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Ben Townsend

Editorial Assistant for aAh! Magazine and Freelance Journalist

Location icon United Kingdom

Hei. I'm the Editorial Assistant for aAh! Magazine and a freelance journalist based in Manchester. I have written for The Independent, The Tab, Backbench, the Beaver and the Great Bentley Parish Magazine. I've also taught English and journalism abroad, and had work experience at Thomson Reuters, London.

I was awarded 'New Writer of the Year' by aAh! Magazine in 2019.

You'll hear local and student news from me, including features, comment, reviews and investigative journalism.

Send me comments, stories, or death threats - I don't mind.

Contact: [email protected]

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Portfolio

The Independent

The Independent
01/10/2019
Thousands rally behind pioneering cancer researcher facing jail and deportation over UK visa...

A PhD student carrying out pioneering research into prostate cancer is facing jail in the UK because of an administrative error on her visa application. Mother-of-three Adriana Ortega-Zeifert, 39, originally from Mexico, failed to post the hard copies of the necessary documents to the Home Office in 2016, despite completing the relevant payments and forms online.

The Independent
12/09/2019
Everything you need to know about surviving university accommodation

This is it. You've unloaded the car, navigated endless, winding corridors with twenty bags and a house plant in tow, survived a brief (perhaps tearful) farewell, and now you face the front door of your new university home. You slide your key into the lock. But then, you pause.

The Tab

The Tab
28/11/2019
Bolton Cube didn't have fire-resistant cladding because it was 16cm too short

The student tower block destroyed by a fire in Bolton didn't have fire-resistant cladding because it was 16 cm too short, it has been revealed. The Cube, a six-storey block of flats home to over 200 students in Bolton that burnt down earlier this month, did not have fire-resistant cladding because it measured as 17.84m tall - just 16cm under the required height.

The Tab
07/10/2019
'Absolute weirdo' filmed masturbating at bus stops around Fallowfield

A man has been spotted masturbating in front of female students around Fallowfield, according to eyewitnesses. Sarah, a student from Manchester Metropolitan University, filmed the man "masturbating whilst smiling" through the window of a bus on Saturday at 9:30 pm. The footage can be seen on The Manchester Tab's Instagram story.

aAh! Magazine

aAh! Magazine
05/11/2019
Rewriting the North: Manchester's urbanisation is "heart-breaking", say nature writers

The North's natural landscape is under threat from "heart-breaking" urbanisation and climate change, according to renowned local nature writers. Award-winning journalist Anita Sethi and author Dr Paul Evans explained how nature has defined their identity and inspired their work at the event, but urged people to appreciate nature in the...

aAh! Magazine
18/10/2019
Students urged to join fight against racism in commemorative Civil Rights conference

Leading academics and activists urged students to join the fight against modern-day racism in a series of talks at a sixth form conference on Wednesday. British and American academics presented their research into Civil Rights activism of the 'Past, Present and Future' at the Museum of Liverpool, alongside advice on...

aAh! Magazine
22/06/2019
Manchester's toxic air: what are we doing about it?

Have you experienced any coughing fits recently? How about itchy eyes or an irritated nose? It might not just be hay fever. According to Clean Air Greater Manchester (GM), these can also be the effects of toxic air pollution - one of the biggest health risks in the city today.

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