Words of Affirmation

Christmas Special 2025 - Words of the Year

Our final episode of 2025 is a bit of fun as Hannah and Ruth reveal their words of the year. Let us know your words of the year in the comments. Thanks for listening to our little podcast. May 2026 care for you all. Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon [https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink]. You can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website [http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk]

The gig economy with Joe Durbidge

This week we’re joined by Joe Durbidge to talk about the concept and meaning of “the gig economy”. We discuss how it’s a lot less fun than it sounds and how understanding workers rights for some shines a light on systemic patterns affecting the rights of us all.  Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. Our guest Joe Durbidge is a campaign-led researcher at IWGB and was previously a courier full time. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon [https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink]. You can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website [http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk]. You can find out more about the IWGB on their website [https://iwgb.org.uk/en/] Our positive affirmations this week spanned the work of the IWGB [https://iwgb.org.uk/en/], Ireland’s basic income for the arts [https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/unemployment-and-redundancy/employment-support-schemes/basic-income-arts/] and Care Full’s recent work on care solidarity [https://carefulleconomy.co.uk/care-for-each-other/].Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth [https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a] (thanks Bob x).

'Vulnerable people' with Bryony Shannon

This week we take on the language of ‘vulnerable people’ and explore what it means for how we live, work and care for each other. We’re joined by Bryony Shannon, author of the Rewriting Social Care blog [https://rewritingsocialcare.blog/] and the book - ‘Rewriting Social Care: Challenging and Changing Language and Practice for a Better, Brighter Future’ [https://rewritingsocialcare.blog/2025/07/26/book/]. She has almost 20 years’ experience in adult social care information, communications, and practice development in local councils, and is now working with several organisations who want to challenge and change their own language and practice. Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon [https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink]. You can find out more about our guest Bryony Shannon on her website [https://rewritingsocialcare.blog/about/]. And, you can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website [http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk]. Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth [https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a] (thanks Bob x).

The housing ladder is an illusion

This week we’re talking about the ‘housing ladder’. We explore how the idea of a ladder keeps our attention on home ownership over other tenures, and whether the metaphor stands up in the midst of today’s housing market. Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon [https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink]. You can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website [http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk]. This week we talked about: * Keir Starmer’s vision for housing op ed for Inside Housing [https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/comment/sir-keir-starmer-my-vision-for-housing-87096] * Steve Hilditch’s essay More Snakes than Ladders for Red Brick [https://redbrickblog.co.uk/2024/01/more-snakes-than-ladders/] * The UK’s Renters Reform Bill [https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3462] * The IFS report Help onto the Housing Ladder [https://ifs.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-12/Help-onto-the-housing-ladder-IFS-report.pdf] * TSB research on the experiences of first time buyers [https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/80-of-first-time-buyers-moved-back-home-to-get-on-housing-ladder-survey-finds] * Nick Bano in the Guardian on the simple solution to the housing crisis [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/mar/19/end-of-landlords-surprisingly-simple-solution-to-uk-housing-crisis] * Housing co-ops [https://ldn.coop/londons-co-ops/housing-co-ops/] * Tenants unions like London Renters Union [https://londonrentersunion.org/], Acorn [https://acorntheunion.org.uk/]and Greater Manchester Tenants Union [https://tenantsunion.org.uk/] * Deutsche Wohnen & Co enteignen campaign and referendum for public ownership of housing in Berlin [https://dwenteignen.de/] Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth [https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a] (thanks Bob x).

It's more than 'taxpayers' money'

This week we’re talking about ‘taxpayers money’ and exploring how such a commonplace phrase leans us towards less public spending and creates a dividing line between who public services are and aren’t for. Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon [https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink]. You can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website [http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk]. This week we talked about: * This Mother Jones article on the history of tax and biases of ‘taxpayers’ [https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/04/taxpayer-dollars-the-origins-of-austeritys-racist-catchphrase/] * Tax Payers Alliance’s BBC guide * Critiques on the language of taxpayers from Richard Murphy [https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2015/09/19/there-is-no-such-thing-as-taxpayers-money/] * Research from Carnegie UK on public perceptions of the tax system [https://carnegieuk.org/publication/public-perceptions-of-the-uk-tax-system/] * Patriotic Millionaires [https://patrioticmillionaires.uk/] * The British Social Attitudes Survey findings on tax [https://natcen.ac.uk/news/majority-britain-back-more-tax-more-spend] * Margate residents turning out in opposition to UKIP this month [https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2025/09/27/police-in-attendance-at-ukip-gathering-and-counter-demos-in-margate/] Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth [https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a] (thanks Bob x).