Manchester Museum has been shortlisted as one of the best museums in Europe at a special awards ceremony.
Undeniably one of the most prestigious museum awards in the world, the annual European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) is an annual prize given to the best of the best on our continent, and for 2025, Manchester Museum – which is part of the University of Manchester (UoM) – will compete against 41 other cultural hubs.
Operated by the European Museum Forum (EMF), EMYA recognises new or redeveloped museums that showcase the best in excellence and innovation in their field.
According to the organisation, the aim of the award is to shine a worthy spotlight on museums that promote inter-cultural dialogue and community participation, demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, and show creative and imaginative approaches to the production of knowledge.
Manchester Museum has been shortlisted for the European Museum of the Year Award for 2025 / Credit: Manchester Museum
The nomination for Manchester Museum comes after its recent £15 million transformation project.
The major bricks and mortar redevelopment introduced new galleries, partnerships, visitor facilities, and sector-leading work around repatriation, restitution, and indigenisation to what was an already-important visitor attraction in our city centre, as well as the top floor being transformed into an environmental and social justice hub for environmental and educational charities to address issues affecting communities within Manchester.
“This nomination means an awful lot to the whole team at Manchester Museum, because it recognises our efforts to make this a place where everyone belongs,” explained Esme Ward, who is Manchester Museum’s Director.
“The Museum’s redevelopment was about much more than just bricks and mortar, it was about transforming our spaces and our approach to ensure we’re the museum our city and communities need us to be.”
The winner of next year’s EMYA is set to be announced in Białistok in Poland on 25 May 2025.
Aside from the main prize, there are also a number of other awards categories too – which Manchester Museum could also be in the running for.
Featured Image – Chris Bull (via Manchester Museum)
News
Body found in search for missing man Craig Foy after police scour Heaton Park
Daisy Jackson
A body has been discovered in the search for missing Bury man Craig Foy.
Greater Manchester Police’s Major Incident Team had been carrying out an extensive search for Craig, 40, after he disappeared on Saturday 26 July.
Those searches had included the Heaton Park area, after CCTV appeared to show the Whitefield man climbing into the park just before midnight.
Officers have now confirmed that a body has been found in connection with the investigation.
While formal identification is yet to take place, it’s believed to be that of Craig.
Craig’s family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.
Earlier in the week, GMP said that three men were arrested on suspicion of murder, with one suspect since released on bail and two others facing no further action.
Detective Chief Inspector Jill Billington, from GMP’s Serious Crime Division, said: “The investigation remains ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to Craig’s death, and to ensure that we can get the answers that his family deserve.
“We appreciate the support of the public in sharing our appeals to locate Craig and ask for his family to be given privacy, space and time to process their loss.”
Police are still appealing for information relating to the investigation – you can contact GMP on 101 quoting log number 917-28/7/25 or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
New data reveals a third of Brits admit to secretly sneaking off work early on a Friday
Emily Sergeant
Surprising new data has revealed that a third of Brits admits to secretly sneaking off work early on a Friday.
After a long and tiring week, most of us would love the chance to clock off work a little earlier than usual on a Friday, but for a lot of workers, this isn’t always a possibility – and for some, they even have to work longer at the end of the week to make sure everything has been finished off and tied up before the weekend arrives.
But since there has been a noticeable rise in remote working and working from home, a new survey has revealed that working attitudes have changed.
Virgin Media has released new broadband data that reveals a drop in traffic on Friday afternoons during the summer months – with as much as an 8% dip between 3-5pm compared to the winter, as remote workers clock off early.
A third of Brits admit to secretly sneaking off work early on a Friday / Credit: Glenn Carstens-Peters | Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
The Friday traffic drop-off comes from Virgin Media’s broadband network analysis, which it says is a ‘reliable indicator’ of the connectivity habits of the British public.
Alongside the network data, Virgin Media also asked Brits about their work policies and working habits ij a bid to fully understand the trend.
Nearly a third (30%) of Brits say they have a formal early Friday finish in place during the summer, but despite almost half of UK adults (48%) saying they’re not authorised to finish early on a Friday, 32% have admitted to regularly logging off with or without official permission.
Surprising new data has revealed Brits’ working habits / Credit: Chuttersnap (via Unsplash)
Many Brits have also confessed to working ‘on the move’ on a Friday afternoon too.
15% admitted to having worked from the train station as the weekend creeps nearer, as well as 14% from the park, 10% from the pub, and many as 30% of 18-24-year-olds worked from the car while travelling for the weekend.
“Our network traffic analysis is revealing changing workplace habits in real time as the nation takes advantage of long summer Fridays,” commented Jeanie York, who is the Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2.
“We’re continuing to boost our fixed and mobile networks so whether Brits are working from their local park, or finishing their work at home, we’re ready to keep them connected.”
Emily Sergeant -
28th November 2024 
