Chester Zoo have been awarded £318,000 in additional funds to help accelerate nature recovery and improve wildlife conservation efforts across Cheshire.
In the scheme backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the popular North West tourist destination and one of the best zoos in the world, let alone the UK, has been handed over £300k to put towards ensuring a better future for local nature and its inhabitants throughout the region.
Chester Zoo‘s nature recovery and animal conservation work will see them develop detailed plans to restore vital habitats for wildlife and create new ones for severely declining UK species, through a new project called ‘Networks for Nature’.
Some truly crucial work, this.
Excited to share that this NEW Networks for Nature project is possible thanks to @HeritageFundUK and National Lottery players, who are helping to ensure a brighter future for wildlife in Cheshire! 🚀🐸🐝🌸🦊🐍 pic.twitter.com/zXj5mS1zyI
With around 50% of UK species reported to be in decline, including the likes of great crested newts, the black poplar — Britain’s most endangered native timber tree — and the water vole which has been lost from 94% of places where they were once prevalent since the 1960s, we must act now rather than later.
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With that in mind, Chester Zoo will now work closely with local organisations and partners over the next 14 months to begin the nature recovery work and, hopefully, ensure a robust second-round application can be submitted to The National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2025.
Better still, the zoo will be working alongside Cheshire West and Chester Local Authority, Cheshire Wildlife Trust; the Canal and River Trust; Sustrans, the Land Trust and Cheshire West Communities Together to improve land holdings across Cheshire’s natural landscape and engage with the community.
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This really is a team effort, with everyone chipping in to look after our precious biomes and all within them, not mention secure their future for generations to come. We don’t want any more news like the fate of the River Lim last month.
Chester Zoo’s Community Engagement Manager, Hannah Brooks, said: “We’re in the midst of a global biodiversity crisis. The UN estimates that one million species are at risk of extinction, including many here in the UK, meaning there’s never been a more pressing time to stand together for nature.”
“Nature is in need of urgent help and our new Networks for Nature project will create a thriving, better connected, wildlife-rich landscape across the North West and Cheshire, benefitting both nature and the surrounding communities.
“Maintained through a strong partnership of local organisations, this grant will enable a comprehensive and joined-up response to tackling habitat fragmentation and degradation, and urban isolation from nature… make nature more accessible and inclusive for everyone to improve wellbeing and empower more people to have an active role in conservation, with the skills and know-how needed to create and grow biodiverse habitats.
“By coming together, we can make a significant difference to improving nature in Cheshire, and contribute to the global effort to protect and restore biodiversity.” Brilliant stuff.
You can email [email protected] for more information or to find out how you can get involved, and you can learn more about what the zoo is doing to look after our beloved animal friends and their surroundings down below:
Price caps and standardisations to be introduced for vet care in UK following major investigation
Emily Sergeant
Reforms to the veterinary industry to help pet owners better navigate the vet services market are set to be introduced this year.
After an independent inquiry group recently found that the current system is leaving pet owners ‘in the dark’, with a lack of information to help make informed decisions leading to weak competition and high prices, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has this week concluded its investigation into veterinary services for household pets in the UK.
The final report green-lights a package of measures to make the market more competitive, easier to navigate, and more responsive to pet owners’ needs.
It outlines the final remedies and recommendations, which together, will transform the market.
Remedies and recommendations in the report range from price caps and standardisations, through to upfront cost transparency.
We’ve set out major reforms to the UK’s veterinary sector now our market investigation is complete.
Our reforms will help pet owners better navigate the vet services market and will start coming into force later this year.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) March 24, 2026
Practices will soon be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options – so pet owners know up-front how much certain services are expected to cost.
They’ll also have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business, and provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more (including aftercare costs), plus an itemised bill.
Written prescription fees are set to be capped at £21 for the first medicine, and then £12.50 for any additional medicines.
Price caps and standardisations are set to be introduced for vet care in UK / Credit: Pxhere
There’s also set to be changes to the complaints process, as practices will now be required to follow a transparent, accessible, in-house complaints process, and engage in mediation where disputes cannot be resolved.
The CMA says an ‘unprecedented’ response from both the public and the sector has helped to shape the final report.
The next step is for the Government to respond to the report formally – with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, commenting: “We are grateful for all the work of the Competition and Markets Authority, and we will respond to the report and set out next steps for our proposed reforms in due course.
“This Government is focused on helping families save money on vet services by improving transparency and choice around pricing, so the public can make informed decisions about their pets’ care.”
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Police release footage of Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest by hiding under a bed
Emily Sergeant
Police have released unseen footage of a Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest and justice by hiding under a bed.
David Dale Thompson, of no fixed abode, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (18 March) where he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of residential burglary at an earlier hearing.
The 43-year-old was caught early last year (15 January 2025) following proactive patrols by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) neighbourhood officers across Rusholme and Moss Side, who were in the area due to a high number of reports of burglaries in the weeks prior.
While on patrol, police spotted Thompson ‘acting suspiciously’ while riding a bike just before 5pm, and once officer subsequently followed him to a property on Boscombe Street, before calling for more officers to attend.
After gaining entry to the address, officers suspected something was wrong when they entered one of the rooms, and after lifting up the bed, they found Thompson hiding in the storage compartment attempting to evade arrest.
GMP has now released footage of the moment Thompson was caught.
Speaking following Thompson’s sentencing last week, Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald, of GMP’s Manchester Central Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: “This was a fantastic example of proactive policing, which has resulted in a serial offender now behind bars.
“We know how devastating a burglary in your own home can be and this shows our commitment to tackling them head on.
“If you have any information or concerns about neighbourhood crime in your area, make sure you speak to us. In the meantime, we have officers on regular patrols in areas that need us the most.”
Danny Jones -
21st June 2023 
