Evelyn D

Hi Dotty,

I have many fears for the new year, not least how I am going to pay my energy bills! It has been so cold in our home and my son and I have been ill, so I had to put the heating on and I felt that the length of time it was on was careless on my part. What a thing to worry about!

I am worried that the government are looking to remove more rights of the UK people and that we are seemingly falling into something that resembles a dictatorship. Our rights to protest so significantly watered down and now the right to strike against low pay and unacceptable conditions, it is worrying. I worry about whether my son will continue to get funding for alternative provision for his education and that I will have to fight yet again for his rights.

There are so many more worries but what is the point of them? It feels a lot like things will get much worse before they get better...

My hopes are that we will be able to move home after a long battle on that front, that we can leave a toxic situation and finally feel some peace and safety in our home. That my son will get a renewed budget for his education and that I can begin to recover from really difficult times which are adversely affecting my health. That I will continue to be able to count my blessings rather than feel they are hollow.

I hope that there is some movement on the climate crisis and that we begin to take steps towards changing the way we live in order to make the difference the earth needs. I hope that there is further advance in recognising that for our society to prosper, we need fairness and parity across the board. I hope that we will have a general election and begin to see political change.

I hope that there are moves to get the companies and individuals who have exploited the pandemic to make money brought to justice and some of the money paid back to the British public.

I hope that this time next year, I am not crying and out of breath with anxiety every morning that I wake up, and that my son is more settled and flourishing.