Macari Foundation to Open Stoke's First Facility for Homeless Military Veterans
Plus Keep it Local reopens at Potteries Centre, accolades for Stoke outdoor clothing entrepreneur, celebrating National Apprenticeship Week and apply for internships
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🎖️ Housing our Heroes. The Macari Foundation is planning to open Stoke-on-Trent’s first specialist home for homeless military veterans. CEO Paul Macari recently signed the Armed Forces Covenant at a ceremony in West Bromwich to rubber stamp the charity’s commitment to the cause. The foundation is planning to open somewhere for up to six veterans once it finds the right venue. CEO Paul is keen to attract local sponsors - email him if you can help.
The Macari Foundation is set to house homeless veterans in Stoke
🏃♂️Mow Cop Killer Mile Finds Sponsor. Local document management company Chaffinch is sponsoring the 37th iteration of this iconic race, which is scheduled for 08/05 and can accommodate up to 1,000 runners. Featuring an ascent of 570 feet, the challenging course starts on Drumber Lane and finishes on Top Station Road. This year’s event will feature a junior race, two fun runs and an Elite Race.
👕 Keep it Local Reopens at Potteries Centre. After it returned £136,000 directly back into the hands of small businesses during the festive period, creative department store Keep It Local has reopened for an initial 12 months. It now features more than 80 creative businesses alongside a new retail concept, the ‘Back to the Future’ department featuring Emused Vintage Clothing, Retrospective Relics and Sid’s Records. Watch out for free creative activities for kids, a pop-up charm bar and permanent jewellery station plus ‘Meet the Maker’ sessions (every Thur to Sun) at this ace retail space championing local brands.
Ey up duck! Get yesen up Hanley for some Stokie-themed buys 🧥 Sustainable Outdoor Wear Brand Makes Waves. Offering an award-winning change robe, sweatshirts, t-shirts and accessories that are sustainable and inclusive, Ryde is an ace new brand whose founder, Larnia Ryder, is from Kidsgrove. A finalist in the 2024 Great British Entrepreneur Awards, she’s built strong partnerships with disability advocates and sustainability leaders and was named one of this year’s Women in Innovation at the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards. We love Ryde’s down-to-earth approach, which is aimed at a diverse range of body types, abilities, and lifestyles. The brand’s goal, she says, is to “empower everyone to experience the transformative power of nature.”
Larnia, from Kidsgrove, has secured accolades for her outerwear brand Ryde
👩🎓 It’s National Apprenticeship Week. Yay! A week-long celebration of apprenticeships begins today – and there’s plenty going on in Stoke and Staffs including events at the Bet365 Stadium (11/02) and the New Beacon Conference Centre in Stafford on (12/02) plus an open day at JCB (15/02).
🧑🎤 Best Summer Job Ever. Want to break into the creative industry? There are 18 places up for grabs on a four-week summer internship at VCCP Stoke, i-Creation and Lesniak Swann. It’s open to anyone from the Staffordshire area that’s over 18 by 21/07/2025. Find more info about this intriguing scheme here. Apply for all three if you want to, they say, and get ready to pitch your ideas.
Really Good News 🎉 Your favourite news from the last week
🎨 Capturing Stoke on Canvas: you wanted to find out about local artist Rob Pointon’s challenge to paint a picture every day for a month
🧑🦰 Stoke is getting Better: have you listened to our amazing podcast with the Red Haired Stokie yet?
📅 The Knot Life: did you know you can list your events for free at The Knot Life? More and more readers are doing it - get yours on too!
Unsung Heroes ⬇️
🏃♀️ Dave Juggins. The 75 year old gold medal duathlete can run a 5km in 21 minutes.
👗 Anya Parker James. Read about the designer that built a fashion career here.
👨🎨 Ian Parker: Mouth painter Ian has illustrated a kid’s book and is a full-time artist.
👩⚕️ Ruth Chambers: The retired GP won an OBE for improving health outcomes.
🥨 Good Vibes Only: A Word from Helen, Writer at The Knot
Our hearts go out to the 83 employees at Royal Stafford who lost their jobs last week, after the administrators were called in following a slump in orders due to increased energy prices and illegal foreign forgeries. The GMB union has called on the government to act urgently to save the sector, stressing, “Stoke cannot power its kilns with wind and batteries” and illegal imports are “out of control.” Stoke-on-Trent North MP David Williams is working alongside GMB to help staff find new jobs and has also requested an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State to address the issue.
While we hope the staff find new jobs asap, we’re so sad that the 180-year old pottery firm, which was renowned for its cream-coloured earthenware and tableware, is no longer with us. It’s another blow to the already fragile ceramics industry, with Johnson Tiles closing last year, Wade being sold to RKW in 2023 and Dudson going into administration back in 2019.
There are some glimmers of hope. Last year, Steelite acquired Chesterfield’s Utopia Tableware, sustainable fine bone china company Sipp of Stoke set up shop at the Duchess China factory and Robbie Williams unveiled a series of trippy ceramics crafted by 1882 Ltd. But we need drastic action from the government to support our ceramics or we risk further devastating communities and, ultimately, losing our heritage. We don’t have our pits any more. Without pots, who are we?
Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):
Mon ☁️ 5° (2°) Tue ☁️ 5° (2°) Wed ☁️ 6° (0°) Thu ☁️ 5° (0°) Fri ☁️ 5° (0°)
Sat ⛅️ 5° (-1°) Sun ⛅️ 4° (-2°).
Sunrise 10/02 ☀️07:36 Sunset 10/02 🌅 17:11
Great article