Social media is awash with tributes to an “outstanding journalist” and “a wonderful, caring person” as writer and dedicated Hillsborough campaigner, Dan Kay, has sadly passed away aged 45.
The former Liverpool Echo reporter and lifelong Liverpool fan was said to have died suddenly, with the first reports of his passing on Monday, 8 May, which has come as a shock to both supporters of the football club, his industry colleagues, the city of Liverpool and its local Jewish community.
Having worked on behalf of families and survivors of the Hillsborough disaster for many years, the Echo has described him as a “tireless campaigner” who “pioneered digital journalism in the newsroom… whose compassion, empathy and concern for others touched countless lives in Liverpool and beyond.”
Everyone at LFC is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Dan Kay.
A much respected journalist who was well known to many at the club, tireless Hillsborough campaigner and lifelong Liverpool fan, our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues, @LivEchonews. https://t.co/cpNwVmaaDe
Devastated by this news. @dankay was such a lovely man. We were both like kids in a chocolate factory when we both first interviewed klopp in front of the Kop at Anfield. We were buzzing through the whole day. It was a moment we always talked about over a brew. RIP Dan ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Yaws1qbCcJ
Dan worked with the late Anne Williams’s daughter Sara to co-write With Hope In Her Heart, a powerful account of her mother’s fight for justice in memory of her son Kevin, 15, and the 96 other supporters unlawfully killed at Hillsborough.
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Acting as a champion for social justice and always looking to help those in need throughout his personal and professional life, he also compiled individual tributes to each one of the victims, spending countless hours with their families and friends, as well as producing the visual tribute ‘97 Candles Burn Bright‘,
Writing on Twitter just last month, Dan said of the tribute: “As always our city stands together – love and strength to the inspirational families, heroic survivors and everyone affected by this most cruel of days.”
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As for “best friend” Sara, she said he became part of the family and “had a heart of gold”, insisting that “he would do anything for anyone… we will all miss him so much.” It appears the amount of lives he touched is beyond number, as social media mourns “a truly kind-hearted, generous man”.
You genuinely did not have a bad bone in your body. Purple Daniel the Maniel.
I’ll miss your Pits goalscoring and your ‘just taking a quick call’ turning into a 90 minute conversation🤣 The nicest man you could meet. I’ll miss you so much.
Devastating news to hear my friend and colleague Dan Kay has died. Dan was the definition of kindness and generosity. A tireless Hillsborough campaigner and the most knowledgeable, passionate Red you could meet. Love to his friends and family. He'll be greatly missed. RIP Dan💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/hNrKBxTs2R
Kay’s cause of death is not yet known but the sadness being felt across Liverpool, the Jewish community for whom he acted as an honorary secretary at his local synagogue; his journalistic colleagues and those close to him that are “really struggling to come to terms with this news” is plain for all to see.
As the Echo‘s Audience Editor, Paul Philbin, wrote: “The outpouring of love for Dan Kay says everything you need to know about him. A giant of this city”.
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A date has not yet been confirmed for Dan’s funeral but it is expected to take place at Broadgreen Jewish Cemetery.
By all accounts an incredible journalist, a dedicated campaigner, a friend to all and an all-round lovely person. Rest in peace.
Chester Zoo named one of England’s most popular tourist attractions with 1.9m visitors
Emily Sergeant
Congratulations are in order, yet again, for Chester Zoo… as this time its been one of England’s most popular attractions.
Merely months after being named the UK’s best zoo for the second year running, thanks to receiving more than 11,000 ‘excellent’ reviews from TripAdvisor, Chester Zoo has now got itself another prestigious title, as a major VisitEngland (VE) report has ranked it the third most-visited ‘paid for’ attraction in England – and the most visited outside of London.
The national tourist board for England gathered information from a total of 1,373 attractions across the country, and ranked the UK’s biggest charity zoo as the third overall in terms of popularity, with a whopping 1.9 million visitors in 2024 alone.
The Tower of London took top spot with 2.9 million visitors, while the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew was second place with 2.3 million visitors.
When it comes to free attractions, on the other hand, it wad the British Museum that claimed the top spot with 6.5 million visitors, while the Natural History Museum (5.9 million visitors) took second place, and the Tate Modern (4.6 million visitors) got third.
So as you can see, the south and London in particular is a pretty dominating force in England’s tourism industry – which is why it’s even more impressive to see Chester Zoo ranked so highly.
The new VE title also comes after the zoo was recently given £4 million of lottery funding to help ‘transform’ the local environment and restore wildlife habitats across the Cheshire and wider North West region.
Not only that, but if course follows Chester Zoo’s unveiling of its new immersive experience named Heart of Africa, which is the the largest zoo habitat ever created in the UK and is home to 57 iconic African species.
Chester Zoo has been named one of England’s most popular tourist attractions with 1.9m visitors / Credit: Chester Zoo
“As a major international wildlife charity, everything we do is focused on supporting global conservation,” commented Chester Zoo’s Commercial Director, Dom Strange.
“Whether it’s caring for highly-threatened animals and plants, making scientific discoveries, influencing Government environmental policies, impacting the National Curriculum to better connect young people with nature, or our conservation efforts in around 20 countries, we’re fully committed to protecting endangered species for the future.
“But none of this would be possible without our visitors.
“Every person who comes to the zoo for a fun and inspiring day out is helping to fund our vital work, so we want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported us and helped us to rank so highly in VisitEngland’s latest report.”
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Manchester Museum saves a ‘national treasure’ to ensure it stays in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum has made a stunning new addition to its natural history collections, and in the process has ensured a ‘national treasure’ stays in the UK.
Not long after claiming the coveted title of European Museum of the Year for 2025, Manchester Museum has done it again – this time working together with John Rylands Library to acquire Henry Dresser’s unique personal copy of his anthology A History of the Birds of Europe so that this ‘invaluable resource’ can remain in the UK for future generations.
The beautifully-illustrated collection of books provide an important historical record to help understand how and why bird populations have changed over time.
Dresser’s personal copy is heavily-annotated with personal notes and observations.
These books are deemed to be of ‘outstanding significance’, not only for scientific purposes but also for their aesthetic value, as they have also been illustrated by some of the leading wildlife artists of the day.
The volumes were recognised as a national treasure by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, which is supported by the Arts Council, and this meant that the Government placed a temporary export deferral on them to allow time for UK buyers to raise the funds to keep them in the country.
Brilliantly, the acquisition of these books reunites them with Dresser’s own bird specimens that are already cared for by Manchester Museum, including species such as the Slender-billed curlew, which is now believed to be extinct.
The now-extinct species’ presence in both Dresser’s beautifully-annotated volumes and the ornithological collections at Manchester Museum highlights the vital role that historical records play in tracking biodiversity loss over time to uncover the long-term impact of environmental change.
Manchester Museum has saved a ‘national treasure’ to ensure it stays in the UK / Credit: Manchester Museum
“Threats to the natural world and biodiversity have never been greater and while this anthology has historical value, it also speaks to the urgent issues of the present,” commented Esme Ward, who is the Director of Manchester Museum.
“These books are breathtakingly beautiful, and by bringing them together with natural history collections, we believe they will not only provide scientific benefit, but also capture the hearts of future ornithologists and conservationists.”
A History of the Birds of Europe will be officially unveiled at a private view on Friday 27 June, before being displayed to the public for the first time in Manchester Museum’s ‘Living Worlds’ gallery from Saturday 28 June 2025 right through until Sunday 25 January 2026.
Danny Jones -
9th May 2023 
