It's Your Chance to Shape Local Government’s Future…
Plus dates announced for Staffs Moorlands Pride, read rare comics in Staffordshire's libraries, and Anasma Bakery's Greek evenings return to Newcastle town centre…
Good News 🎉
🥨 Have Your Say on Council Restructuring. Residents, businesses and community organisations across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are being encouraged to share their views as the Government launches its statutory consultation on local government reorganisation. The government is expected to make a decision on local government reorganisation in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in Summer 2026, so not long. Existing councils will continue to deliver services as normal, with new unitary councils not expected to be in place until April 2028 at the earliest. The government’s consultation is now open until 26/03. Find out more about the proposals and how to submit your views here.
🎋 THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK - Gemma Thomas 🎋
Gemma Thomas set up Brilliant Bamboo in 2023 in a bid to explore how the plant can contribute to sustainability, wellbeing, and environmental improvement. She has already transformed a concrete space behind Sainsbury’s car park in Stoke town centre, where more than 400 bamboo plants in moveable planters have provided a leafy backdrop to workshops, community activities, and even circus performances. Now she’s looking for another brownfield site or field of up to one acre to establish a second bamboo parklet in Newcastle, where they could plant bamboo directly into the ground for greater environmental impact. Got something in mind? You can email Gemma here.
👧🏳️🌈Staffs Moorland Pride Announces 2026 Dates. Staffordshire Moorlands Pride will return in 2026 for a community-led weekend of events from 26/06-28/06 set to celebrate LGBTQ+ lives. As last year, the event will take place across towns, villages and community spaces throughout the Moorlands, making Pride accessible and rooted in the places people live. For updates and event information, visit organisers OUTSIDE Arts webpage.
🙅♂️ Read Rare Comics. To celebrate National Year of Reading 2026, more than 1,500 comics collected dating back to the 1980s will be available to read across Staffordshire libraries, thanks to a generous donator. With offerings from
X-MEN, Guardians of the Galaxy and The Simpsons, the comics are set to go on tour at libraries across the county. The current display is at Stafford Library until 13/02 before moving on to Tamworth, Perton, Lichfield, Cannock, Burton, Biddulph and Newcastle Libraries and returning to Stafford Library in December.
👩💼 More Support for Apprenticeships. Designed to support health and social care, digital, engineering, construction and the growing green economy, the Staffordshire Business Support Pilot will use Staffs County Council’s available apprenticeship levy to cover 100% of apprenticeship training and assessment costs for eligible employers. The initiative, which is delivered through the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub, means small and medium-sized enterprises and other non-levy paying businesses can upskill staff or bring on new apprentices at no cost. There’s more info here.
🇬🇷 Anasma Greek Evenings are Back. Craving authentic Greek fare? Then you’ll be chuffed to know that this Newcastle-based independent bakery is reopening mid-week evening dining from 16/02. We’re looking forward to chowing down on proper Greek salads, kebabs, taramasalata, tzatziki, olives, and baklava…
🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot
From keeping streets safer to delivering vital social care, councils play a central role in everyday life across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. But, as we’ve reported several times recently in The Knot, the way local government works here is set for its biggest shake-up in decades.
Under national plans to simplify council structures, Staffordshire’s county, city, district and borough councils could be replaced by a smaller number of new unitary authorities, each responsible for delivering all council services in their area.
What this would look like in practice is still taking shape, but a final decision on Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent’s reorganisation is set to be made later this summer by the government on which of the five different proposals submitted they prefer. If you’re still feeling confused about it all, then check out these FAQs, which cover everything from timelines to how the proposed plans will affect council services both now and in the future.
Whether you live in a small village in Staffordshire Moorlands or are based in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent, let us know if you’ve made your mind up yet on which option would work best for you in the comments below…
Really Good News 🎉 Your favourite news from the last week
The Truth About Poverty in Stoke-on-Trent: Upgrade to a paid to read a piece from Staffs Uni Professor David Etherington on the effect of austerity and council cuts
A Free Health Check Awaits: Step aboard the The Cancer Awareness Bus Tour…
Sign Up For Free Community Courses: There are more than 70 on offer…
On our socials…
We were lucky to get an invite to H I D D E N inside Spode Works last week – the food was incredible, the tunes were top notch, and we got to dine with some lovely people and made a couple of new friends! Bookings now open for the March/April season…
Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent) Sunny on Saturday ☀️😀
Mon 🌧️ 9° (7°) Tue 🌧️ 10° (8°) Wed 🌧️ 9° (5°) Thu 🌧️ 7° (2°) Fri 🌧️ 4° (-1°)
Sat ☀️ 5° (-1°) Sun 🌧️ 5° (3°).
Sunrise 09/02 ☀️07:38 Sunset 09/02 🌅 17:08