Good morning. Welcome back. It’s Isabella McRae here.

The Big Issue reports extensively on the injustices facing people in this country. There are countless stories, but some are especially gut-wrenching.

Our deputy digital editor Liam Geraghty spoke to a father whose baby has been hospitalised SIX times due to damp and mould in their privately-rented one-bedroom property. There are seven of them sleeping in the sitting room because the mould is so bad in the bedroom.

It is hideous that we are still seeing stories like this in 2024. Campaigners are calling on their council to act and help this family into a home where they will be safe.

Reading baby Dareen’s story might make you feel angry – and it should – but change is possible. Every year, The Big Issue recognises 100 individuals and organisations who are harnessing their anger and pushing for a better world. 

From an octogenarian supporting the homeless to a teenager fighting for disability rights, these people are truly inspiring. Read to the end to meet The Big Issue Changemakers of 2024.

If you have a story to share, we want to listen. Get in touch at isabella.mcrae@bigissue.com or share your story here.

Dareen’s story: ‘A disaster waiting to happen’

Dareen Nuru has been hospitalised six times due to overcrowding, damp and mould in a home medical professionals describe as a “disaster waiting to happen”. 

The infant (pictured above on the right alongside her twin sister) is living in a mould-ridden one-bedroom flat with her family. The damp is so bad in the bedroom that all seven of them are forced to sleep in the living room.

Since then, twins Dareen and Haneen have suffered respiratory problems and developed eczema while seven-year-old sister Lujain has allergies.

Amin Nuru, her father, told The Big Issue: “When Dareen was born, after five days, we had to go to the emergency room in hospital for nine days due to breathing problems and cold.

“After that she came back home but we have taken her to hospital six times up to now. Two weeks ago we took the twins to the GP and they said they may have asthma in the future.”

More than 60 people launched a sit-in protest at Lambeth Council’s offices earlier this month, holding banners for “no more overcrowding”. 

The protestors accused Lambeth Council of failing to act following an environmental health inspection last summer on the mould and overcrowding at the property. The campaigners claimed the family are trapped in the property and need the council to act.

Read Dareen’s story here.

What to do if you have damp and mould

You have rights when it comes to damp and mould in a privately-rented home. It’s the responsibility of the landlord to make sure homes are “fit for human habitation”.

That means landlords should keep homes safe, healthy and free from things that can cause serious harm. Any problems with the property should be fixed as quickly as possible.

If you’re living in rented property, tell your landlord in the first instance. Tenants can take their landlords to court to carry out repairs or put health and safety problems right if they refuse to.

Prevention is better than having to deal with removing damp and mould. Have a look for obvious leaks, such as problems with guttering that mean liquids are running down walls.

Shorter showers, removing condensation from windows in the morning and opening windows intermittently during warmer days can help to prevent moisture build-up.

Asthma + Lung UK has five top tips to prevent damp and mould building up:

1. Open windows and doors (but be mindful of high pollen or pollution days)
2. Try to avoid drying clothes indoors, but open a window if you have no other option
3. Use extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom or open a window when cooking or showering
4. Close the door of the room you’re in when cooking or showering to prevent condensation in other rooms
5. Keep rooms at a minimum of 15C to ensure they don’t get too cold

Asthma + Lung has a UK helpline available on 0300 222 5800 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm for advice and support on how to tackle the issue.

Find out more about what to do if you have damp and mould in your home here.

In case you missed it

‘A national scandal’: Nearly 5,000 deaths caused by cold and damp homes last winter. Campaigners are calling for change to protect people from cold and damp homes and the damage it causes to their health. Here’s the story.

It’s 20 years and six prime ministers since the UK last saw a sustained fall in poverty. A new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation sets out the scale of the problem and what needs to change. Read about it.

Millions in the UK need to double their income to escape poverty – but change is possible. The chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Paul Kissack wrote for The Big Issue about a plan to lift people out of poverty. Here’s how.

Brits are £10,000 poorer now than in 2010: ‘Everywhere has been levelled down.’ Centre for Cities has revealed that no part of the UK has escaped the impact of the flatlining of the UK economy. Read the latest.

Millions of Brits will be cut off from energy this winter because they can’t afford bills. Almost three million people live in households where they have skipped meals, cut back on food spending or sold or pawned possessions to keep their meter topped up. Get the story.

UK has become the sick man of Europe since 2010. Politicians must get a grip on the economy. Paul Swinney, director of policy and research at Centre for Cities, shares why politicians need a new plan. Read his ideas.

Landlords urged to give up spare rooms to host refugees made homeless by Home Office. London boroughs are making use of government funding to stop refugees becoming homeless, after Home Office policies pushed refugees onto the streets. Here’s the story.

Healthy life expectancy in Liverpool is just 58. Most deprived areas of the UK need better healthcare. “If everywhere in the UK was as healthy as Wokingham, Windsor or Maidenhead, we’d be the healthiest country in the world,” the IPPR has found. Read about it.

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⭐ Introducing the 100

Big Issue Changemakers of 2024 ⭐

At the beginning of every year, when days are dark, we like to shine a light on those making things better. The Big Issue’s list of 100 Changemakers is a tribute to the people and organisations who are changing the world.

Our 2024 Changemakers range from a former Royal Navy officer who is fighting for compensation for LGBTQ+ veterans who were banned from the armed forces, to a charity providing fruit and vegetable vouchers to pregnant women and mothers with young children.

There are social media influencers, a food bank with a DJ and an octogenarian who over the last 50 years has collected unwanted household goods for people experiencing homelessness.

This year we also searched for Young Changemakers, individuals aged 25 and under who are already making a significant impact in their communities – from child poverty and asylum seeker campaigners to a young CEO who was nominated more than 100 times.

These are challenging times, but these incredible individuals and organisations give us so much hope. And recognising their achievements is even more vital than before. To all the creators, the agitators, the activists and the thinkers, to those doing their best to make things better, we celebrate and thank you all. 

This is a list to inspire and to shout long and loud about.

Meet our Big Issue Changemakers of 2024.