Helen Dawe

Lows of 2025

1. My partner getting ill – it seems like she has developed chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia on top of her existing physical disabilities. This has seriously affected her ability to work, and I’ve sometimes had to step up as her carer.

2. My health and disabilities - migraines, chronic pain, neurodivergence (still on waiting lists for diagnosis but i have been able to access support), IBS. My mental health is probably the best it’s ever been, after some intense therapy, but I still have challenges.

3. Work - I’m self-employed, I have access to work support, yet because of 1. and 2. I really haven’t worked as many hours or earnt as much as I really want to. I have also increasingly found that my chosen career of gardening is difficult to work round my health problems and caring responsibilities.

4. The rise of fascism and racism, disability hate, homophobia, transphobia. UKIP parading through the toon, weekly hotel demos, other far right groupsicles meeting in the local area, flags put up because of hate rather than pride and being welcoming. Also, what the supposedly Labour government are doing, and the state of political discourse. There also seems to be a more unwelcoming feeling on the streets sometimes, and I know there has been an uptick of all kinds of hate crime.

5. The state of the world. Genocide in Palestine, Sudan, Congo, and other parts of the world; Climate change, and all the other horrendous and frightening stuff going on.

Highs of 2025

1. Work - in the second half of the year I got some paid organising work and helped organise a housing activism conference in London. It really boosted my confidence and made me recognise the whole of skillset I have (I’m apparently pretty good at organising calls and sales calls, meeting/workshop facilitation, and note taking). I also found this type of work much easier to work round or adapt to my disabilities and health problems. This has led me to alter my core work offer: I am now promoting myself as a freelance community practitioner. I have decades of experience working as an outreach worker, a community development worker, a youth and community worker, and a community gardener. I have spent the last 6 years community organising and building mutual aid and solidarity organisations in my local area, and I have learned so much doing this.

2. I’m still a director of a brilliant organisation (Food and Solidarity). This year through community organising and direct action, we got social landlords to repair serious damp issues which tenants had faced for months and years. We resisted UKIP’s march, and the consensus was that everyone felt supported by each other doing so. We also produced (BDS compliant) food and sanitary items parcels for our members each week, and I am part of the lead team for this. By being part of something bigger here In the final part of the year, I led a group to do the Power Up with Organising for Power, which connected us to Trade Union and Community Organising groups all over the world.

3. Gigs - I’ve been to a few good ones, including dancing through a mind melting autechre set at Digital. The DIY scene seems to be thriving, and I’ve seen punk and experimental bands from both the local area and around the world. I’ve very much enjoyed some of the greater diversity of queer events that have appeared on the scene. I’ve also joined a local subscription service (Inlet) that gives free gig, event, and festival tickets, so been to a few things I wouldn’t usually go to and sometimes been pleasantly surprised.

4. After years of struggling to do everything myself, I’ve finally realised that not only am I interdependent with others in my relationships, organisation, neighbourhood, the environment. But also, that asking for the support and adaptations I need means I can work to a higher standard - and support others in turn.

5. Family - my nephew is a very busy, very physically active, transport obsessed 4-year-old and mostly an absolute pleasure to be around (mostly). I’ve been getting on well with my sister and bro-out-law. I’m in touch with my second cousins on social media nowadays, and really proud of one of them who is now a fitness instructor and performer. The outlaws on my partner’s side have accepted me as part of their family, and we’ve had lush family dinners and days out.

Intentions for 2026

1. Work as a self-employed community practitioner. I am networking and applying for contracts already, and in the first week of the year I was given a place on the Organising Committee of Homes for Us Alliance.

2. Using technology more intentionally. I have taken various social media apps off my phone but am posting on my Indie Website and on the fediverse. I am investigating several tech options for specific uses. But I am also making a push to spend time away from tech reading, sewing, and in the outdoors.

3. Reading and trying out activities in The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2026 by Lia Leendertz. This year’s theme is forests and woods, so I hope to learn a lot about trees.

4. Continue to ask for help, support and adjustments. Find new people to collaborate with. Network. Spend time with friends. Remember that interconnectedness is a good thing!

5. Cultivate self-compassion and self-acceptance and talk kindly to myself. Talking badly to yourself does you no good, and in my case can lead to anxious spiralling.