No money, no food and rising bills | No one cares about women's football?

Grace. Inspiring women's stories. Read in browser No money, no food and rising bills - how mums are surviving the cost of living crisis A woman who worked all of her life says that the cost of living crisis has hit her so hard that she has to ride buses to keep warm and survives on whatever food is

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No money, no food and rising bills - how mums are surviving the cost of living crisis A woman who worked all of her life says that the cost of living crisis has hit her so hard that she has to ride buses to keep warm and survives on whatever food is heavily discounted in her local supermarkets. Linda Foster, 73, said she always paid her way and worked hard to own her home and make a good life for her and her children. However, in recent months, Ms Foster has had to make some tough decisions to ensure food is on the table. Now retired and living in Skegness, she said: "Well, all the food has gone up tremendously and when you live on a pension you've got to take that into consideration. It's getting to the point now where you used to be able to move down a level in food, down to the supersavers, but now you're at the bottom level. You can't move down any lower." And she's far from alone. A Cork mum who is a carer to her son has said that she is racking up credit card bills as she struggles to afford to live. The Upper Glanmire woman has health issues, as does her teenage son who lives with profound hearing loss, severe ADHD, Asperger's, dyslexia, dyspraxia and a recent arthritis diagnosis. Julie Anne Cunneen spoke out on her fight for help from the state as she struggles with "no money for food and no money for heating costs" as she cares for 15-year-old Liam. One woman has described this week how she was forced to choose between eating and putting the heating on. She said: "I found myself in debt through no fault of my own. It was tough. It was a combination of choosing which, did I eat or did I put the heating on? As for accessing foodbanks, as a parent, I found it really difficult. "My dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. And he was given six months to live. It was a tough time because I'd been raised by him from the age of 11. I decided to resign from my job, so I can become sole carer for him. "He soon died after I moved in and I became really depressed." After dedicating the last 25 years to the service industry landlady Debbie Burrows has been forced to come out of semi-retirement despite battling cancer, thanks to the cost of living crisis and its impact on families and businesses. Debbie Burrows is the landlady of the Lake Road Inn in Keswick and has been there for more than 20 years, at the family-run pub where she brought her children up. In years gone by Debbie had three pubs and in preparation for retirement bought the Coffee Lounge as something that would keep her finger in the game and provide a steady source of income. But, since Brexit, the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis they're struggling to survive as a result of rising prices and the almost impossible task of finding staff, they are barely making ends meet. Like many people at the moment, Laura McAuliffe is worried about how she's going to heat her home this winter as costs go up. She's particularly worried because she's the full time carer of her 9-year-old son Simon who has asthma, chest problems and mobility issues. Because of Simon's additional needs, it's especially important that he has a warm house at all times; "if he doesn't, he gets sick." Although she argues that should be a human right for everyone. Useful links from our network How to feed a family of five for 5 euros Aldi praised after announcing new £1 food scheme for kids How to save money on your weekly food shop

Who said no one cares about women's football? Turns out they most definitely do Euro 2022 is under way and despite years of evidence suggesting I should feel otherwise, I find myself hugely optimistic that England can finally end the nation's international football hoodoo and be crowned champions, writes Sam Quek. The girls got off to the dream start with a comfortable 1-0 win versus Austria on Wednesday, however rather than using this column to talk about Fran Kirby's delightful assist, Beth Mead's cheeky lob or England's resolute defending; I actually want to talk about the crowd. The record-breaking crowd of 68,000 fans who flocked to Old Trafford created an atmosphere that was just as passionate as any men's international match that I have witnessed; however what struck me was how different the temperament of the supporters felt. There was a clearly detectable air of goodwill and happiness. It also felt like that positive tone wasn't dependant on the matches result. There was none of the aggression that so often associated with a men's football crowd. When the ball went out for a corner for example, there wasn't hundreds of obscene hand gestures in the background – just cheering, clapping and smiles. I may be late to the party, or perhaps it is that I am seeing football through a different prism, given that I am a relatively new mother of two, but attending a women's international match with my family strikes me are far more appealing that attending a men's game. I have always maintained that I will take my children to the football "when they are old enough". What is clear though, is that the age in which they will be "old enough" very much differs with regards to the men and women's games – and that feels quite sad. Read the full column here More writing from our network Why England will leave a lasting legacy whatever the end result Tory MP wishes Wales luck in the Euros - even though they didn't qualify Lord Sugar cut down by Gabby Logan after Euro 2022 female commentators complaint Stories that matter Nearly five million women have missed their latest smear test ADHD symptoms in women as diagnoses soar DWP error means women should check their pensions as thousands impacted The Range forced to pull weight loss items after complaints they body-shamed women ​​​​​​​British Airways tells women they can't be doctors in embarrassing website gaffe

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