40 local individuals and businesses have been announced as finalists for the brand new Northern Gamechanger awards.
The all-new awards programme will celebrate the forces for good in our business communities and honour leaders in the region making a real difference in their fields.
Unlike most awards ceremonies, there aren’t defined categories here – rather, finalists are recognised for their work in a number of areas, from sustainability and social mobility to diversity and decarbonisation.
The 40 finalists announced today include some of the most familiar business names in the region, including TalkTalk, HideOut Youth Zone, Go Thrift, UA92 and The Juice Academy, as well as brilliant individuals.
Simon Mellin of The Modern Milkman and Heard Storytelling are among the Northern Gamechanger finalists.
The awards themselves are set to take place on 14 September.
ADVERTISEMENT
10 total Northern Gamechangers will be announced then, chosen by judges including The Manc Group managing director Anna Gledson, Capital & Centric co-founder Tim Heatley, founder of SA Consulting Sharon Amesu, and drector of Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre Amer Gaffar.
The brand-new awards programme is the brainchild of north-west based business consultancy, Elevate, and was launched after noticing the little recognition available for those making a real difference.
ADVERTISEMENT
Katie Robson, co-founder and director of Elevate, said: “Seeing so many individuals and organisations across the region being nominated has been brilliant.
“We already knew there were plenty of people using their influence for good, but this has really highlighted the game changing attitudes of the north’s pioneering business community.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We can’t wait to champion those people who are making a real difference – the main reason we wanted to launch Northern Gamechangers, was to shout about the fantastic work people are doing in the realms of sustainability, charity, diversity and many more.”
There’ll be accessible ticket prices for the ceremony itself, which will be a fun and relaxed evening of celebration and networking – with no white tablecloths in sight.
Programme sponsors include leading independent PR agency, The PHA Group, which last year launched its northern base; Manchester Central, the city’s thriving exhibition and conference centre; and Appleyard Lees, Intellectual Property specialists.
You can purchase your ticket for the Northern Gamechanger awards here.
The full list of the Northern Gamechanger finalists
Abi Dunn, Sixty Eight People
Abigail Herron, Aviva Investors
Adam Farricker, HideOut Youth Zone Manchester
Adam Pope, Spencer Churchill
Agent Academy
Carl Walker, Go Thrift
Catherine Wilks, Slalom
Chris Roberts, Safe As Houses
Christos Tsaprounis, Autotrader
David MacDonald, Cullen ECO Friendly Packaging
Dr Ruth Brown-Shepherd, FSB West Yorkshire Academia-Industry Network
Duane Cormell, Realm Recruit
Emma Louise-Fusari, Inhouse Health
Fund Her North
Gary Woodhead, CurveBlock
Georgia Fitzgerald, Juice Academy
Grace Dyke, Yellow Jigsaw
Hannah Cox, BetterNotStop
Heard Storytelling
Helen McHugh, TalkTalk
Helen Seagrave, Electricity North West
Holly Holland & Laura Pomfret, Financielle
HOME Team
Husain Bensaud, HBL Associates
Isobelle Panton, University Academy 92
Jason Laing, ProMake
John Eckersley, Castefield Partners
Katie McIntosh, The Remedy Kitchen
Lauren Rosegreen, Invisible Cities Manchester
Lee Chambers, Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing
Liam Starkey, The Inclusive Hub
Lyndsay Hymas, Slalom
Manchester PA Network
Max Whiteley. Accounts & Legal
Rebecca Hartley, Saving Grace Events
ReCon^2
Simon Mellin, The Modern Milkman
Sophie Walker, Dsposal
The Royal Exchange Theatre
Tiffany Thorn, BiVictriX Therapeutics
Featured image: Heard Storytelling / Unsplash / Modern Milkman
News
NHS says it’s battling with ‘worst case scenario’ as flu cases surge nationwide
Emily Sergeant
Flu hospitalisations have surged by more than half in just one week, plunging the NHS into the ‘worst case scenario’.
Shocking new figures have revealed that an nn average of 2,660 patients per day were in a hospital bed with flu last week, which is the highest-ever for this time of year and up 55% up on last week – which, when put into perspective, means there are enough flu patients each day to fill more than three whole hospital trusts.
NHS bosses have warned that the total has already increased sharply since the week covered by the data, and at this time, there is thought to be no ‘peak’ in sight.
These new figures come as demand for A&Es and ambulance services are already soaring.
The number of patients in hospital with flu has risen by over 50% in the last week, reaching a record number for this time of year – and numbers continue to grow.
New monthly figures showed that A&E attendances were a record for November at 2.35 million and more than 30,000 higher than November 2024, while there were 48,814 more ambulance incidents compared to last year.
The record-breaking demand also comes just ahead of thousands of resident doctors going on strike this week from 17-22 December – with ‘major disruption’ expected for patients ahead of Christmas.
The public are advised to attend any planned appointments scheduled during the 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, during the industrial action.
NHS says it’s battling with the ‘worst case scenario’ as flu cases surge nationwide / Credit: Pxhere
The public should use 111 online as their first port of call for urgent but not life-threatening issues so that they can be directed to the best place for their needs, while patients who need emergency medical care should continue to use 999 or come forward to A&E as normal.
“With record demand for A&E and ambulances and an impending resident doctors strike, this unprecedented wave of super flu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario for this time of year – with staff being pushed to the limit to keep providing the best possible care for patients,” commented Professor Meghana Pandit, who is the NHS National Medical Director.
“Even worse, it continues to rise and the peak is not in sight yet, so the NHS faces an extremely challenging few weeks ahead.
“We have prepared earlier for winter than ever before, and stress-tested services to ensure people have a range of ways to get the help they need and avoid needing to go to A&E.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the flu surge as a ‘tidal wave’.
“We are working with the NHS to make sure it is able to cope with this as best as possible,” he concluded.
Featured Image – Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
News
Erling Haaland dresses up as Santa and hands out Christmas presents in Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
Manchester City star Erling Haaland has doubled as Father Christmas in his latest YouTube stunt, dressing up as Santa and handing out presents to local kids in the new episode.
We’re starting to think he might be one of the most likeable footballers on the planet right now.
The Norwegian footballer recently surpassed Alan Shearer’s ‘fastest to 100 goals record’ in the Premier League and has been well and truly back to his best as Man City continue to rediscover their form, but the big blonde number nine has been delighting both on and off the pitch of late.
For starters, even before any of the season’s givings began, we got the giggle just from our first glimpse of the thumbnail.
Yes, Haaland definitely has a habit of leaning into the humorous side of his celebrity status, having already dressed up as the Joker for Halloween in one of the first episodes published on his still relatively new YouTube channel.
However, the 25-year-old got up to some more heartwarming activities this time around, swapping the face paint, green wig and stripey suit for a red coat, hat, some little glasses and a big white beard.
With the video itself showing him getting into character and loading his car with a sack full of presents, he then goes on to visit multiple houses to dish out the surprise gifts.
While the title and description state that he drove around the streets of 0161, it’s hard to tell where exactly he went, but we’d guess it was more around Alderley Edge and/or the Cheshire side of the Greater Manchester borders.
One particular interaction between the disguised Blue and a young Red certainly produced a harmless little bit of comedy…
Either way, on the whole, this particular instalment was more wholesome than it was funny, and it’s always nice to see sports personalities and famous people spreading kindness.
Obviously, not everyone can afford to be as generous as a Premier League and world-famous international athlete, but it’s nevertheless a nice touch.
Daisy Jackson -
8th July 2022 
