012: Good News for Stoke & Staffordshire
The Knot Event, Track Social, Northwood Stadium, Heritage Walk, Green Spaces Get Investment, Stoke Town Gets £500k, SOT Council 4 Year Strategy, @theknotdaily on Instagram, Coffee Guide and Opera.
WHAT’S ON/THINGS TO DO ✅
KNOT JUST THE NEWS 📰. Thursday 30th May, Smithfield Works, Hanley. After a successful KNOT NETWORKING event this is our next evolution. A chance to meet others who are passionate about the regeneration of Stoke and Staffordshire. We’ll have time to mingle and chat, then we’ll share with you the top 10 news stories of the month. It’s not just the news, it’s the people.
MARA Track Social 🏃🏻♀️. Monday 27th May, Northwood Stadium. Most of Stoke and North Staffordshire have memories at Northwood, yet many of us probably haven’t been there since school. Imagine a night out on a running track, with no alcohol and the run provides the endorphins instead. MARA provide the community and the coaching. There’s dance music on the tannoy and you finish up with Jamaican street food. This could well be the future of nights out.
Guided History and Heritage Walk with Red Haired Stokie 🚶🏻♂️. 23rd June, Fenton. Jenna has been on Mission Stoke long before The Knot, her website and videos already provide thousands with a historical view of what came before us (without the bitterness and wallowing in the past, might I add). Her photography, writing and knowledge of our heritage is tip-top and she’s now immersing others in that history with guided walks. I can’t think of a better way to get to know where you live. Walk through the past, present and into the future.
Good News 🎉
Staffordshire Green Spaces Get Investment. Cannock Chase, Chasewater and the 92-mile Staffordshire Way will receive £18 million investment. Staffordshire’s access to green spaces is a HUGE advantage for us and it’s good to see the county council prioritising that.
Stoke Town 500k Gets 500k to Improve Town Centre. Businesses and community groups can apply for funding to be part of this. Spode Works, BCB, Goods Yard, Staffs Uni Student Village and now this provide a glimpse into Stoke Town’s future.
Cannock Chase Heritage Trail Brought to Life. Two new trails have been added with digital maps and audio experiences to make the trails at Cannock Chase immersive and family friendly. ‘The Chase’ remains a not-so hidden gem that is under-utilised by people north of it. It’s packed with history and culture with twisting trails through heathland and forest.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council Share Vision to Improve Wellbeing. Ever wondered what the council’s four year vision and strategy is? Here it is. Straight from their recent update. A preventative approach to improve quality of life and tackle their huge social care responsibility.
Applications to Peter Coates MSc Entrepreneurship Open. Anyone with an idea can apply for this free entrepreneurship course to build their business with the possibility of up to £300,000 investment too.
Enjoy Staffordshire Secures £300,000 to Get More People to Staffordshire Moorlands. If there’s a theme this week, it’s Green. I’ll say it again, our access to nature is a huge advantage. In a future where people choose a garden and a field over a high-rise and a balcony, Staffordshire is very well placed.
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WE ARE NOW SHARING DAILY UPDATES ON INSTAGRAM (@THEKNOTDAILY).
News and What’s On Digests
Weekly Roundups
Art/Culture
Event Spotlights (Like this one 👇 )
KNOT HAVING IT ❌
Not having how incredibly talented this pair from Staffordshire are. Stefan who works for Staffs Council in their vision inclusion team and his wife Denise both nailed it on Britain’s Got Talent. The couple from Audley are both registered blind and lovingly describe how they met, before belting out an excellent operatic performance.
I’m pleased to see the green focus emerge as a theme this week. Access to the countryside and an outdoor lifestyle drew me here and I’m certain it will others too. It’s been a disadvantage that Staffordshire doesn’t have a “big city” I wonder if actually, we’ve got it all wrong and the myriad of towns (if better linked together) could well be our advantage.
I’m in no rush to make money from The Knot. I’m backing myself to go all in building a credible alternative to the one negative news source here who shall not be named. I am beginning to ponder on what the most appropriate business model will be though. One that protects the integrity of the news and doesn’t incentivise sensationalised headlines and one that allows us to pay journalists and contributors to provide great stories. What do you think?
Cheers,
James Routledge, Editor of The Knot.
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