New research reveals 42 per cent of women in the UK don’t know how much they have saved for retirement, compared with a quarter (25%) of men,  and the difference is even reflected in the pension industry, according to savings expert Emily Jacobs. Emily, who heads Newcastle-under-Lyme based Richard Jacobs Pensions and Trustee Services, is campaigning with others in the …

A website maker, a Greek bakery and a haberdashery were among the winners as  the Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Boost awards celebrated the borough’s lockdown heroes. Castle Artisan Market scooped the Judges’ Special Award. The brainchild of  Mike Davies, from May Bank, the town centre market has proved incredibly popular. Around 65 stalls are set to pack the traditional Stones market area …

A spectacular array of poppies will be unveiled at St Margaret’s Church, Wolstanton, on Sunday. Around 2,000 poppies have been crocheted, knitted or felted by women from the Let’s Make Jam WI group from Newcastle-under-Lyme. They will be on display throughout November, as a reminder of all who have lost their lives in war. The sea of red poppies fencing …

Innovative mortgage brokers My Simple Mortgage have scooped a major national award. The North Staffordshire based company recently launched a unique website tool allowing potential house buyers to get real time information on how much they can borrow. Now the company’s efforts have been recognised with an award for Best Broker for Digital Innovation at the Legal & General  Mortgage …

Titanic Brewery warmly welcomes today’s budget announcement on a lower rate of duty for draught beer sold in pubs. Chancellor Rishi Sunak used his Budget to announce a five percent cut on draught beer and cider, specifically targeting beer poured in pubs – something which Titanic and the wider brewing industry had been calling for. He called pubs “the home …

Mortgage innovators My Simple Mortgage has added a further string to its bow by giving customers access to expert income and mortgage protection advice. Based in Basford, Newcastle-under-Lyme, My Simple Mortgage has forged a reputation as market leaders in the mortgage arena, recently launching a unique, real time quoting system for its growing UK customer base. Now, the company has …

A community initiative supporting children with disabilities and their families in Sandwell has unveiled plans to transform the garden at their respite house into a sensory  garden, despite earlier plans being set back by a tragedy. Qualified Landscape gardener Gary Simpson, who worked as a manager for Biffa had pledged to lead a project to create the garden in Oldbury. …

Business Boost is to hold its first ever livestreamed awards night to celebrate Newcastle-under-Lyme companies which survived and thrived during the Covid-19 lockdowns. An online awards event will be held at 7pm on Wednesday, December 1 – live from King Street Studios, Newcastle. Business Boost isn’t holding its traditional awards programme until 2022, however, the organisers  recently called on small …

A new trade counter – opening on November 1st – is the latest innovation from thriving building, ironmongery and fire door company Washington and Riley. Free breakfast baps will be on offer for the first 200 visitors to the trade counter at Washington and Riley’s new Market Drayton headquarters. Establishing a trade counter is part of further growth plans for …

A family financial sector business has introduced the second generation to its team. Filip Gronkiewicz has joined his parents Aga and Tom at the town centre offices  in Bath Street, Leek. It follows a busy start to 2021 for GRN Financial Services which specialises in mortgages,  life insurance, income protection services and to GRN Estate Planning – a sister company …