North West Connected

The UK music sector is among the worst of the country’s industries for mothers returning to work after having children, new research reveals. According to data from the Mums in Music campaign spearheaded by international soprano Lola Ganzarolli, only 7% of UK women feel that the music industry good at supporting mothers’ returning to the workplace.

From cheese and chocolate to aquavit and pork, unexpected combinations can help retailers and hospitality operators bring protected European food and drink products to life this autumn. Autumn brings a natural shift towards orchard fruits, mature cheeses, cured meats, warming spices and richer dishes and drinks. For retailers and hospitality operators, the change of season offers an opportunity to introduce customers to new flavours while finding fresh ways to present familiar products.

Industry experts have revealed the drinks trends set to shape Christmas 2026 with shoppers expected to take a more considered approach to festive drinking, focusing on quality over quantity and placing discovery and authenticity at the heart of their purchasing decisions.

A Liverpool charity that has helped hundreds of former servicemen and women rebuild their lives is expanding into Wirral following an increase in demand for veteran support. The Block Armed Forces Foundation, established in 2020, is opening a new support centre at 583 Borough Road, Birkenhead, CH42 0HD, bringing its services closer to veterans living on the other side of the Mersey.

The traditional New Year fitness scramble is officially dying out, replaced by the Gen Z led Winter Arc movement. According to new research from SuperNutrio high protein, high calcium milk, health-conscious young adults are abandoning the January reset in favour of establishing their exercise and nutrition habits between October and December instead. Driven by over 800,000 TikTok posts, the trend reflects a broader cultural shift towards proactive wellness.

Only 26% of UK small businesses say they are forecasting growth for the final three months of 2026, with 50% forecasting no change in trading outlook – and 23% of enterprises fearing they will either contract or struggle to survive the winter months, according to new research from Novuna Business Finance. Further, 2026 as a full-year is the first time in more than a decade that the percentage of small businesses predicting growth has remained below 30% for a full 12-month period.

This place on the National NHS framework will enable Momenta Connect to provide additional, clinically governed autism and ADHD assessment capacity for children and young people, working alongside NHS organisations and existing local services. Momenta Connect has been awarded a place on the national NHS Framework Agreement for the Provision of Autism and ADHD Assessment Services, managed by the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Halewood’s multi-award-winning Masterchef Kemal Coşkuncay has added another incredible international achievement to his growing list of accolades after travelling to Turkey to take part in a spectacular Guinness World Record event! The Casa Rima chef joined fellow award-winning chef Tacim Yetiş at the 8th International GastroAfyon Tourism and Taste Festival.

African Routes Festival returns to Liverpool this November, bringing three packed days of dance, music, conversation and creativity to The Black-E. Taking place from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th November 2026, this year’s festival, African Routes 2026: Fair Play, will bring together leading dancers, choreographers, academics, artists and community practitioners for a programme of workshops, panel discussions, masterclasses and live performances.

South Yorkshire-based Forge New Homes is set to launch sales at Station Meadow – its peaceful new collection of single-storey and dormer homes in Beckingham, a rural village in north Nottinghamshire close to the Lincolnshire border. The first 13 of 57 new homes will be released when sales launch on Friday 16th of October.