Simon Carlin has cooked up a recipe for success after taking on a dream opportunity to run a restaurant and café for Staffordshire Housing Group. Former sales manager Simon was among applicants when the Stoke based housing association offered the chance to a caterer to establish a business at the West End Village. After coming out of a contract with …

A Staffordshire business woman has had her achievements recognised by being shortlisted for a top IT industry award. Meri Braziel, Chief Executive at specialist broadband provider Keycom, has been named as one of the finalists in the Business Leader of the Year category for the Women in IT Awards. Meri joined Keycom in 2011 and has 25 years’ experience in …

A Potteries road steeped with history and folklore will come under the spotlight in a year long project. Acclaimed artist Dan Thompson is joining forces with community groups and Appetite to chronicle the life of London Road, Stoke. Dan is renowned for instigating the influential #riotcleanup project, will immerse himself in the local community as he compiles a history of …

A charity is urging people to get into the Christmas spirit to raise funds for North Staffordshire families in need. The Alice Charity has organised a Christmas Jumper Day on Friday, December 12. The charity is appealing to people to wear a festive jumper to work and make a donation to the Alice Charity. Local businesses on the Silverdale Enterprise …

A Stoke-on-Trent community will celebrate Christmas with a twist this year. Meir will be home to a spectacular six metre high Christmas tree – made from thousands of discarded plastic bags. The colourful Consumerist Christmas Tree has been commissioned by the Meir Christmas Events Board working with the arts programme, Appetite. The tree will be next to the Health Centre …

An historic Congleton town centre inn will reopen as a pub with the community firmly at its heart, following a major refit. Ye Olde Kings Arms will open on Thursday, 13 November, under the ownership of Titanic Brewery. Experienced pub manager Kathy Morton (pictured) is overseeing the transformation of the 16th Century pub which has perhaps been best known for …

Artist Sarah Nadin aims to get people talking with the help of her #chumbrella. The #chumbrella is simply an umbrella adorned with the Twitter hashtag – a shorthand form for sharing which is familiar to millions of Twitter social media users. Sarah hopes her #chumbrella will get people talking in open spaces around the world, but is trialling it in …

A charity founded to help people to enjoy life as we get older has launched its first ever fundraising appeal. Living Longer, Living Stronger! aims to raise £75,000 to help put in place positive support programmes to help people to live well as they get older. There are now more than 11 million people aged over 65 in the UK …

BREWERY bosses have unveiled ambitious plans to open more than 20 new pubs in the next six years. Potteries-based Titanic Brewery is set to open its ninth pub, Ye Olde Kings Arms, Congleton, in November. But managing director Keith Bott has also unveiled plans to expand Titanic’s estate to 30 pubs, concentrating the expansion in Staffordshire, South Cheshire and Derbyshire. Titanic, …

North Staffordshire businesses are being given the chance to gain free advice from four experienced professional service practitioners. The Four Experts in One Room event, on 18 November, has been organised by Richard Jacobs Pension and Trustee Services Ltd. Company Director’s Kate Barnard and Emily Jacobs will be on hand to give advice at the event along with Joy Hancock, commercial …