Stamford Bridge Hears the Vale Roar ⚽️
Plus Princess Royal opens Nacro's Stoke Education Centre, work begins on Burslem Market Hall, and Staffy Trail set to generate £600,000 for the local economy
Today, The Knot is brought to you by Hanley Economic Building Society, which offers mortgages, savings accounts including ISAs, insurance, and more
Good News 🎉
⚽️ Up the Vale! As the only club from League One to progress to the quarter finals of the FA Cup, Port Vale fans had their moment in the sun when six coaches headed to Stamford Bridge as the lads faced sixth-placed Premier League side Chelsea. While we won’t mention the scoreline, let’s just remind ourselves that this was the first time the club had made it to the quarter-finals since 1954, having knocked out Sunderland with this fabulous goal from Ben Waine, who also recently scored in New Zealand’s 4-1 win against Chile. Well done, lads.
👨🦽THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – Lewis Bunn 👨🦽
Stoke‑on‑Trent’s new Community Diagnostic Centre welcomed lived experience trainer and UHNM’s first corporate safety champion Lewis Bunn for an early walkthrough of the building to identify improvements ahead of the centre’s opening later this month. By involving experts with lived experience at this early stage, the Trust aims to address potential barriers before the CDC opens to the public. During the tour, Lewis reviewed key areas including approach routes, entrances, circulation spaces, and lift access. He said: “By taking on my recommendations it will further improve the building for wheelchair users like me.”
Lewis Bunn hopes to improve the wheelchair experience for users of the new Community Diagnostic Centre 👸 Princess Royal Opens Nacro’s Stoke Education Centre. Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal formally opened Nacro’s new Stoke Education Centre last week as the national social justice charity enters its 60th year. The princess, who is patron of the charity Nacro, toured the Stoke Education Centre and unveiled a plaque to mark the opening of the centre after presenting awards to students and teachers. Students shared their experiences of studying in Nacro’s learner-focused environment and demonstrated their practical skills as they prepare for future careers. Nacro has been helping young people in Stoke gain qualifications for 30 years. Due to an increase in demand for its courses, the charity recently moved to the new location on College Road in Hanley.
🐶 Join the Staffy Trail! This major new public art trail launching on 01/05 to mark the 10th anniversary of Staffordshire Day is expected to generate more than £600,000 for Staffordshire’s economy. The Staffy Trail will feature 10 large-scale sculptures of Staffy, the county’s new mascot. There will also be 40 stops along the trail for people to unlock, each highlighting local stories. Spanning Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, and Tamworth, the trail is expected to attract around 30,000 visitors, with an average spend of more than £20 per person, and delivering a significant boost to local shops, cafes, attractions, and businesses.
👨🌾 Giving Back with Hanley Economic. Colleagues from Hanley Economic Building Society recently spent the day volunteering at Our Space, a Staffordshire charity that provides opportunities for children, young people, and adults with disabilities. Its specialist centre, The Brook Centre in Newcastle, includes facilities designed to offer a welcoming environment for families. The team cleared an overgrown outdoor area, removing brambles, nettles, and debris to help create a safe play space for younger children. The charity often welcomes volunteer support for gardening and grounds maintenance, with the transformed space opening new possibilities for future development. At Hanley Economic, every colleague receives four volunteering days each year to give back, part of its commitment as a member-owned mutual to support the areas it serves.
👷 Work Begins on Burslem Market Hall. Multi-million-pound transformation work is starting on Burslem Market Hall as part of the council’s pledge to help bring back into use the city’s most treasured heritage buildings. From 07/04, Stoke contractors BSN Group will be stripping back the current roof, which has been deemed unsafe, and then replacing it. Work will also be carried out on the brickwork, guttering and other external features. Meanwhile, inside the building, progress will be made on a creating a temporary events space that organisations can use in the short to mid-term. The work is set to be completed by May 2027.
🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot
Last Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final fixture with Chelsea may not have been the result that players or fans were hoping for, but as the club’s Facebook page put it: “What a run it’s been.”
In what has been a challenging League One season, with the club currently sitting 24th and facing relegation, the FA Cup has provided a welcome distraction for both players and supporters.
With a squad valued at less than a tenth of Chelsea’s, according to Transfermarkt, it was always going to be a tough task to break through one of London’s elite sides — and the current world champions. But Vale’s 6,000 travelling fans made themselves heard at Stamford Bridge, proudly belting out The Wonder of You from the Shed End.
Social media was flooded with positivity. Fans praised the atmosphere, the effort, and the achievement of reaching the quarter-finals. We loved reading all the positive comments on Facebook: “The commentators said more than once that the Vale fans were creating all the atmosphere” (Marian Craddock); “Well done boys you got us to the quarter final, you did your best” (Lynne Bailey Burton) and “124 teams entered the cup at first stage. So Port Vale are in the top 6.5% of all teams who entered. Do the maths. Well done lads (Geoff Melville) and “I have had an amazing day regardless of what the result was, hearing the 6,000 fans sing their hearts out was the best! Well done boys for getting to the quarter-finals! (Sally Hawkins).
As another fan, Nigel Sutton, said, “We're down but we will be back.”
Really Good News 🎉 Your favourite news from the last week
👗 White Ribbon Boutique Opens in Trentham: there’s a new place to shop…
💰 £2.8 Million to Help Vulnerable in Stoke: helping people get back on track
🚶♀️Beth Johnson Ramblers: It’s a group for over 50’s walkers. Join them at the Staffs Moorlands Walking Festival on 28/04; there are several walks to choose from
Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):
Mon 🌦️ 13° (4°) Tue 🌧️ 16° (8°) Wed 🌦️ 15° (7°) Thu ☁️ 11° (5°) Fri 🌧️ 11° (4°)
Sat 🌧️ 11° (4°) Sun 🌧️ 11° (5°).
Sunrise 06/04: 06.31 ☀️ Sunset 06/04: 19.51 🌅
Love the article on the Vale- they indeed did so well to reach the quarter finals