The estimated number of deaths linked to long waits in Emergency Departments across England has surged almost tenfold over the past decade.

Cumbria Waste Group has announced its sponsorship of The Great Cumbrian Run 2026, and is delighted that this year’s event will be re-named The Cumbria Waste Group Great Cumbrian Run as part of the partnership. This reflects a shared commitment to community, sustainability, and wellbeing, as Cumbria Waste Group joins forces with one of the county’s most celebrated annual events.

Applications have opened for nationwide breakfast club awards, giving schools across the chance to win £1,000 for their breakfast club and be recognised at a special ceremony at the Houses of Parliament.

Nearly one million people in the UK are living with dementia, including more than 106,000 in the North West, but its impact stretches far beyond those diagnosed, with millions of families silently carrying the strain. New research from Alzheimer’s Society, based on a UK wide survey of more than 2,000 people, reveals the emotional toll many are carrying behind closed doors.

Primary school children across the UK have been sharing hilarious, heartwarming and brutally honest descriptions of their favourite books in response to TGJones’ nationwide Bitesize Bookworms competition, with a prize value of over £17,000 up for grabs.

The cost of rural crime in the North West fell by 7% to £2.7million last year according to new figures from NFU Mutual, the UK’s leading rural insurer, demonstrating the effectiveness of investment and collaborative efforts against organised and serious crime.

A fifth of adults in the UK are feeling constant ‘financial regret’ over their spending habits, with pressures felt particularly strongly by younger generations, according to research from Hymans Robertson Personal Wealth.

The UK's electricity system costs are set to more than double by 2030, adding the equivalent of £700 per household even if gas prices remain the same, according to a new post published by the Institute of Economic Affairs.

The UK's expected housing market recovery has stalled, with upward inflation, political instability and stubbornly high borrowing costs creating the most uncertain conditions seen in years, according to a leading property expert At the start of 2026, economists and industry figures widely expected falling inflation and lower interest rates to trigger a steady rebound in the property market.

As Action for Brain Injury Week begins, much of the public conversation around traumatic brain injuries will rightly focus on emergency treatment, survival rates and the immediate aftermath of catastrophic accidents.

Almost three quarters (72%) of people in the North West would cut back or stop taking holidays in the UK because of the proposed holiday tax, a major UKHospitality poll has found.

The Cumberland has reintroduced face-to-face mortgage appointments at its Cockermouth branch, responding to growing demand from customers seeking in-person support. Mortgage and protection advisor Victoria Rae-Mills has recently begun offering appointments in branch one day a week, marking a return to a more traditional, community-based service alongside existing phone options.

The Ben Kinsella Trust has announced that Knife Crime Awareness Week 2026 will take place from 18 to 24 May alongside National Police Chiefs’ Council Sceptre Week, combining policing, prevention and community action in a coordinated effort to tackle knife crime.

Labour has suffered a harrowing defeat as Green Party leader Zach Polanski declares that two-party politics is “dead and buried”. Keir Starmer takes the loss on the chin and declares that he “won’t walk away”.

Over recent years, people have become far more proactive and informed when it comes to their health, with growing numbers seeking earlier answers and a better understanding of their wellbeing before concerns have the chance to escalate further.

Households across the North West continue to feel the impact of financial pressures, according to new research from St. James’s Place (SJP), with many reporting worsening finances over the past year as rising living costs continue to squeeze household budgets.

74% of carers in employment say being able to work supports their wellbeing, offering a break from caring, boosting confidence and social contact Despite this, nearly half (47%) of carers who are employees are considering cutting their working hours or giving up work altogether. Giving up work to care can also have a significant financial impact New research from Carers UK examines the ‘tipping point’ at which unpaid carers feel that they have no choice but to give up work to care

Prostate cancer patient Neil Connolly, will be appearing alongside award winning writer and BBC Radio 4 comedian Jon Holmes in a brand new quiz style podcast to support prostate cancer patients.

Around half of higher-risk mental health patients in emergency departments were not properly observed during their stay last year. That’s according to new data published by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) today, 11 May, which is the first day of UK Mental Health Awareness Week.

A volunteer-run community hall serving rural communities near Carlisle is set to benefit from a £500 grant from Stagecoach. Beaumont Parish Hall, located on Stagecoach’s Route 93 and serving a parish of around 500 residents across five villages, has received the funding to support its ongoing reconstruction project.

One of the UK’s most important broadcast sites, Winter Hill was first commissioned on 3 May 1956, and has played a central role in the development of television and radio broadcasting for seven decades.

Consumer confidence continued to decline in April 2026, according to the latest data from YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). Headline figures fell from 105.8 to 102.4 (-3.4) as nearly every metric deteriorated. Any score greater than 100 indicates positive sentiment, while a score of less than 100 indicates negative sentiment.

From 1st May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act will be in force. For 11 million private renters in England, it is the most significant shift in housing law in a generation. Section 21 no-fault evictions have ended. Fixed-term tenancies no longer exist. Landlords who once had near-automatic routes to possession must now justify every claim in court.