Feature Writer - Preparing for Winter

We publish a magazine aimed at disabled people, carers and professionals working within the disability field.

Article length: 1200 words

Brief:
Summary:
Disabled people can sometimes look towards the colder, wetter months with trepidation.
Recent winters have been tough for vulnerable people. We’ve produced a guide outlining
what to think about before the wind blows.
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Please include:
 Notes on how to keep yourself warm and well in winter – suggested minimum
temperature of home, eat well etc – best food to eat for warmth and energy, and to
store- if you can’t get out and about, as well as making sure you have an adequate
stock of medicines. Also discuss benefits of exercise and how to dress (for
warmth) – and social interaction etc.
 Heating – notes on servicing appliances and plumbing – as well as considering
how to avoid wasting/losing heat through drafts etc.
 Details on preparations disabled people might make for unexpectedly harsh
conditions, such as: emergency evacuation plan/somebody to look in on you, list
of numbers such as plumbers, electricians, doctor, as well as energy providers.
 Going out – tell people where and when you’re going. Think about kit to take in
the car. Consider staying home and having people visit you or deliver to your
door.
 Look into becoming a priority customer with utility companies. (How to become
a priority customer and what the general benefits are.)
 Details on winter benefits such as warm home discount, cold weather payment,
and winter fuel payment, etc. Note also that some energy providers run hardship

funds and trusts. Other charitable concerns may be able to provide a grant for new
appliances, etc, that will help to keep you well.

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Please note:
 Please use any relevant stats, facts or figures – but make sure that they are
properly sourced.
 Introduce your piece with a ‘lede’ paragraph of one or two sentences.
 Keep paragraphs simple and compact (65 words max).
 Make your point quickly. Who, what, when, where and how? These facts need to
be in the first portion of your submission.
 Write to the reader. Our audience is primarily made up of disabled people and
their carers as well as healthcare professionals in the disability field.
 Keep it positive. For example, regarding disability, we rarely say: “Suffering
from…” when we could say “Living with…” ‘We exist to inspire our readers
and empower them with ‘answers and solutions’.
 Add any helpful information (at the end of your submission) such as telephone
numbers and web addresses of organisations relevant to the subject you have
written about. (Please no hyperlinks – they do not work in a printed publication.
Use reasonably short web URLs starting with www.)
 Add any interesting/related facts, styled to small paragraph for us to use as
boxouts.
 Please do not format your text, add lines, page-breaks or embed images.