Honouring Stoke’s Past: £240k in Lottery Cash to Protect Local Landmarks

Plus Olympian set to open swim school in Stoke, more cash for the arts, new heritage co-working space opens in Newcastle, and JCB celebrates its 80th birthday…

Good News 🎉

• Grant to Restore our Heritage Assets. Stoke-on-Trent’s historic landmarks are set to benefit from a fresh injection of funding thanks to National Lottery players. The £240,252 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will support the delivery of a new partnership between the city council and Re-Form Heritage, the city’s heritage development trust. Together, they will restore and protect some of the city’s small but important heritage assets, from statues and memorials to fountains, murals and street furniture. Residents will soon be invited to have their say on the heritage assets they’d like to see restored as part of the programme.

• 🩱🏊‍♀️THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – Becky Adlington 🏊‍♀️ 🩱
  
  Four-time Olympic medal winner and TV presenter, Becky Adlington OBE is opening up a swim school at Blythe Bridge High School & Sixth Form.

  Swim! is a nationwide learn-to-swim provider, founded by Becky and fellow Olympic swimmer Steve Parry MBE. The company will be the sole operator of swimming lessons within the school’s pool from January 2026. The new swim school will be called Swim@ Stoke Blythe Bridge and will provide lessons for

  3–11-year-olds of all abilities, with lesson programmes designed to enable children to swim confidently in small groups of up to six. Becky is also visiting 11 schools in Staffordshire on 06 & 07/11, where she will deliver water safety assemblies and showcase her Olympic journey.

Sign up for lessons helmed by an Olympian at Blythe Bridge High School!

• 🖼️ More Cash for the Arts. Staffs Moorlands art project OUTSIDE has been awarded £975,000 as part of Arts Council England’s largest-ever Creative People and Places (CPP) Portfolio, which will see £42 million invested from 2026-29 to deliver more grassroots-led cultural experiences in areas across England where involvement in the arts is below the national average. A participatory arts programme, OUTSIDE is led by local residents in the Staffordshire Moorlands working with professional artists. Together, they co-curate inclusive arts and cultural activities and events celebrating life in the rural landscapes, villages and market towns of the Moorlands, like this amazing moon (below).

The Cheadle Moon at the Abbot church in Cheadle. Pic credit: Jenny Harper

• 🎨 Appeal to Rediscover Arthur Berry ‘Lost’ Works. As part of the Arthur Berry 100 centenary celebrations, Barewall Art Gallery in Burslem has launched a major public appeal to help trace Berry’s ‘lost’ artworks. It’s calling on the public to come forward with any original paintings, particularly works created before 1985 or sold or gifted before 2012. Works will be sensitively unframed, photographed, reframed and recorded as part of the official Arthur Berry catalogue raisonné, and owners will receive a certificate of authentication. Email them if you can help.

• 🪑 New Heritage Co-working Space for Newcastle. If, like me, you struggle to get work done from home at times, check out this new co-working space in Newcastle, housed in the Victorian landmark Ravenscliffe. With serviced offices, co-working lounge, meeting rooms, and event space, the building will foster collaboration and has superfast broadband. To anchor the project, local business automation service Chaffinch – founded by Alastair Machin, who is also leading the Ravenscliffe project – is relocating its HQ to the new space. Want to get a space or simply keen for more info? Email them for more details.

New co-working spot Ravenscliffe: we like the look of those leather chairs…

• 🚜 JCB and Lord Bamford Celebrate 80th Birthday. JCB was founded in a 12ft by 15ft lock-up garage in Uttoxeter by Joseph Bamford on 23 October 1945 – the same day as his son, Anthony, was born. Fast forward 80 years and last week, that son, Lord Bamford, unveiled a blue heritage plaque on the spot where the original garage stood. Later, at the company’s HQ in Rocester, he was greeted by more than 3,500 staff and a cavalcade procession showcasing machines he’s introduced since becoming chairman in 1975.
  
  

🌚 Cosy, dark nights are here: a word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

With news that the iconic Capo sculpture of Josiah Wedgwood was unveiled yesterday its former home of Etruria Hall and further news of a £240,000 injection of cash to protect Stoke-on-Trent’s heritage in Centenary year, it’s been a good week for the arts here in Stoke.

The brick-built head of Josiah was taken down in 2023 during the regeneration of Etruria Valley and had only just been reinstated. Restoration work was carried out by Hanley-based heritage construction specialists Alliance Technical Services; many bricks were saved and new bricks were gifted to the city council by Ibstock.

The £240,252 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, meanwhile, will help build a sense of ownership towards our historic environment, encouraging residents, local groups and businesses to unite and shape our public heritage and spaces.

Where do you think the money should be directed? Let us know in the comments below!

Really Good News 🎉 Your favourite news from the last week

🌳 Free Trees For You And Your Community: Want one? Go here to check out the free tree giveaway events!
🥰 You are Not Alone: Many of you were keen to find out how Reaching CIC is tackling loneliness in North Staffordshire. Why not go along to one of their meet-ups?
🏺Ceramic Showcase: The Legacy and Continuity Ceramic Symposium is coming to Stoke Town Hall on 21/11 & 22/11…

Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent): the clocks have turned back and it’s officially dark!! 🌒😅

Mon ☁️ 11° (8°) Tue 🌧️ 12° (7°) Wed 🌦️ 12° (5°) Thu 🌧️ 13° (10°) Fri 🌧️ 13° (9°)
Sat 🌧️ 13° (9°) Sun 🌧️ 13° (9°).

Sunrise 27/10 ☀️06:56 Sunset 27/10 🌅 16:48