Latest news with #JaneAshworth
BBC News
7 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
New statue plan to honour Stoke-on-Trent's female pottery workers
A new statue is being planned to commemorate women who worked in Stoke-on-Trent's ceramics city council said the sculpture would be the first to honour the role of the women who made up about half of the workforce in the pottery sector locally at the start of the 20th wanted the statue to be installed outside The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery – where the Steel Man statue was currently plans are due to go before the city council's cabinet later this month. Under the proposals, the Steel Man would be loaned to Goodwin PLC, returning to the foundry in Hanley where it was originally cast almost 50 years firm would fund and commission the new bronze statue, the council Man was created by artist Colin Melbourne in 1974 and would remain on public display, visible from the road. 'Proud tribute' The new statue forms part of the city's wider centenary celebrations."Women were often the backbone of the ceramics industry – decorating and finishing some of the world's most iconic pottery, often without the recognition or pay that men received," said council leader Jane Ashworth."For every Clarice Cliff or Susie Cooper, there were hundreds of women whose names we don't recognise but whose skill and labour made this city what it is."This new statue is a proud, permanent tribute to their work and their place in our history."The authority said women played a vital part in the creation of ceramic products, and helped secure the city's global reputation which ultimately led to it being awarded city status in 1925. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
24-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Roadshows to help preserve Stoke-on-Trent's 'rich' heritage
A series of heritage roadshows are to be held across Stoke-on-Trent, in a bid to find out what people value most about the city's project, run by the city council, aims to get residents' views on how to manage the city's heritage as well as their opinions on regeneration sites and projects in the coming comes after Stoke-on-Trent received £249,332 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund's Heritage Places initiative. City council leader Jane Ashworth said the workshops would help the authority to understand what was most important to residents. She said: "We're a city with a rich history and a number of distinctive buildings that need to be preserved, restored and refurbished for the benefit of the local community and visitors to the city."The exercise would also help the authority know where to focus its resources and efforts in the future, Ashworth added. As part of the roadshows, people will be asked what part of the city's history needs to be "protected, promoted and prioritised".The first three roadshows are at:Burslem School of Art in Cobridge from 10:00 to 12:00 BST on Saturday 28 JuneFenton Town Hall from 10:00 to 12:00 BST on 12 JulyWestport Lake Cafe in Longport from 10:00 to 12:00 BST on 19 JulyEvents will also be held in Shelton, Etruria and Stoke throughout September and October, the details for which will be shared in due course, the council said. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
£20m from spending review for Bentilee and Ubberley
A "deserving" area of Stoke-on-Trent will receive £20m of government funding for regeneration and Ubberley was announced as one of 25 "trailblazer neighbourhoods" as part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves's spending government said the funding would would "support improvements people can see on their doorstep, champion local leadership, foster community engagement and strengthen social cohesion"."That is a part of the world that deserves more from the local authority and from government so I'm really pleased that money has been allocated," Labour MP Gareth Snell said. Councillor Jane Ashworth, Labour leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said it was a "truly transformational" sum of money which would make a real difference to people's lives."It is also recognition of the work we have already been doing to empower communities to have more control over the places where they live," she review: Your questions answeredThe Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said it would work with community leaders in the neighbourhood to develop potential schemes. Snell said further details would come out in the next few days and the projects would be led by the neighbourhood itself."This has to be about what the neighbourhoods need and what they want rather than being from the top down," he added."I think it's a great opportunity for that whole community to take a grip of their future." Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent pottery museum to host ceramics makers' market
A ceramics market is returning to Stoke-on-Trent amid ongoing concern about the future of the event, at Gladstone Pottery Museum on Saturday, will be attended by contestants from The Great Pottery Throw Down and about 60 makers, the city council in the city's pottery industry called for more government support after Royal Stafford entered liquidation last month, with a second firm, Portmeirion, also confirming leader Jane Ashworth said the market would be a "fantastic event" for both aspiring potters and fans of the television pottery competition. She added the venue had hosted a number of similar events over the years, which were always popular."Our centenary year is in full swing right now so what better way to showcase our brilliant city than with an event that celebrates all things pottery," Ashworth added. Contestants Jonathan Jolly, Steve Brown and Natalie Simms from the latest series of The Great Pottery Throw Down are due to attend, alongside representatives from local firms Burslem Pottery and Scruffy Little Herbert. The ceramic makers' market will run from 11:00 GMT until 16:00. Entry is free of charge, with advance booking not will be stalls offering a range of clay artworks for sale, from traditional works to abstract will also be able to view a Great Pottery Throw Down exhibition which opened at the venue earlier this month as part of the city's 100th anniversary display features six bird baths the TV potters were challenged to create in episode seven of the show to reflect the area's industrial heritage, green spaces and waterways. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent City Council approves budget with 4.99% tax rise
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has approved its budget for the new financial year, including a 4.99% council tax rise and a £16.8m loan from the said the budget would help stabilise finances without requiring compulsory redundancies or major cuts to front-line includes £7.5m of savings, including £1.1m of cuts such as plans to dim some street lights, as well as increasing leisure centre prices, which were subject to a public consultation. Councillors voted in favour of approving the new budget at a full council meeting on Tuesday. The council tax rise is the biggest increase allowed without a referendum and will include the previous adult social care precept of 2%.Band A households will pay an extra £53.85 to the city council in the 2025-26 financial year, while Band D households will pay £80.75 more budget includes £16.8m of Exceptional Financial Support (EFS), which is an emergency loan from the government to help struggling councils. 'Payday loan council' Opposition Conservative councillors have accused Labour of mismanaging the local authority's finances and failing to make difficult decisions, saying that the city's taxpayers would be left having to pay back the EFS for years to group leader Dan Jellyman described the council as a "payday loan authority"."£16.8m this year, and including the bailout last year, that means £10,000 a day in interest payments, £10,000 a day that city taxpayers are paying," he said opposition councillors understood that key services had gone through a transformation and needed extra financial support, but Labour had assured them it would just be a "safety net"."But what's happened 12 months later? They've maxed it out," he said."And out of the £16.8m bailout, £2.8m will be for paying interest on the last bailout. If that's not a payday loan council, I don't know what is."Jane Ashworth, leader of the Labour-run council, blamed the current financial problems on austerity cuts by the previous Conservative government."The city council has been deprived of investment from the Conservative government from 2010 onwards, which amounted to reduction in spending power of about £95m a year," she said."That is something like £280,000 a day and now you have the audacity to throw at us the suggestion that we're increasing debt." This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
