Manchester company awards dog ‘Employee of the Month’ 15 times during lockdown
"Lottie was a total star and definitely deserved to be awarded ‘Empawee’ of the Month for simply making the whole team smile on busy days and for keeping me company."
A very special dog has been awarded Employee of the Month a whopping 15 times during lockdown for keeping staff’s spirits high at this Manchester company.
Eight-year-old Border Collie Lottie received her first award last April when owner and yappy.com founder, John Smith, decided that she deserved a place on the usually-human Employee of the Month wall.
“Lifesaver” Lottie’s been up to all sorts over the last 15 months.
From dressing up to take Tiger King-inspired Joe Exotic selfies, to celebrating their loo roll stash as the nation’s stock fell low, Lottie kept John smiling – and she brought joy to the whole team at the Manchester-based company too.
Lottie was pictured celebrating Eat Out To Help Out, Valentine’s Day, Independence Day, Halloween, Christmas and more throughout lockdown.
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Every month, John – who founded the pet-themed personalised gifting website back in 2018 – snapped a seasonal photo of Lottie and framed it on the Employee of the Month wall, and in case you missed it, her adorable antics were also documented on the company’s Instagram account so everyone could see how amazing she was.
Every month, John snapped a seasonal photo of Lottie and framed it on the Employee of the Month wall / Credit: yappy.com
“Like many UK business owners, during the first lockdown, I found myself suddenly juggling the demands of running a business and trying to ensure that the morale of my staff was kept intact,” John explained.
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“When it became possible to make trips into the office for a change of scenery, I still didn’t see many staff at all, and most days found myself working alone five days a week.
“On those days, Lottie was a lifesaver and kept me going with cuddles and constant entertainment.
“I decided to start sharing photos of our days with the team to keep everyone smiling.
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“Lottie was a total star and definitely deserved to be awarded ‘Empawee’ of the Month for simply making the whole team smile on busy days and for keeping me company.
“Dogs have this amazing sixth sense and ability to know how you’re feeling and even five minutes of tummy-tickling or going for a short walk with them can help reduce stress levels and calm you down on difficult days.”
Featured Image – yappy.com
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Millions of unmarried couples to get ‘stronger’ rights and more financial security
Emily Sergeant
Millions of unmarried couples in England are set to get ‘stronger’ rights and more financial security.
As the Government continues to prioritise tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VWAG) and working people, and ultimately meet the needs of modern relationships, more than 3.5 million unmarried couples are to be given more financial security under a new consultation which launched last week (Friday 5 June).
Designed to ‘shape future law’ and ‘better reflect modern society’, the consultation is looking to strengthen rights and make the separation process less financially difficult for cohabiting couples and those who simply choose not to marry.
The Government says it recognises that, due to cost of living pressures, financial security is more important than ever and the current ‘outdated’ system offers unmarried couples who live together limited financial rights if their relationship ends.
The proposals will help couples – including survivors of domestic abuse – gain independence at the end of a cohabitating relationship, whatever their marital status.
The consultation will also explore whether courts should give greater weight to the impact of domestic abuse, including controlling or coercive behaviour or economic abuse, when assessing finances for married couples and cohabitants.
Protections for cohabiting couples will also be ‘levelled up’ by giving automatic rights to inherit if their partner dies without a will.
The Government is also proposing making pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements legally binding.
Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, says these reforms ‘strike an important balance’ between tradition and modernity.
“When a relationship comes to an end, each partner should have the support and certainty they need to rebuild their life,” he commented. “We’re launching this consultation to make sure our new family law builds a fair system that offers the most vulnerable protection in the event of a breakup, and at a time where the country is facing cost of living pressures.”
Justice Minister Baroness Levitt KC concluded: “Financial independence should “be afforded to everybody – not just those who choose to marry or enter into a civil partnership.”
You can have your say on the consultation on the Government website here.
Police give update after bomb squad descended on Fallowfield and evacuated residents
Emily Sergeant
Police have given an update after officers were called to investigate reports of two ‘suspicious items’ found in front gardens in Fallowfield.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to Abram Close, in the Fallowfield area of Manchester, shortly after 6:05pm this past Saturday (6 June 2026) following a report of a ‘suspicious item’ being found in a front garden, and officers attended the scene alongside the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD).
After the EOD made an assessment of the scene, around 20 nearby properties were advised by police to evacuate ‘as a precaution’.
As the investigation continued across the weekend, a second suspicious item was then found outside a property on Rostherne Avenue at around 2:45pm yesterday afternoon (Sunday 7 June), and once again, officers and partner agencies attended the scene to put a cordon in place.
As a precaution, several other houses in the area of the second property were also asked to evacuate while this work continues.
No arrests have been made at this time, but enquiries are ongoing.
“We thank everyone for their patience so far whilst we deal with this incident, as our investigation into the full circumstances continues,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Peter Morley, of GMP’s City of Manchester Division.
“Incidents such as these are likely to cause alarm in the local community, but please be reassured that there is no wider threat.
“Officers will be on hand to ensure the safety of people in the nearby area, so please speak to them if you have any concerns. As our work continues, it is vital that anyone who has any information, no matter how small, should report it to us and allow us to investigate.”
Can you help? Any information, CCTV, dash cam, or mobile phone footage can be shared with police online via the LiveChat service at gmp.police.uk, or by calling 0161 856 4259, quoting the log number 1948 of 07/06/26.
Details can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
10th September 2021 
