Editor’s letter
If the promise of a healthy, happy, confident you made you pick up this issue, looking for fresh ideas, then congratulations – you’ve come to the right place! We have so many inspiring stories about women like you, who have made changes or pursued their dreams to find fulfilment and joy. I love the feature by Susan Smillie (page 56), who talks about how sailing all the way to Greece in a tiny little boat helped her find a new way of life. Then there’s Isabella Tree, who has dedicated herself to rewilding the land (page 60), tech trailblazer Edwina Dunn, who’s on a mission to empower women across the world (page 50), and Carol Atherton, who has found sharing great books with children and teenagers hugely satisfying (page 54).
But of all the wonderful stories in this issue, I’d urge you to read our interviews with Paula, Kerry and Shermina, who are volunteers with Good Housekeeping’s 2024 charity partner, Family Action (page 36). Paula gives up a few hours a week to give advice over the phone to those needing help on FamilyLine; Kerry works on an allotment, supporting adults with learning difficulties and mental health issues; while Shermina helps her local community by volunteering at her local FOOD Club, providing provisions and conversation to families in need. What’s striking is that all of them talk about how volunteering has added so much richness to their own lives and how, by offering up their time and expertise, they’ve gained confidence, fresh purpose, new skills and enormous satisfaction. So why not get involved yourself? We think Good Housekeeping readers are the ideal match for Family Action’s services and have set ourselves the ambitious target of recruiting 1,000 women as new volunteers as part of our Friends of the Family campaign. Several of the GH team and I are currently looking into offering a few hours a week to work on FamilyLine – so why not join us? It’s a small commitment and will achieve a ripple effect of so much good. All the details for what to do next can be found on pages 38, 39 and 40.
If you feel trepidation and fear about leaping in and doing something new, then pay heed to our cover star, Ruth Jones (page 10). Ruth tells us how she had to force herself out of her comfort zone to take on the role of Mother Superior in Sister Act: The Musical. And while Ruth might be familiar from her myriad TV roles (especially as the irrepressible Nessa
