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TODAY IS: International Men's Day
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LATEST
Scottish Friendly CEO Backs Cut Of Cash ISA Allowance
Stephen McGee, Chief Executive of Scottish Friendly, says a bold move to reduce the cash ISA allowance that is supported by a national awareness campaign could help trigger a “paradigm shift” in investing in the UK.
Councillor Shortlisted For National Community Champion Cllr Award
Councillors have been shortlisted at the 2025 LGIU and CCLA Cllr Awards. Now in their 16th year in England and 8th year in Scotland, these Awards highlight the vital contribution of councillors, often the unsung heroes of local democracy.
9:01 AM 17th November 2025
Housing Market Stalls As Pre-Budget Anxieties Hit Buyer Confidence
Image by Satheesh Sankaran from Pixabay
The latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey for October 2025 reveals a notable cooling across the UK’s housing market, with buyer demand, sales activity and new instructions all falling further into negative territory. Survey respondents strongly attribute the slowdown to mounting uncertainty ahead of the forthcoming Autumn Budget and potential tax-raising measures.
7:18 AM 17th November 2025
Young Adults Turning To "Bank Of Everyone" As Cost Of Leaving Home Soars
Today's young adults are having to draw on grandparents, siblings, friends and even charities to move out of the family home, new data has revealed. Research from Scottish Friendly's Family Finance Tracker shows a stark generational divide, with Gen Z relying on a significantly wider support network than previous generations to afford either renting or buying their first home.
1:00 AM 14th November 2025
MySight York and Living 4 Moments Unite for International Day of Disabled Persons
(L-R) Rachel Barber and Vicky Colombi
To celebrate International Day of Disabled Persons, MySight York, the city’s expert sight loss charity, is partnering with Living 4 Moments to deliver a dynamic Inclusion Taster Workshop that explores what true inclusion looks like and why it benefits everyone.
1:04 AM 11th November 2025
RICS Report Warns Of Sustainability Slowdown In Global Built Environment
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has released its 2025 Sustainability Report, revealing a slowdown in global demand growth for sustainable buildings and a concerning lack of progress in carbon measurement across construction projects.
1:00 AM 11th November 2025
Almost Half Of Parents Feel Self-Conscious Playing Imaginary Games With Their Kids, According To A New Study
As many as 49 percent of British parents struggle to let themselves go and embrace their own inner child, when playing games with their children, with a quarter (26%) confessing to feeling “stupid”.
1:00 AM 10th November 2025
Nearly one third of Brits don’t know if they have a relative who served in WW1
Almost a third of UK adults (29%) are unsure whether they have relatives who served in WW1, highlights research commissioned by Findmypast. Of those who know they have a war hero relative, more than two-thirds (63%) know ‘little to nothing’ about them.
1:00 AM 8th November 2025
Thousands Of Homes Risk Losing Vital Energy Efficiency Funding
Thousands of homes could miss out on crucial financial support to help cut their energy bills permanently. The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is the longest running fuel poverty scheme in Great Britain. Across the country it has provided energy saving measures, such as insulation and upgrading heating systems, to 523,045 existing ECO homes, making their homes warmer and cheaper to heat.
1:00 AM 7th November 2025
UK’s Biggest Youth Census Reveals Gen Z Are More Local, More Spiritual And More Self-Aware Than Any Generation Before Them
Photo: LADbible
A major new study by LADbible Group has revealed that Britain’s Gen Z are far from the ‘disengaged’ digital stereotype, they’re a generation defined by faith, friendship and local pride - finding meaning in spirituality, wellness and community as well as in their social feeds.
1:00 AM 7th November 2025
Interview
Cumbria’s Local Heroes Celebrated In Churchill Living Awards
Local Hero winners
Churchill Living has recognised the remarkable contributions of over 60s in Cumbria as part of its first-ever Local Hero Awards, celebrating inspirational individuals who are making a real difference in their communities. Terry Peate, 70, from Cockermouth, has been crowned Cumbria’s Local Hero.
12:00 AM 7th November 2025
Historic England Reveals Its Heritage At Risk In The North West
No.7 Bottle Shop, St Helens Photo: Historic England©
Historic England has today revealed its Heritage at Risk Register 2025. The Register gives an annual snapshot of the health of England’s valued historic buildings and places. It helps to ensure they can be protected and continue to be enjoyed in the future. Heritage plays a vital role in the pride people feel about their local place.
1:00 AM 6th November 2025
Journey To Great British Railways Gathers Steam With Landmark Legislation
Image:©Steve Hare
Landmark legislation that will transform Britain’s railways is being introduced today, paving the way for a simpler, more reliable network which puts passengers before profits.
1:00 AM 5th November 2025
Urgent Need For Additional Support From Financial Services And Debt Advice Providers For Neurodivergent People In Debt, As 73% Report Feeling Overwhelmed
New research commissioned by debt charity StepChange supported by global credit reference agency Equifax has uncovered the profound and often hidden financial challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals.
1:00 AM 4th November 2025
Shared Ownership Expands In The North, As Affordability Drives Demand, Finds CBRE Report
Global real estate advisor, CBRE, has released new regional insights from its “Future of Shared Ownership” report, highlighting sustained demand for the Shared Ownership (SO) model across the North West and Yorkshire & Humber.
1:00 AM 3rd November 2025
Barrow Artist Brings Founding Father's Travel Case Back Home
A Striking Piece Of Barrow's History Has Been Returned To The Town Thanks To A Local Artist The one-off embossed leather travel bag, which was spotted in a Carlisle antiques shop, previously belonged to Cumbrian industrialist Sir James Ramsden.
1:00 AM 31st October 2025
Deregulate To Boost Birth Rates, New Research Suggests
A new paper, published today by the Institute of Economic Affairs, shows that while the total fertility rate hit a record low of 1.44 children per woman in 2023, women's intended fertility has remained remarkably stable at around 2.2 children since 1979, suggesting that the 'fertility gap' may have grown since it was last measured in 2011.
1:00 AM 31st October 2025
How Landlords Can Adjust To The Renters’ Rights Act
Image by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi from Pixabay
The Renters’ Rights Act has now achieved Royal Assent and is set to bring about the most significant overhaul of the private rental sector in England in a generation, with the aim of creating a fairer and more transparent system for both tenants and landlords.
1:00 AM 30th October 2025
Stagecoach Offers Free Travel To Veterans This Remembrance Day
All serving military, veterans and cadets will qualify for free national travel on Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day in support of Stagecoach’s employee Veterans Network Stagecoach, the UK’s largest bus and coach operator, has announced that free travel will be available on all its bus services across the UK for serving military, cadets, and veterans on Remembrance Sunday (9 November) and Ar…
1:00 AM 30th October 2025
Festive Carlisle Pop-Up Shop To Raise Money For Children’s Cancer North
Kitty with her little brother
A special festive pop-up shop in Carlisle this November will raise funds for a cancer charity inspired by a little girl who has recently overcome leukaemia. Mandy Norwood will host the week-long Little Treasures pop-up at Intro PR’s premises on Paternoster Row, near Carlisle Cathedral, from Saturday 1 November.
11:02 AM 29th October 2025
What’s Happening With UK House Prices?
Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay
The property market is unbalanced with buyers holding “unprecedented power”, according to property expert Jonathan Rolande who has released a report sharing his analysis of current market activity and where he thinks prices are heading.
1:00 AM 29th October 2025
Charity Unveils Ambitious Plan For North Of England Heart Care
The Children’s Heart Unit Fund (Chuf) has launched a bold new strategy that will guide the charity’s next decade of support for children and families living with heart conditions across the North of England.
1:01 AM 27th October 2025
Clocks Change In The UK
The clocks in the UK will change on Sunday, October 26, 2025. At 2:00 AM, the clocks will be set back by one hour, marking the end of British Summer Time (BST) and the return to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
11:00 PM 24th October 2025
Emma Neville Hosts The Great Mancunian Lunch And Raises £40,000 For Moya Cole Hospice
The Great Mancunian Lunch, an exclusive charity event created by Moya Cole Hospice, in partnership with the Taylor Lynn Corporation and hosted by Emma Neville, to raise funds for the new Moya Cole Hospice that took place this week!
3:32 PM 24th October 2025
Environment Agency Continues To Call For Urgent Action
Water companies in England achieve only 19 stars out of 36—the lowest since assessment began in 2011. Serious pollution incidents up 60 per cent from 2023. Environment Agency urges water companies to take action as tougher regulation and record investment are implemented. United Utilities received a 2-star rating.
12:00 AM 24th October 2025
Landlords Have Less Than Two Weeks To Prepare For A Major Law Change - Which Could See Them Hit With Fines
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
A property care expert has urged landlords to act now - as the clock ticks down towards a major law change. “Awaab’s Law” places a legal duty on social landlords to investigate and fix damp and mould hazards within strict timescales. It kicks in from October 27, the date at which all emergency hazards must be investigated immediately and fixed within 24 hours.
12:01 AM 22nd October 2025
Sea Scouts All Shipshape Thanks To Fibrus Donation
Wigton Scouts
Scouts in Cumbria have been enjoying late summer evenings on the water in their new canoes thanks to funding from a local Full Fibre broadband provider. The 3rd Wigton Sea Scouts tested out the Canadian canoes during a regular evening session on Bassenthwaite Lake.
5:37 PM 21st October 2025
NCUB Responds To Post-16 White Paper
Image by thelester from Pixabay
The National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) has welcomed the Government’s commitment in today’s Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper to create a more coherent, connected and collaborative tertiary system, but warned that tuition fee proposals alone are not bold enough to fix a broken university funding system.
5:44 AM 21st October 2025
Crosscountry Customers Advised Significant Disruption To Continue On Saturday 18 October
Photo: CrossCountry
CrossCountry customers are being warned of significant travel disruption on Saturday 18 October, despite the suspension of planned industrial action by the RMT union. The strike would have seen union members – including Train Managers and Senior Conductors - declining to work.
11:58 AM 17th October 2025
'Pride in Place' Has the Right Ambition — Now It Needs the Right Evidence
The government’s new Pride in Place programme is a bold step in the right direction, a recognition that Britain’s towns and high streets can only truly recover when power, pride, and purpose sit with the people who live and work there. For too long, communities have watched from the sidelines as decisions about their high streets were made elsewhere.
12:01 AM 17th October 2025
Newcastle And Edinburgh’s Commuter Belts Beat London For Homebuyer Affordability
The latest research from The Property DriveBuy has found that Newcastle and Edinburgh rank as the best commuter belts in Britain, with all surrounding local authorities offering a more affordable average house price than the cities themselves, whilst Liverpool ranks as the worst.
12:00 AM 17th October 2025
UK GDP: An Economy Adrift
UK GDP rose 0.1% month-on-month in August, following a fall of 0.1% in July.
8:17 AM 16th October 2025
Global Handwashing Day: Hygiene Expert Busts Myths Around Hand Washing
Hand washing is crucial for protecting ourselves, our health, and those around us. It is vital for controlling bacteria and helping to limit the spread of viruses. Today is Global Handwashing day, which is designed to raise awareness about the importance of good hand hygiene and motivate people to use good handwashing techniques.
3:00 PM 15th October 2025
Breaking Down Barriers: North Yorkshire Nurses Launch Pioneering Menopause Service
Pearly Clark Brown and Mell Dunwell
Two experienced healthcare professionals have launched one of the UK's few Care Quality Commission-registered, nurse-led menopause services, offering women rapid access to expert care at affordable prices.
12:00 AM 15th October 2025
YouGov: Consumer Confidence Stagnates For The Second Month In A Row
Overall YouGov/Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) consumer confidence index did not move in September. Household finance measures for the past 30 days (-0.5) and next 12 months (-3.3) fell Confidence in house prices rose in the short-term (+3.1), as did outlook (+0.9). Workers were more confident about their job security over September (+1.0), and more optimistic looking forward (+0.5)
12:00 AM 14th October 2025
Sellers Could Struggle With Problem Properties, As Government Moves To Force Homeowners To List Property Issues Upfront
Image by Jens Neumann from Pixabay
The latest research from nationwide cash buying company and quick sale specialists, Springbok Properties, has found that sellers could face a tougher time finding a buyer, as government plans to force them to list known issues with their homes risk deterring almost half of potential purchasers, a move that would see half of potential buyers bypass their home, with 94% stating they would offer b…
12:00 AM 14th October 2025
Is Reliance On In-Car Technology Making US Worse Behind The Wheel?
Photo: Freepix/rawpixel.com
Reliance on in-car technology is making us worse behind the wheel, say two-fifths of drivers in new AA Driving School research. Older drivers were the least likely to think this (36% of over 65’s) and those aged 25-34 were the most likely (51%), perhaps indicating confidence in driving skills and with using these features increases with experience.
12:00 AM 13th October 2025
World Mental Health Day: Promoting Psychological Safety & Wellbeing In Our Community
This World Mental Health Day (10th October) mental health expert Noel McDermott looks at how our current world can be quite frightening for many and how we can commit to finding ways of developing emotional safety for ourselves and our loved ones. Let’s make this World Let’s Be Safe Day by creating psychological and mental safety.
12:00 AM 10th October 2025
Subdued Momentum Persists In UK Housing Market Amidst Autumn Budget Uncertainty
The latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey reveals that subdued momentum continued to characterise the housing market in September. Buyer demand and agreed sales remain in negative territory for the third consecutive month. Forward-looking sentiment suggests this muted picture is likely to persist into early 2026.
12:00 AM 9th October 2025
A Bus Ticket Prescription For Improving Your Mental Health
Friday [October 10] is World Mental Health Day and this year’s theme set by the World Federation for Mental Health is ‘access to services – mental health in catastrophes and emergencies’. But while there are services in Cumbria for when disaster strikes, there are others that are run to lift the spirits so we’re more resilient.
12:00 AM 9th October 2025
Gap Between Dream Retirement Age Vs. Expectation Widens To 5 Years
The Retirement Expectation Gap – the gap between when Brits want to retire and when they actually think they will be able to – has widened in the last year, according to new research from Standard Life, as rising living costs, pension insecurity and ongoing financial pressures push expectation further from aspiration.
6:35 AM 7th October 2025
Too Soft On Rule-Breakers! Drivers Slam Double Yellow Line Leniency
34% of drivers believe enforcement is not strong enough. Only 4% say enforcement is too strict. “Enforcement alone isn’t the answer” – AA head of roads policy
12:00 AM 6th October 2025
First Named Storm Of 2025/26 Season Prompts Warning From Rural Insurer: ‘Pack Up Your Summer Furniture.’
Photo by Ray Bilcliff: https://www.pexels.com/photo/sea-waves-crashing-on-the-seaside-8529398/
UK rural insurer NFU Mutual is urging people not to be complacent and to take action to prevent damage before Storm Amy brings dangerous winds to much of the UK this Friday and Saturday. The storm will bring gusts of up to 90mph in parts of Scotland and 70mph in the North of England, Northern Ireland and Wales, potentially wreaking havoc on properties and businesses and putting lives at risk.
5:20 AM 3rd October 2025
How To Set Up A Phone For An Older Person
Image: spusu
Staying in touch with older loved ones, whether they live nearby or far away, is important. But getting hold of them isn’t always easy. As our gadgets get smarter, it’s more important than ever that seniors can navigate them confidently.
5:20 AM 1st October 2025
British Gas Energy Trust Support Fund Reopens Amid 2% Price Cap Hike
With energy bills set to increase today by 2%, the British Gas Energy Trust has re-opened its largest energy debt fund and is urging people in energy debt to seek support. The British Gas Energy Support Fund (ESF) offers grants to British Gas customers with up to £2,000 of debt on credit or prepayment meter accounts.
5:16 AM 1st October 2025
Theatres Trust Funds Vital Projects In 12 Community Theatres
Theatres Trust, the national advisory and advocacy body for theatres, has awarded a total of £80,000 in grants to 12 community theatres in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland through its Small Grants Programme with The Linbury Trust.
4:48 AM 30th September 2025
Cutting-Edge Rail Ticket Technology Trials Launch In The North
Passengers in the North are the latest to benefit from simplified train tickets, with the further rollout of digital trials.
6:50 AM 29th September 2025
Top Councillors Shortlisted In Annual LGCI And CCLA National Cllr Awards
40 local councillors from across England, Wales and Scotland have been shortlisted for the 2025 LGIU and CCLA Cllr Awards, the only national awards ceremony dedicated to celebrating the extraordinary work of councillors. Now in their 16th year in England and 8th year in Scotland, the Cllr Awards highlight the vital contribution of councillors, often the unsung heroes of local democracy.
12:00 AM 26th September 2025
Critical Milestone Achieved In UK Greenhouse Gas Reduction Journey
The construction of two major projects to capture carbon from cement production and waste incineration are a critical milestone in the nation’s emissions reduction journey, says Offshore Energies UK. The schemes in Flintshire, North Wales, and Cheshire will secure 500 jobs and will involve storing carbon emissions captured from a range of industries deep below the seabed.
12:00 AM 26th September 2025
Long-Term Sickness Blighting UK Economy
Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) says the UK must tackle its status as the sick man of the G7 if it wants to grow the economy.    Businesses want to see a major shake-up of the UK’s approach to ill-health which is excluding people from work and hobbling the economy.
12:01 AM 25th September 2025
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