to End Loneliness and What Works Centre for Wellbeing showed that not only do one in 12 Londoners feel severely lonely, which equates to around 70,000, but also that one of the big associative factors to loneliness was going through life changes, such as becoming a parent. 

Ellie, 35, from Haringey and mum to 18-month-old Lucas, said: “I guess I did not quite expect it to be such a life changer. 

“You go from having a busy life, working all day, socialise in the evening and then all of a sudden, your job is looking after the baby.”

The retail designer is now back to work after a full year of maternity leave, but re she could feel lonely at times. 

Ellie said: “You could just be home every day. 

“You’ve got to learn to have the confidence to go out and about and do things with your baby”. 

It is a task which can be made even harder by the baby’s nap and meal routine dictating the schedule, or the nervous prospect of potentially having to breastfeed while on the Tube.

Dr Ruth Naughton-Doe, mental health social researcher at the University of York, runs a research project aiming to find solutions to loneliness experienced by new and expecting parents. 

She defines perinatal loneliness as a subjective perception of a gap between what people have and what they need, experienced by parents and prospective parents, from pregnancy to two years after birth. 

Dr Naughton-Doe said: “There’s a lot of evidence that loneliness is damaging. 

“It is a public health issue, because it’s something that is preventable, treatable and can be addressed.”

The academic stressed the fact that the World Health Organization has its own commission on social connection. 

A subjective feeling, loneliness has three different aspects.

First is social loneliness, which is absence of social connections, sometimes difficult to maintain because of the baby’s rhythms and routines or the fact that society is not always the friendliest towards young children. 

Secondly is emotional loneliness, which is the absence or loss of meaningful relationships. 

Dr Naughton-Doe said: “Maybe you don’t have anyone in your network that’s had a baby or knows what you’re going through. 

“Often there’s huge shifts in the relationship with the partner. 

“And also, with society telling us that being a parent is great, there’s a lot of shame that comes with feeling sad when you have a baby or being pregnant.”

Lastly, there is existential loneliness, which is a feeling of not belonging or having a purpose. 

Dr Naughton-Doe said: “There is a complete disconnection to who you were before. 

“Your body is different, you are not working if you were before. 

“You experience being undervalued, maybe for the first time”.

While on maternity leave, new mum Ellie went to baby massage and sensory classes, met with friends she made though her local pregnancy classes, asked a neighbour with older kids for advice and spent quite some time with family . 

The young mum said: “I am quite sociable so I needed to have plans, see people, do things.” 

But for some people and in some circumstances, it can prove difficult to find these inner strengths. 

Dr Naughton-Doe said: “Loneliness is a really common feeling and reaching out for help is really important. 

“To your partner, your family, your friends, your health visitor.”

Some charities or clubs are dedicated to providing such help, such as HomeStart Merton, a voluntary organisation ing parents at risk of perinatal mental health since 1993. 

HomeStart pairs each family with a volunteer and families are visited two to three hours weekly. 

Rather than the volunteer telling the parents what to do, the emphasis is put on listening and reassuring them.

HomeStart Merton’s managing director Sharon Ashby said: “A lot of people have a very judgmental approach if they’ve not gone through any mental health issues, because the idea is you’ve just got to pull your socks up and get on with it. 

“It’s not as easy as that.”

After three months, parents are invited to a peer group, where they take part to talking therapies or go to the theatre for instance. 

Ashby is a strong believer that the biggest and bravest thing to do, as parent needing help, is to ask for it.

She said: “Coming into a group where everybody is being spoken to takes a stigma out. 

“We all need help at some stage and the bravest thing is to ask for it and accept it.”

Picture credit: Hollie Santos, Unsplash

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The New Wimbledon Theatre is transporting audiences back to the Upper East Side of New York in 1999 with its production of Cruel Intentions.

It’s naughty, it’s salacious, and it’s downright machiavellian. 

Based on the cult 90s classic film of the same name, starring blockbuster heartthrobs Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillipe, Cruel Intentions tells the story of two twisted step siblings.

Cocaine-snorting Kathryn (Nic Myers) and wily Sebastian’s (Will Callan) gold-digging mother and alcoholic father are on holiday in Bali, leaving the sinister pair alone to scheme.

They hatch a plan to ruin the virginal purity of good-girl Annette (Abbie Budden) and naive Cecile (Lucy Carter).

Carter said: “From the moment go, we are inviting the audience in to our games and fun.”

The plot is derived from the scandalous 18th Century French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, a book which was condemned in court for its immorality, and subsequently banned, but has stayed relevant for its sharp takes on upper class society.

Budden spoke of how the shocking elements of the script, would equally appal audiences of 1999 and 2025.

She said: “The theme of the dark side of privilege is even more painfully true now than it was back then.”

The main selling point of the show – or perhaps to some, its biggest drawback –  is the 90s jukebox soundtrack featuring musical stars such as the Spice Girls, Ricky Martin and Natalie Imbruglia. 

When Cecile’s Mother, Mrs Caldwell (Gabriella Williams), finds out her daughter is dating her black cello teacher, Ronald (Kevin Yates), she sings TLC’s iconic No Scrubs, chanting: “A scrub is a guy who can’t get no love from Cee”.

Kathryn teaches Cecile to make out to Sixpence None The Richer’s Kiss Me, a heartbroken Sebastian croons Goo Goo Dolls’ Iris, and Cecile discovers she has had her first orgasm to Ace of Base’s lyrics: “I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes”.

The first line of each song was often met with a roar of laughter as the audience realised what nineties anthem was coming to soundtrack the latest plot development.

NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye was especially warmly received, used in the break-up scene of two of the evening’s most popular characters Blaine (Luke Connor Hall) and Greg (Joe Simmons). 

While I relished the opportunity to hear so many 90s hits, at times they came too close together and did not allow the dialogue enough time to set up each song.

Jonathan O’Boyle’s direction was polished, and Gary Lloyd’s choreography was energetic. 

The two levelled set nicely makes use of the stage. but the stock-image New York skyline did slightly cheapen the production’s feel. 

Go see Cruel Intentions if you are a 90s baby ready to revel in an evening of camp and nostalgia, and perhaps stay home if you are more inclined to more high-brow, serious and sensible theatre. 

Cruel Intentions is playing at The New Wimbledon Theatre until Saturday 1 March, or you can catch this deliciously devilish show all around the country until the end of June.

Picture credit: Pamela Raith

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The Wimbledon Championships charity committed to funding up to £290,000 in local community project grants, the All England Club announced on Wednesday.

The Wimbledon Foundation opened the annual grant application round until 24 February for its Community Fund and Get Set, Get Active Fund.

The Community Fund, which has awarded £1.9 million since 2014, offers grants of up to £10,000 to charities and community organisations in Merton and Wandsworth, with Merton Centre for Independent living among those to have benefitted in 2024.

The centre’s deputy chief executive David Jenkins said: “We are delighted to have been awarded a Community Fund grant to our work building confidence, connection and skills in local disabled people to help make our borough more inclusive for all. 

“This work will our community to come together and achieve change locally.”

As well as funding projects addressing social needs and inequalities, Wandsworth’s designation as the Borough of Culture 2025 means this Community Fund round also accepts applications from community art projects.

Meanwhile, the Get Set, Get Active Fund offers grants between £500 and £3,500 for local community groups, not-for-profit organisations and sports clubs to cover costs including instructor fees, venue hire, equipment and kit.

The foundation, which has donated more than £20million to charities since 2014, estimates it has reached nine million people in this time.

Wimbledon Foundation head Amanda Horton-Mastin said: “We are fortunate to have been able to so many excellent projects and look forward to funding more organisations that make a real difference to the lives of people living in our local community of Merton and Wandsworth.”

Full application details can be found at https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/foundation/apply_for_.html

Featured image: AELTC/Chloe Knott

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London’s Muslim community urged the government to tackle the escalating crisis of Islamophobia, as hate crimes rise and calls for systemic change grew louder during an awareness month.

Islamophobia Awareness Month was founded in 2012 by a coalition of Muslim organisations, including the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND).

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims defines Islamophobia as rooted in racism and a type of racism which targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.

CEO of The Runnymede Trust Dr Shabna Begum said: “Islamophobia has become the normalised currency of political conversation.”

The Runnymede Trust is the UK’s leading race equality think tank and was established in 1968, notably the same year as the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. 

According to Dr Begum, there is an overt belief that Muslim communities are a threat to Britain and she believes that from the benches of parliament to mainstream headlines, this sentiment no longer lurks euphemistically.

She noted that in the last year there has been a significant step-change in the normalisation of Islamophobia.

Dr Begum said: “Islamophobia has reached fever pitch in the UK and it is time that we put a rational conversation back on the agenda.”

The Home Office also observed a significant rise in religious hate crimes towards Muslims following the Israel-Hamas conflict with 3,866 offences reported in the last year, an increase of 13% from the previous year.

The Home Office further reported that in the last year 38% of all reported religious hate crimes were targeted against Muslims.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The appalling levels of Islamophobic hate crimes outlined in [Home Office] figures are a stain on our society, and this government will work tirelessly to tackle this toxic hatred wherever it is found.”

Baitul Futuh in Morden, South London, is the largest mosque in Britain and recently received a distressing bomb hoax call.

They were very grateful for the continued of the Metropolitan Police, but the incident underscored the need for continued vigilance, following recent events this year such as the Southport riots.

A spokesperson for the mosque said: “[We] do feel safe in London [as] we have advanced security measures.

“There is always room for improvement in addressing broader issues that impact [our community’s] safety and well-being. 

“Continued engagement and understanding are vital.”

These heightened security measures include 24/7 on-site security staff, CCTV surveillance, and airport-style security for major events such as Friday prayers.

Meanwhile, a parliamentary drop-in session was held on 20 November led by the MCB, Afzal Khan MP, and Amnesty International as part of Islamophobia Awareness Month.

Many politicians from various parties were in attendance such as co-leader of the Green Party Carla Denyer, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, and Caroline Nokes MP.

The session was constructive and highlighted the growing systemic crisis of Islamophobia in the UK – an issue that the MCB believes requires immediate and decisive action.

The MCB, the largest and most diverse representative body for the British Muslim community in the UK, have worked relentlessly to tackle Islamophobia and continue to urge the government to officially adopt the widely endorsed APPG on British Muslim’s definition of Islamophobia.

The MCB believe the group offers a crucial definition of Islamophobia which clearly recognises this specific type of hate.

Picture credits: Muslim Council of Britain for feature image, and Melvin Boateng

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Children with special educational needs (SEN) in south west London are often unable to secure a place in the special schools that they apply to.

In Merton only one in five children with special educational needs got into special schools in 2024.

Of the 614 children considered at a special schools issions in Richmond upon Thames, only 64 of them were placed in a special school. 

The number of children applying to special schools in Richmond and Merton has risen but the number of places available fails to reflect this, meaning children who need specialist care are forced to stay in mainstream education.

Freedom of Information requests to several south west London boroughs were met with no response or were refused on the grounds that retrieving the information would be too costly.

Semena Williams, an ant from south London, tried to get her child, aged 11, into a special school.

She said: “There was no provision for their education.”

Williams said that her child’s ADHD diagnosis caused them to struggle in mainstream school settings, as they struggled to focus and their behaviour deteriorated due to a lack of .

She said: “They were completely broken.

“They were just hammering them everyday, so much so that they were suicidal.”

Williams received a phone call from the police, telling her that her child, aged 11, had tried to take their own life.

Even in mainstream schools, they were kept in a ‘naughty kids annex’, isolated from their peers, until they were excluded.

Williams’ child was out of education for two and a half years, until Williams found a suitable special school to accommodate his needs.

They visited a special school, and Williams’ child, having been out of school for two and a half years, felt overwhelmed and had to leave.

In response, the headteacher said they weren’t able to take her child, and the local authority couldn’t find a therapeutic setting for them.

Claire Walley, The SEN Expert, s families in applying to special schools.

Walley said: “The entire SEN system on a national level is that crisis point.

“Local authorities are bankrupt. We’ve got huge percentages of special needs children out of school, and it’s a big old mess, basically.”

Walley said that there isn’t adequate funding from the government for special education, resulting in few school places available as the local authority cannot fund any additional schools.

Special schools can reject applications and the parents have the right to appeal at a school’s issions , where an impartial judge will look assesses the child’s level of need and can order a special school to take the child as a pupil – but this is rare.

Largely, children are placed back in mainstream education – where specialist provision is hard to come by.

From 2023 to 2024, the amount of special school applications at The Auriga Academy Trust more than doubled but the amount of places offered only rose by four.

Walley said: “Parents are just desperate.

“They’re coming to these systems that they are just expecting to be ive and comionate, and they aren’t ive, they aren’t comionate. 

“They’re causing them huge amounts of stress. And the majority of parents that I work with are at breaking point.”

One in five parents feel that their family received the correct amount of for their disabled child, while only one in three parents feel like their child is correctly ed in education settings, a 2023 survey from the Disabled Children’s Partnership found.

The survey found that because of children being placed in the wrong school settings, families have reported significant impacts over the past year – 73% of families that their child is more isolated and 69% say that their child’s behaviour is more challenging due to stress, anxiety or pain.

Parents also reported feeling the strain, with 87% saying their mental health has been negatively affected.

Stephen Kingdom, Disabled Children’s Partnership, said: “It’s a national issue, and one that’s growing.

“School placements can have a massive effect on a child’s mental health, and their ability to get into the right school later, because they’ve been scarred by a school placement that has not met their needs.”

Kingdom said that he sees parents having to fight for their child to receive an appropriate education.

He added that the current government is starting to address the special needs education crisis.

Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary, has launched a review of Curriculum and Assessment, something Kingdom thinks is positive.

He said this could have the ability to change the role of schools, moving from a narrow curriculum, focused on exams and ‘punitive’ behaviour policies, to a well-rounded and inclusive approach to education. 

He said: “Under the previous government many things caused quite hostile environments for many disabled children, which pushed more to need special school provision, which is what has created the situation we’re in.”

Both Kingdom and Walley believe that additional funding from the government to the local authority can help to solve this problem.

All special schools in Merton and Richmond were ed for comment but they did not respond.

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A fan-led group created to Harlequin Football Club has donated £3,500 to help introduce rugby to primary schools across Merton and give deprived children a chance to play at the Stoop.

Quinssa, Harlequins ers’ Association donated to the clubs charitable arm, The Harlequins Foundation, which s local communities and encourages youth skill development through charity events, volunteering, fundraising, partnerships and meaningful initiatives like this.

Quinssa’s contribution will directly benefit young people in the community and reach a new audience of potential rugby enthusiasts, with fundraising efforts culminating in a festival at the Stoop in June.

Matt Shillabeer, head of programmes at The Harlequins Foundation, said: “Merton has some real pockets of deprivation and we seek to only work in schools with participants with over 20% of their student population in receipt of benefit related free school meals.

“The funding Quinssa has given us will not only allow us to deliver a worth of rugby to students who have never played before, but also enable us to organise transport to the Stoop and give them an opportunity to play on the pitch, an experience that plenty of adults would kill for.”

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A post shared by The Harlequins Foundation (@harlequinsfoundation)

The Move. Learn. Grow. Programme is set to commence in January and aims to inspire boys and girls to play rugby, whilst instilling fundamental life skills that will be extremely beneficial on and off the pitch.

The Harlequins Foundation utilises the Skills Builder framework, comprising of eight essential skills: listening, speaking, problem solving, creativity, staying positive, aiming high, leadership and teamwork.

Shillabeer added: “We are going to deliver fun engaging tag rugby sessions, but there will be a real focus on developing those skills so that they can then translate them on the pitch, in the playground, into the classroom and their wider life.”

Established in 2003, Quinssa has over 2500 and organises social events, away trips, rugby talks and fundraising efforts, and annual hip is £5.

Steve Scott, Liaison for the Quinssa Committee, said: “We are ing children who potentially do not have access to rugby.

“It aligns with our ethos in of growing the game and encouraging kids from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

To ensure the longevity and success of this initiative, the coaching team is working closely with s in the borough of Merton to smooth transitions into thriving community clubs for these children.

With the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 imminent, there is a real focus on increasing the participation of women and girls in sport.

The Harlequins Foundation also run the SWITCH programme, designed to challenge stereotypical stigmas in sport and inspire the next generation female rugby players.

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A post shared by The Harlequins Foundation (@harlequinsfoundation)

Shillabeer adds: “Our hope is that one of these year five or year sixes in 15 years time is pulling on a Quins jersey for the first time and running out at the stoop.

“But, if they are pulling on the Wimbledon jersey or any other club within the borough and coming to s the Harlequins on the weekend, then that’s a win too.

“We are proud of this partnership and being able to give opportunities to children who may have never considered trying rugby before.”

The Quinssa will volunteer on the day of the festival, creating an even more memorable day for all involved.

Both Quinssa and The Harlequins Foundation are committed to working together to bring the game to non traditional rugby backgrounds and open up the sport to all.

Featured image credit: Photo by Andrew Fosker/Shutterstock (14795587ay) provided by Harlequins Rugby Club Communications Team.

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The team which proudly declares itself as ‘South London’s biggest LGBT+ rugby club ‘ is challenging outdated perceptions to show there is a place for everyone in rugby union.

of London Stags, which is based at Mitcham and Carshalton rugby club, are among those in the LGBTQ+ community who have felt let down by what is seen as a failure to tackle negative stigmas associated with rugby culture such as it being fuelled by ‘laddish’ norms and discriminatory ‘banter’.

d to the International Gay Rugby (IGR) organization, which has enjoyed massive success in promoting diversity and LGBTQ+ identity through togetherness in the sport since being founded in the early 2000s, the Stags are demonstrating rugby is a sport for all regardless of race, gender or sexuality. 

Stags chairperson Tom Carter is ionate about ensuring the social spirit which runs deep through the club is at the forefront of their work and their participation in the IGR league.

Alongside his role on the committee of the Stags, Carter plays as flanker and is in no doubt that for his peers: “Being part of the Stags has changed their lives.”

With assistance from the IGR, he reiterates the Stags have been able to pride themselves on being a community-driven team.

The club’s Facebook page states the Stags pride themselves on the opportunity to play ‘no pressure’ rugby for players of all abilities and experience.

The aim is to provide competitive, enjoyable rugby for players and ers, and to grow the gay and inclusive rugby family in London.

Range of opportunities

The national and international relationships the Stags have established has provided exciting opportunities for the players, in which they can not only showcase their sporting abilities but interact with like-minded communities from different areas.

The Stags have placed an emphasis on the team being equally bound by their love of the sport and their pride for who they are as people, creating an environment for healthy competition and appreciation.

Additionally, the Stags are participants in the Union, Hadrian and Unity Cups, with the tournaments becoming a key fixture of International Gay Rugby leagues. 

Social events have become a large part of the nucleus of what this club does to show that diversity goes far beyond the field of play as well.

The Stags ensure everyone is catered for, setting up various stalls including trans+ and black pride, which Carter has kept their community ‘tight’, ensuring that the club values people for who they are, which is fundamental to its principles.  

A long way to go

Carter is delighted with how far Stags and the wider IGR union has come, but believes that discriminatory aspects still exist, specifically towards the transgender community, and mindful of the fact that, even in today’s society, there are always going to be hurdles to overcome.

He feels let down by the RFU’s decision to ban transgender players outside of IGR, something that the Stags and the body are collectively working to overturn, saying: “Trans players are whole heartedly welcomed.”

The RFU were ed for comment.

Carter is now embracing their next task with the help of their inclusion officer Mike Stanley, making sure that inclusivity represents a myriad of identities, with updates ed to the club’s website.

Carter believes that the Stags can play their part in their overall for the transgender community and, as with sexuality, believes that rugby can become a space of celebration and not discrimination.

The controversy around transgendered participation in rugby will not go away any time soon.

However, the contributions of Carter, the Stags and the rest of IGR make it increasingly difficult for their concerns to be ignored.

Their growing means that the tide is turning, with outdated perceptions of inclusion in sport fading for the better.

With plenty more opportunities for IGR competition and integration coming up this season, Carter and his team are satisfied that they have fulfilled some of their objectives.

Only time will tell how far the Stags influence can transcend beyond their home in South London.  

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A well-loved city farm has been saved from closure after community donations raised £50,000 in just 48 hours.

Deen City Farm, a ed charity, has faced overwhelming financial pressures due to rising staffing, materials and animal feed costs, bringing them to a breaking point last week.

General Manager Emma King, 35, created the Just Giving page on Sunday 22^nd September and was stunned to see the £50,000 target reached by Tuesday 24^th.

King said: “We can’t thank all the ers and local residents in the community enough, and we couldn’t have predicted that in just two days we could have raised that.

“Everything about this site is community orientated, and we want to be here for years to come to serve that same community.”

King was amazed at the response, as the fundraiser was mainly d via social media channels.

She said the funds were raised so quickly they didn’t even have the chance to put any information out physically on the farm.

The farm, which is free to visit, previously relied upon grants from Merton Council, but King said its annual grant has been reduced by 10% each year due to council-wide budget cuts.

Tracey Lambert, who was at the farm with her family, said: “I’ve been bringing my family here for almost 29 years, they’ve known all the animal’s names and it’s such a special place for us.

“It’s incredible they’ve raised so much so quickly, and I still get to bring my grandson here to see the animals.”

The farm, which attracted 136,000 visitors last year, is the most southerly of the 12 city farms across London and is visited by a range of schools from across south London, as well as schools from Kensington and Chelsea.

It provides work experience placements to over 200 children a year, and King said they have a lot of troubled youngsters coming in to get different experiences and seeing them develop makes it all worth it.

Despite receiving some funding, King said the council grant hasn’t covered the farms expenditure for many years.

The current grant is just 50% of what it was 4 years ago.

The farm now relies upon the generosity of visitors, fundraising events and animal boarding facilities to keep operational and maintain their charitable work.

King said: “The money raised has ultimately eased our pressures and the crisis moment is over, but it’s just a small drop in the ocean.”

Earlier this year, the farm raised £30,000 to fund fixing an electrical fault which ended up costing almost £80,000, resulting in massively depleted cash reserves.

Looking to the future, King said that she still has hope, but she doesn’t want to rely on community donations going forward.

The farm is now focussed on finding new grants and other revenue streams to ensure a sustainable financial future to allow it to keep up its charitable work.

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