Churches in Stoke-on-Trent are opening a food bank after discovering that the city has the third highest child poverty rate in the West Midlands.
Ron Willoughby, pastor of Wesley Hall Methodist Church, who are helping to run the food bank said
Living below the poverty line isn’t about not having the latest gadgets or Nintendo DS. It’s about going to bed cold and hungry and waking up cold and hungry. And we want to do something to stop children having to live like that in Stoke-on-Trent.
Amid the difficulties of recession-hit Stoke-on-Trent, there are still numerous opportunities for budding entrepreneurs to start a successful business.
Schemes set-up by Midland Heart, and more prominently BizFizz before that, give local people with talent and ideas, any advice and support they need to create their own business.
Midland Heart is one of the UK’s leading housing associations and their Enterprise and Partnerships Co-ordinator, Carolyn Powell, said it had created numerous opportunities. Continue reading
A Tunstall couple’s new business is booming – just two years after they were both left without jobs.
Andrew Fisher was unemployed for six months before enrolling on the Stoke-on-Trent City Council funded Test Trading scheme to help the city’s jobless start up their own business.
The 38-year-old, who runs motor electronic control unit supply business ECU-Express with his wife Sarah, is now looking to expand and take on extra staff as turnover increases by 30 per cent. Continue reading
The world’s last traditional oatcake shop has closed its doors for the final time – marking the end on an era following council plans to demolish the premises.
The Hole in the Wall oatcake shop in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, was flooded with customers after news emerged that it would close.
The 115-year-old terrace house, which has served oatcakes through its front window since the 1920s, has become an iconic building on Waterloo Street. Continue reading
A new online community radio station, run voluntarily by young people from North Staffs YMCA, has been launched in Hanley.
Knot FM began broadcasting on March 4 this year, as part of the YMCA’s One Big Sunday, and is based at Edinburgh House, Harding Road.
The radio station is run predominantly by people living at North Staffs YMCA, whose responsibilities range from presenting radio programmes, to sound editing and organisational roles. Continue reading
People join political parties for a variety of reasons, usually because of political views or sometimes because family and friends are members.
However former councillor Ross Irving joined Stoke-on-Trent’s Conservative Party because the beer was better.
He had also been a member in Newcastle to help out in the 1966 General Election, before moving to Stoke. He then decided to stand for council. Continue reading
Young people are often seen as disengaged in politics. However Jack Brereton is different. Rochelle Owusu-Antwi speaks to one of the only two Conservative councillors on the city council, and he is the youngest at just 20 years old
Stoke-on-Trent’s youngest ever councillor Jack Brereton is encouraging more young people across the city to get involved in politics.
The 20-year-old politician believes the council should be a diverse mix of younger and older generations working together to form a more representative and democratic body. Some of the 44 councillors Jack works alongside are three times his age. Continue reading
Conteh wants bigger involvement in local politics
Achieving your goals as a political minority is never an easy task, but as Randolph Conteh proves hard work can go a long way. Luke Powell spoke to the City Independent councillor about how he makes his voice heard
As a City Independent councillor for the last ten years, 52-year-old Randolph ( Randy ) Conteh’s has made a number of significant changes to the Penkhull ward he represents.
His biggest achievements, by his own reckoning, have been the transformation of the local Penkhull parks, where through various public consultation meetings – set up by Councillor Conteh – there has been a huge improvement to the area. Continue reading
Barbara Andrew is one of the most inspirational community champions of Stoke-on-Trent. Jennideep Hayre met her
Born to feminist parents, the message from Barbara Andrew’s mother and father was that women and men were equal, neither superior nor inferior to one another.
So it was a natural step for Barbara, 30 years ago, to join The Fawcett Society which campaigns for equality, and she has been a feminist all her life.
Originally from Birmingham, Barbara arrived in Stoke-on-Trent on New Year’s Eve 1985, after being offered a job to manage a hostel for homeless young men aged 16 – 18. Days before this a male friend died in a fatal car crash on Christmas morning. Continue reading
Penkhull’s campaign to set up its own council is still ongoing as the resident’s committee’s long running work continues.
The Penkhull Residents’ Association (PRA) has campaigned for years to elect a structured council, which they believe would give the village a more appropriate representation. Continue reading