Joyce Yang

A creative freelance journalist who might also be a pet detective or a fashion influencer in an alternative universe. 

Bylines in The Telegraph, Metro, Islington Gazette, Islington Now and LondonWorld. Keen interest in lifestyle, internet culture, neurodiversity, mental health, and immigration issues. 

MA Newspaper Journalism at City, University of London (2023-24) 

Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels
The Telegraph •

Why autism and ADHD self-diagnosis may be inaccurate

With such a long and stringent official diagnosis process, it’s little wonder then that people who feel they may better fit into the neurodiverse rather than neurotypical category are seeking out their own diagnoses.

Self-diagnosis rocketed during the pandemic thanks in part to social media and other internet platforms. In 2021, the #autism hashtag became the ninth most-viewed health-related hashtag on TikTok. Autism-related hashtags generated an astounding 11.5 billion views on the platform in
Islington Now •

Nicola Baird: The face behind Islington Faces blog

You can’t miss Nicola Baird in the crowd. Wrapped in an oversized camouflage coat under a safety vest and wearing an Aztec-patterned beanie, she looks slightly hippie. Oh, and there’s the giant inflatable paddleboard beside her feet. She had been teaching a multicultural group at a community centre and brought the equipment with her to our interview.

Being a paddleboard instructor isn’t Nicola’s only job. She’s also an avid environmental journalist who once wrote regularly for a horse magazine,
Islington Now •

The Gate Islington: ‘I had no idea why the restaurant was rated autism-friendly’

As an autistic adult, I hate going out to eat. Dishes clattering, forks scraping, people chattering, kids screaming… restaurants are a sensory hell. For years now, I’ve been ordering takeaway food to avoid the ordeal.

But there is one restaurant that dares to be different. Five minutes away from Angel station, The Gate Islington is a plant-based restaurant with 35 years of history. It was awarded the UK’s first autism-friendly restaurant in 2016 by the National Autistic Society for its partners
Islington Gazette •

Share your memories of historic street for map

Jacky Oliver, the current artist in residence of Bunhill, is creating a piece of public art celebrating the history of the area around Whitecross Street that will be displayed in Bunhill Field in 2024.

The street leads from Old Street down towards the Barbican, with buildings spanning centuries.

As part of the project, Jacky, a metalworker with over 30 years' experience, is making a map out of metal panels etched with information based on archive materials from Finsbury Library.

But she needs
UCL •

‘They want to silence us’: UAL is censoring posters about cleaners’ strike across its campuses

‘We were cleaners before. Now we are servants.’

University of the Arts London (UAL) is criticised for being “disingenuous” after removing posters supporting the outsourced cleaners’ strike “within hours”.

Starting from 2nd October, cleaners working for UAL were staging a five-day strike against the university’s treatment. Coordinated by two trade unions, their campaign UAL: End Outsourcing is calling to bring cleaners in-house for better working conditions.

The strikes were apparently met wit
Islington Now •

Islington cleanest borough in London, figures show

Islington is the cleanest area in London, with fewer recorded incidents of fly-tipping than any borough in the city, according to new data.

An Islington Now analysis of the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs figures shows that there were 1,292 fly-tipping incidents on the streets of Islington in 2022/23, 90% lower than the London average of 12,790.

Fly-tipping in Islington is also at its lowest level for ten years, having peaked in 2015-16, when 4,174 incidents were recorded in th
Islington Gazette •

'A lovely surprise' - award for volunteer who raised £85k for hospital

Jean Higgins, a retired dancer and former Moorfields Eye Hospital patient, leads a volunteers team hosting monthly sales of donated earrings and necklaces for the charity Friends of Moorfields.

The amateur artist made some of the jewellery sold with other team members. She also painted and sold 160 paintings - with some fetching hundreds of pounds - over the past 18 years.
• READ MORE: Woman and boyfriend murdered step-father after he 'confessed' to abusing her

The sale is held once a month, u
Islington Now •

Bunhill welcomes its third artist-in-residence for heritage project

A new artist has moved into St Luke’s Community Centre to create public art to celebrate Bunhill’s history.

Jamie Turner, an experimental sound artist, was appointed by Islington Council last year as the artist-in-residence for the third year of the Bunhill Heritage Project, which supports an artist a year to create a work of public art to be displayed in the ward.

After moving in earlier this month, Jamie is now planning for a series of art workshops ranging from “free improvisation sessions,
Islington Now •

Four best things to do for families with autistic children in Islington

Islington is one of the most crowded boroughs in London. For autistic children, the busy traffic and unpredictable environment can be overwhelming, and it can be difficult for parents to plan a relaxed day out.

Luckily, as more venues have begun accommodating the needs of neurodivergent people, several museums and event spaces now have activities planned just for autistic individuals.

Islington Now has found the best things to do for families with autistic children. Here’s our list:

Islington
Islington Now •

Reviving Whitecross Street's history with artist Jacky Oliver

An artist has finished the design work for a community art project to be displayed later this year.

Jacky Oliver, the second artist of the Bunhill Heritage project, finished her residency at St Luke’s Community Centre last week. She is preparing a series of modern art pieces to be displayed on Whitecross Street this September.

Funded by Islington Council, the Bunhill Heritage Project invites an artist every year to create public artworks telling the area’s history.

Starting in March 2023, Jac
Islington Now •

Families suffering due to housing crisis, Islington Councillor says

A council housing shortage has made it more difficult to support low-income families in Islington, according to a Bunhill councillor.

Valerie Bossman-Quarshie said housing issues are the most common complaints from residents during flat visits and ward surgeries, with families usually needing to “wait for weeks, months or even years to get their problems fixed.”

The situation is exacerbated by the ongoing council home shortage as “the housing demand is far beyond the capacity”.

Among more tha
Islington Gazette •

'A bumper year' Christmas fair returns to The Charterhouse

The Charterhouse in Clerkenwell will host more than 50 stalls selling artisan food & drinks, handcrafts, housewares, clothing, and skincare products on Tuesday (November 21).

Organiser Tom Foakes said the fair, running from 11am to 8pm, would be a perfect opportunity “to find special gifts for loved ones or yourself”.
• READ MORE: 'It is the hardest pain ever' - Mother of murdered boy in plea to tackle knife crime

Sellers include Stargazy Rum, The Gay Farmer, Cocoa Runners, My Skin Feels, Cosy
Islington Now •

Islington bike thefts drop to a decade-low, data reveals

Bike thefts in Islington have dropped to a decade-low after hitting the highest point during the pandemic.

New data released by Metropolitan Police shows 765 bike thefts were reported in Islington in the last 12 months, dropping 46.8% compared to 2020 – the worst year in the borough’s history with 193 bikes stolen in a single month.

Arthur Gajevskij, a police officer from Bunhill and St Peters & Canalside’s safer neighbourhood team, cited hotspot policing as the main reason for the recent impr