Cheers to Growth: Hundreds of Jobs to be Created by Carlsberg Britvic in South Staffs
Plus funding to refresh Stoke's playgrounds, boosting digital inclusion and Moorland Pottery pays tribute to former Motorhead man with its Burslemmy range…
Good News 🎉
🥤New Employment Opps. Hundreds of jobs are set to be created by the first business announced at Staffordshire’s West Midlands Interchange (WMI) development, a logistics hub near junction 12 of the M6. Work on the £4 million Carlsberg Britvic depot at the WMI site at Four Ashes in South Staffordshire will begin next week, with jobs on the horizon by late 2026. The Staffordshire Jobs and Careers is a key partner of the WMI project, ensuring that people across the county benefit from both employment and skills development opps created on site. Looking for work sooner? The careers service can help you with that, too.
🏞️ THE KNOT’S PEOPLE OF THE WEEK – Park Volunteers Sally and Bill 🏞️
Celebrated from July 25-August 3 this year, Love Parks Week is a national celebration that highlights the essential role parks play in our communities and the people who help maintain them. We have plenty of fab volunteers here in Stoke, including 83-year-old Bill Smithson, who’s been helping out at Greenway Bank Country Park in Brown Edge for the past 21 years. Twice a week, Bill litter picks and performs minor repairs to help keep the site clean and safe. Over at Apedale Country Park, 54-year-old Sally Christmas has been busy clearing overgrown vegetation and building paths and fences for the past eight years. Want to commit to your own small act of kindness? Email Staffordshire County Council to find out how you can get involved.
🛝 Playground Revival. Playgrounds across Stoke-on-Trent are set for enhancements thanks to £500,000 of funding that will focus on green space improvements and include local parks. The funding, from the council’s Capital Improvement Fund, will be used to refresh and repair play areas, with plans to clean, paint, and repairing equipment and create enhanced spaces for children and young people to enjoy physical activity and social interaction. Phase one (minor repairs, cleaning and painting) has already begun, while phase two will focus on bigger stuff like repairing and replacing broken equipment.
🌇 Protecting Stoke’s Heritage Buildings. A new taskforce has been established to help protect Stoke’s heritage buildings from arson and accidental fires. The city council, fire service, and the police will identify at-risk buildings and work with landlords to ensure appropriate protective measures are being taken.
💻 Boosting Digital Inclusion. Almost £800,000 in funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has assisted thousands of people across the city in improving their digital skills, with community interest company Wavemaker promoting online savviness via an initiative called DigitALL, which is aimed at adults aged 30+ who may feel left behind by the fast-paced digital world. The programme has given residents the digital confidence to enhance their work and education prospects as well as their everyday lives. There’s info on workshops here.
🎸 Moorland Goes Burslemmy. Timed to coincide with Lemmy Encore in Burslem Market Place yesterday, Moorland Pottery is set to unveil a new range, Burslemmy, which will pay tribute to the late Motörhead singer with an ace of spades referencing the band’s most famous song and a silhouette of the statue on the mug. Stay tuned for more details on the range as we get it!
⚽️ Game on for Local Footy Talent. Young footballers from Stoke-on-Trent are set to represent the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) at the Game On England event on one of the country’s biggest football stages. The youngsters will take part in this year’s CRT Home Internationals Tournament at City Football Academy, home of Manchester City. The footballers were selected following a qualifying tournament at Powerleague Stoke Excel in June and are set to compete against teams from Scotland and Wales at the Etihad Campus on 10/08. Good luck, kids!
🥨 Good Vibes Only: A word from Helen, writer at The Knot
With more than 200 jobs lost in the pottery industry in recent months due to the closure of Royal Stafford and Moorcroft Pottery (the latter has since been purchased by the founder’s grandon and namesake William Moorcroft, though we don’t know how many jobs will be retained once it restarts production) we were heartened to hear that things at West Midlands Interchange are finally taking off, with developers set to break ground at the Staffs-based development, which will offer up to eight million square feet of prime logistics facilities, this week.
The UK’s largest multi-beverage supplier, Carlsberg Britvic, is the first occupier at the new depot, having secured a 222,000 square foot space that is set to be completed by the end of 2026. With a £1 billion commitment to deliver social and local economic value to the region for the next 15 years, more than 8,500 jobs will be created by WMI. We can’t wait to hear who will be setting up at the depot next…
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🕯️Beth Warren: Founder of sustainable candle brand The Wandering Bee
Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):
Mon ⛅️ 20° (11°) Tue 🌦️ 18° (10°) Wed ☁️ 21° (12°) Thu 🌦️ 21° (12°) Fri 🌧️ 21° (11°)
Sat 🌦️22° (11°) Sun 🌦️ 22° (10°).
Sunrise 04/08 ☀️05:29 Sunset 04/08 🌅 21:00
