HELLO! GOOD NEWS Uplifting recent stories
SPREAD THE WORD: ANIMALS ARE FUNNY
Raccoons
with a secret (above) and a happy dragonfly ( left) are among the pictures shortlisted for the final of this year’s Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.
Created by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam in 2015, this year’s competition saw the biggest mix of animals to date, with entries from all over the world. It aims to highlight the lighter side of wildlife photography and helps promote conservation through humour, each year supporting a different wildlife charity – this year 10% of net revenue will be donated to the Save Wild Orangutans initiative.
Paul said: “The huge number of images we receive every year illustrates the appetite there is to engage with conservation.”
Tom added: “There were so many funny pictures that had us laughing that we couldn’t settle on a top 40 – so we’re releasing the top 42 instead.”
To vote for your favourite, visit comedywildlifephoto.com.
BEAR STAYING HERE?
“The Forest will always be there… and anybody who is Friendly with Bears can find it,” wrote Winnie-thePooh creator AA Milne. And now, fans can discover Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood as his house is brought to life in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, for the bear’s 95th anniversary. Hosted and curated by former Disney artist Kim Raymond, it features tree trunks hugging a door frame inscribed with “Mr Sanders”. If you’re lucky enough to book a stay there – this weekend only – you’ll find cupboards of “hunny” pots and decorations inspired by the original Pooh illustrations by EH Shepard. House rules state a game of poohsticks is mandatory and “strictly no heffalumps” are allowed. Kim says: “The ‘ Bearbnb’ brings the charm of Pooh to life for fans, whilst honouring the original adventures that have been so important to many people for 95 years.”
SAIRA KHAN’S PICK OF THE WEEK
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These spectacular ice sculptures near Tower Bridge were created by the charity WaterAid to remind people of the absolute importance of water. It’s a really clever way of making a statement. Water is the source of everything; we’re made up of water, we drink it, we use it and I don’t think people always associate the importance of water with discussions about climate change.
About 771 million people don’t have reliable access to clean water and I think WaterAid ambassador Dougray Scott is brilliant for supporting this campaign, speaking about the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change. And that’s the reason why these sculptures work – because they are fragile, just like water. Each beautiful figure represents someone who doesn’t have clean water close to home, and those who face an uncertain future.
I’m very passionate about this because I have family in a developing country, and I’ve seen firsthand how far people must go to get clean water.
We have got so much to be grateful for here in the UK. And I think when people look at these sculptures, it reminds us of our fortunate position, and how we can help others by being
‘ careful. The WaterAid charity’s whole purpose is to provide clean water, to conserve water and to educate people about water around the world. With these sculptures, we can raise that awareness… because we’ve all got a role to play in it.