NW Business Briefs: Michael Josephson Ball; Network Rail; Merseyrail; Mersey Tunnels; Whitaker Gallery; Matalan
The stars were out in force in Manchester last weekend in support of philanthropist Dr Michael Josephson and his annual charity gala ball, aiding children’s and youth charities across the UK, which was held at the Hilton, Deansgate and raised £1.204m.
Now in its sixth year, The Michael Josephson MBE Charity Ball has raised millions for children’s charities and the latest gathering welcomed a who’s who of the stage, screen and sport worlds, including Hollywood actress and model, Elizabeth Hurley, accompanied by her son Damian Hurley and fellow actress Patsy Kensit making a special trip to Manchester to show their support.
Other notable guests included King of The Jungle, Christopher Biggins, Former Manchester United and England captain Bryan Robson, Emmerdale’s Roxy Shahidi and Laura Norton, and celebrity couples Jorgie Porter and her partner Oliver Piotrowski, Ryan Thomas and fiancé Lucy Mecklenburgh and Nikki Sanderson alongside her partner Anthony Quinlan.
The evening’s entertainment was kicked off by Tony and Grammy winning singer and actor, Alfie Boe, who wowed the 300 guests, while pop icon, LuLu, made a return to the Ball, taking the stage as this year’s headline artist, after performing at the very first charity gala organised by Michael in 2018.
He said: “I want to thank everyone who has donated, pledged, and bid in our silent and grand auctions and helped us to raise an incredible £1,204,488.78. Every year I am blown away by the generosity of the celebrities and guests who support the ball, and tonight is no different. I’ve seen firsthand just how much the money we’ve raised can impact the charities that we help. I am so proud of what we’ve achieved this evening.”
The latest fundraiser will support five main beneficiaries, including Variety, the Children’s Charity, Mahdlo Youth Zone, Seashell Trust, The Anne Frank Trust and Rainbow Trust – who all work with children and young people in need of support. Funds raised from the evening will also go to support smaller local children’s and youth charities via a grants process.
::
Crewe track upgrade
The final stages of work to improve freight services on the West Coast main line means changes to trains over Christmas. Network Rail has invested almost £200m to upgrade the Crewe Basford Hall independent lines on the West Coast main line.
The Basford Hall independent lines in Crewe take freight trains around Crewe station and back onto the West Coast main line, so services can efficiently transport essential goods up and down the country. Over the past two years, 65 new signals, 49km of cables, and 5km of new drainage has been installed to the independent lines. Other essential parts of the work included new buildings to accommodate the signalling system, new track equipment and structures, and upgrades to the track itself.
The work will be completed over Christmas and involves significant railway closures to make sure the work can be carried out safely and efficiently. Passengers are advised that there will be changes to train timetables between Tuesday, 24 December 2024 and Thursday, 2 January 2025.
Jamie Morris, Network Rail programme manager, said: “I’d urge passengers to check before they travel from 24 December until 2 January as there are changes to services to, from and through Crewe over the Christmas period. We have worked hard to reduce the impact on passengers as much as possible, which means there is a different timetable on different days during this time.”
Taryn Banks, Avanti West Coast station manager at Crewe, said: “While this major work takes place, there’ll be changes to all services in and around the Crewe area. On Friday 27 December, no trains will run to or from Crewe, but replacement buses will connect customers to nearby stations. From Saturday 28 December to Thursday 2 January, we’ll be operating an amended timetable with a reduced service to Manchester and no direct trains to Liverpool on Wednesday, 1 and Thursday, 2 January.”
::
Merseyrail has announced its special festive timetable to keep the city region moving over the Christmas and New Year Period.
Trains will run every day, except Christmas Day, with Merseyrail’s popular Boxing Day service returning to support those attending events or heading out to indulge in retail therapy in the sales. This, despite large parts of the UK rail network being closed on December 26, with Merseyrail aiming to make travelling around the City Region over the Christmas and New Year period easier than ever.
On Christmas Eve (Tuesday 24 December) services will run throughout the day, with last trains departing around 20:30. On Christmas Day (Wednesday 25 December) no services will operate. Boxing Day (Thursday 26 December) will see Merseyrail’s special Boxing Day service will run from approximately 09:00 to 18:00, with trains calling at selected stations across the network. Additional services will be available between Liverpool and Aintree to support those attending the Boxing Day races.
On New Year’s Eve (Tuesday 31 December) services will operate as usual, with last trains departing around 20:00. New Year’s Day (Wednesday 1 January) involves a 30-minute Sunday service across all lines. Full details of first and last departures on the dates listed are available on the Merseyrail website and journey planner.
Suzanne Grant, Chief Commercial Officer and Deputy Managing Director at Merseyrail, said: ‘We know from previous years that being able to offer a service to our customers on Boxing Day is really helpful and we hope that our festive timetable will help everyone make the most of this special time of year.”
::
Kingsway Tunnel toll plaza
An improved tap and go card payment system will be rolled out in the Mersey Tunnels from this week as part of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s wider modernisation programme for the vital cross river route.
The new contactless system will almost halve the transaction time for card payments – improving traffic flow on the toll plaza during busy periods and cutting air pollution.
Backed by customer feedback, the new system will replace previous card payment devices introduced in 2019.
Cllr Steve Foulkes, chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “With over 80,000 journeys a day, the tunnels are critical to the social and economic wellbeing of our region, so continued investment is needed to keep them running both efficiently and safely. This includes investing in modern technology as well as ensuring the year-round maintenance programme takes place to keep the tunnels open.
“We’ve ensured that the upgrade can be completed without having to close the plazas and I’d like to thank users for their patience while the upgrade is completed.”
::
The Whitaker
The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery (Rossendale) is set for celebrations after confirmation of a substantial grant of £249,985 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Whitaker was successful in its application to the Heritage Fund thanks to its ambitious plans in developing the current workforce to focus on volunteer team progression, increasing its school and education offer, and providing focus to the charity’s financial forecast through new and creative income streams.
The application also saw potential plans to support a feasibility study and design of a new accommodation wing that would aim to provide overnight accommodation for visitors, as well as new artist studios for artists to work, create, and develop their practice.
Creative Director, Gaynor Seville, said: “This new sustainability funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund has come at a crucial time for us. Providing a nationally-respected, free to enter museum and art gallery with the wide ranging programme we have, takes a huge amount of effort and cost. This funding will help us to be strategic and plan ahead for a successful and financially secure future.”
Chair of the Board for The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery, Iain Taylor said: We have ambitious plans and ideas to expand on the already fantastic Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery – this funding will help strengthen our team and help us develop these ideas. It’s not an easy time for venues at the moment, but this support keeps us moving forward and aiming high.”
::
Matalan menopause range
Matalan, the Knowsley-based fashion and homeware value retailer, has launched its first dedicated menopause range in collaboration with GenM, the Menopause Partner for Brands and Home of the MTick, to better serve and support customers during the menopause.
The new collection includes a range of lingerie, nightwear and sportswear options that have all been MTick-approved by GenM. The MTick is the universal shopping symbol and certification for menopause-friendly products. The symbol, featured only on certified products, empowers menopausal women to shop with confidence for products that are proven to support any one of the 48 menopause signs.
Lingerie options include two-pack brief and bralette sets, camisoles and slips that are made with either HeiQ Smart Temp cooling fabrics or High IQ Cool comfort fabrics. Other lines within the range include period briefs, 100% cotton nightshirts and pyjama sets, which are designed to help regulate body temperature at night, and a selection of Souluxe activewear which have moisture-wicking elements for on-the-go temperature control.
Matalan has collaborated with GenM to launch its new range, which specifically supports night sweats, hot flushes and irregular periods, common signs of the menopause. GenM’s market research recently found that 94% of women want to shop for menopause-labelled products, a 14% increase on 2023.
Ali Jones, Chief Customer & Omni-Channel Officer of Matalan, said: “Matalan is proud to put its customer first. In practice, this means finding ways to make their lives that little bit easier with products that truly make a difference.”
