News

New ‘postboxes of the future’ are being rolled out across the UK

Including right here in Greater Manchester.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 28th August 2025

The Royal Mail is starting to roll out its line of so-called “postboxes of the future” across the UK this year, including right here in Greater Manchester.

It has been dubbed the most important and noticeable transformation to the classic British postbox in its entire 175-year history.

The national postal service teased the modern-day upgrade earlier this year, but the revolutionary new upgrade was officially announced this week, with Royal Mail ushering in a new era of digitally-driven units that should make many lives a lot easier – at least in theory.

Although they might look pretty identical to the iconic red boxes since before the turn of the 19th century have used up and down the country, there are marked differences between the new and the old ones.

new solar post boxes great britain
Credit: Royal Mail

The biggest change made to the Royal Mail’s soon-to-be standard design is a digitally activated drop-down drawer, which will be able to fit parcels as big as a shoebox, hopefully saving us Brits on a fair few trips to the post office.

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You will be able to scan a barcode via the updated Royal Mail app to activate the drawer for larger items; meanwhile, there will be a separate slot for letters and smaller packages.

Additionally, the new range of high-tech postboxes will also be solar-powered, helping the public limited company chase its ‘green’ targets.

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Now owned by parent firm International Distribution Services (IDS) – who also oversee Parcelforce Worldwide – following the UK government’s approval of its historic sale to Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský at the end of 2024, the group as a whole is undergoing a significant overhaul.

Britain’s new solar postboxes were first trialled back in April in four towns located throughout the Hertfordshire region: Letchworth Garden City, Ware and Hertford. A fifth was later installed in Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire, too.

Despite being quickly considered a success on the whole, the initial design featured an entirely black top, with polls of civilians and Royal Mail themselves agreeing that keeping them red all over was more in keeping with the brand.

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It’s like the old school phone box, isn’t it? We can’t picture it any other way.

Speaking in a statement, the Royal Mail‘s managing director of ‘out-of-home and commercial excellence’, Jack Clarkson, said: “We are all sending and returning more parcels than ever before.

“This trend will only continue as online shopping shows no signs of slowing, particularly with the boom of second-hand marketplaces. There are 115,000 postboxes in the UK located within half a mile of 98% of addresses, making them by far the most convenient network of parcel drop-off points in the UK.

“Our message is clear – if you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we’ll do the rest.”

The new generation postboxes are now being made permanent in the same locations, with Edinburgh, Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester next.

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Keep your eyes peeled on the streets as they’ll soon be making a debut in your area.

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Featured Images – Royal Mail (publicity pictures)

News

‘Powerful’ new BBC documentary to tell the stories of the Southport victims’ families

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Southport attack victims

The BBC is set to tell the stories of the Southport attack victims’ families in a powerful new documentary airing next month.

The Southport attack was a tragedy that hit the nation like no other last summer, and the new hour-long documentary, titled Our Girls: The Southport Families, follows the parents of three young girls – nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, six-year-old Bebe King, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe – who tragically lost their lives in the process.

Last summer, the three little girls had excitedly gone to a Taylor Swift-themed dance class – but tragically, they never came home.

Over the last nine months, a small team from the BBC followed the families’ journey through unimaginable grief and the beginnings of hope, and now their deeply personal interviews are to be shown alongside family footage shared for the first time.

Producers say the ‘moving’ documentary will show the joy the girls brought, and the legacies the parents are now building in their memory.

Set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in early December, viewers will get to watch as the parents plan to create lasting legacies in their daughters’ names – Alice’s Wonderdance, Bebe’s Hive, and Elsie’s Story.

It will also show the parents’ fundraising efforts to build a playground at the school attended by two of the girls, which they hope will become a space for ‘joy, remembrance, and community’.

“This inspirational film is a heartfelt tribute to Alice, Bebe and Elsie, told through the voices of those who knew and loved them most,” explained Richard Frediani, who is the Executive Editor at BBC Breakfast and BBC News.

“It is both heartbreaking and uplifting, a testament to the strength of three families united in grief and now driven by purpose to ensure their names are never forgotten.”

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Sarah Campbell, who is a BBC News correspondent, added: “Our hope is that people will take from their story that it is possible to find light and humanity in the darkest of times.”

Our Girls: The Southport Families will air on BBC One on Tuesday 9 December at 8pm, and will later be available on iPlayer.

Featured Image – Merseyside Police

News

NHS says it’s the busiest it has ever been heading into winter as ‘damaging’ strikes begin

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

The NHS has claimed it’s currently the ‘busiest it has ever been’ as we head into the winter.

While it has been revealed that the health service’s waiting list is 230,000 lower than this time last summer, and down 15,845 compared to the previous month, figures released this week show that the NHS is ‘approaching its limit’ as we head into winter – with A&E, ambulances, and more all facing record demand.

As the colder months edge closer, and a likely spike in flu cases is expected in the coming weeks, the NHS says it’s the ‘busiest it has ever been’.

It also comes during what officials are describing as ‘damaging’ industrial action.

Last month, both A&E attendances and ambulance incidents were at a record high for October, with A&E attendances at 37,000 higher than October 2024, equating to over 1,200 more attendances per day this October. 

Ambulance incidents also jumped nearly 50,000 compared with October last year (806,441), the NHS has confirmed.

“It is fantastic news that the health service managed to get the waiting list down in September, but there’s no doubt NHS staff will be approaching their limits this winter,” commented Professor Meghana Pandit, who is the NHS National Medical Director.

Patient in a hospital bed
The NHS says it’s the busiest it has ever been heading into winter amid ‘damaging’ strikes / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)

“Flu is peaking early and looking like it will be long lasting, while industrial action comes on the back of the busiest October in A&E in NHS history.

“Staff continue to work incredibly hard and, as ever, the public can play their part.”

Despite the health service being stretched during this time, the public are still advised to attend any planned appointments that are scheduled during the ongoing strikes, unless they have been contacted to reschedule.

Primary and urgent and emergency care services will continue to be available for those who need them.

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The public should use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent but not life-threatening issues during industrial action so that they can be directed to the best place for their needs, but patients who do need emergency medical care should continue to use 999 or come forward to A&E as normal.

Featured Image – Pxhere

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