Of course most of the doom and gloom mainstream media may not be interested in featuring any positive British news stories, but we certainly are.
Here are our 20 best read and most shared positive news stories from this week (16th – 22nd January 2023):
20. LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: £14.7 million for new film studios in Kent
Over £14.7 million from the Levelling Up Fund has been allocated to Ashford for support the creation of new international film studios in Kent. The planned studios will sit on a 4.8-hectare (11.9 acres) brownfield site with five Grade II listed buildings forming part of a digital industry hub, bringing new jobs to the area for local people. The site was previously the old Newton Railway Works and will be developed with several partners… click here
19. Deposit Return Scheme for UK’s annual 14 billion plastic drinks bottles and 9 billion drinks cans moves a step closer
Recycling plastic bottles and drink cans is set to be easier for tens of millions of people thanks to a new deposit return scheme, Environment Minister Rebecca Pow announced this week. New plans set out in a consultation response detail that, through small cash deposits placed on single-use drinks containers, people will likely be incentivised to recycle their drinks bottles and cans, reducing litter and plastic pollution… click here
18. Barclays Eagle Labs chosen to help turbocharge next generation of UK tech stars
Barclays Eagle Labs has been awarded a new grant to boost small and scaling tech businesses in all corners of the UK. Estimates suggest strengthening regional tech industries could grow the UK’s digital sector by an additional £41.5 billion by 2025 and create 678,000 jobs. The £12.09 million Digital Growth Grant builds on more than £42.2 million invested by the government to support tech start-ups and scale-ups since 2016… click here
17. UK donates lifesaving medical supplies to Ukraine to treat civilians
The UK is sending further vital medical supplies to Ukraine to help treat casualties of the Russian offensive. Over 70 pallets of bandages, crutches, wheelchairs, and other much needed medical supplies are being donated to UK-Med, a frontline medical NGO, for those injured in Russian attacks. The supplies come from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s emergency response stocks and will be used across Ukraine… click here
16. Major broadband rollout for Cornwall with £36 million awarded to connect thousands of rural premises
Thousands of people living and working in rural Cornwall will get access to lightning-fast broadband after local supplier Wildanet was awarded £36 million from the government to roll out new connections. Two contracts, part of the government’s nationwide £5 billion Project Gigabit to supply hard-to-reach areas with better broadband, have been awarded to the Liskeard-based supplier. It will see up to 19,250 homes and businesses in South West and Mid Cornwall connected… click here
15. UK landmark genomic partnership with Thailand to unite against health threats
UK patients will benefit from a new partnership with Thailand to share expertise of genome sequencing, collaborate in research, education and training opportunities, knowledge exchange and genomics data handling. This week a memorandum of understanding was signed by UK Health Minister Lord Nick Markham CBE and Thailand’s Minister for Public Health and Deputy Prime Minister HE Anutin Charnvirakul… click here
14. Levelling up projects in Scotland awarded £177 million
A new ferry for Fair Isle, restoration of Kilmarnock’s historic Palace Theatre, and regeneration in Stirling are just some of the transformational local projects across Scotland awarded a share of £2.1 billion from the UK Government’s landmark Levelling Up Fund. Major UK Government investment will benefit people across Scotland by spreading opportunity and breathing new life into historically overlooked areas… click here
13. Minister for Indo-Pacific visits Japan following landmark new agreement between our two countries
In a milestone year for Japan, as it assumes its G7 presidency, the UK has committed to doing more with one of its closest Indo-Pacific partners to boost ties and robustly defend democracy, peace and freedom. Following the recent signing of the landmark UK-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement in London, Minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan spent the week in Japan, seeing first-hand the vital collaboration between the two countries on everything from trade to education… click here
12. Levelling Up projects in Wales awarded £208 million by UK Government
A total of 11 projects receive grants from round two of flagship Levelling Up Fund. Cardiff Crossrail, a new engineering campus in Blaenau Gwent, and new cycle routes through Conwy Valley are just some of the transformational local projects across Wales awarded a share of £2.1 billion from the UK Government’s landmark Levelling Up Fund. Major UK Government investment will benefit people across Wales by spreading opportunity and breathing new life into historically overlooked areas… click here
11. 89% of all 22,000 schools in England rated good or outstanding according to Ofsted’s latest inspections
More schools in England are now good or outstanding with the latest inspection outcomes showing a continuing trend of improvement since the pandemic. Ofsted has today published data on school inspections carried out up to the end of December 2022. It shows that around 89% of all 22,000 schools were good or outstanding at their most recent inspection. This is an increase from 86% in August 2019 and 88% in August 2022… click here
10. World Champions! GOLD for Great Britain’s 4-Man bobsled
Great Britain’s awesome bobsled foursome have beaten Germany’s 4-man team who were undefeated at Altenberg, the toughest track in the world, for 17 seasons. The British quartet which consists of Brad Hall, Taylor Lawrence, Arran Gulliver and Greg Cackett captured another GB World Cup gold this week at the World Championships in Germany winning the 4-Man Bobsled by a margin of 0.09 seconds… click here
9. Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games contributed at least £870 million to UK Economy
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games contributed at least £870 million to the UK economy, a new study reveals. The independent interim evaluation report found that the West Midlands economy received a significant boost, with over half the economic impact generated (£453.7 million) benefiting businesses and communities across the region. A record 1.5 million tickets were sold for Birmingham 2022, the largest multi-sport event hosted in England in the last 10 years… click here
8. BUILT IN BRITAIN: Aston Martin creating more than 100 manufacturing jobs at HQ in Warwickshire
Iconic British marque Aston Martin is creating more than 100 jobs at its Gaydon HQ to support the ramp up in production and unleash its next generation of sports cars. In the year the iconic brand celebrates its 110th anniversary, 2023 will see Aston Martin commence the launch of the highly anticipated future models, which will further enhance its focus on ultra-luxury, high-performance and driving intensity… click here
7. UK’s new subsea protection ship arrives into Merseyside
Britain’s critical subsea infrastructure is set to be strengthened as the first of two future undersea surveillance ships today arrived into Birkenhead. Once operational, the ship will be dedicated to safeguarding seabed telecommunications cables and oil and gas pipelines. The 98-metre-long, adaptable offshore patrol vessel – the length of Big Ben – will act as a ‘mother ship’, operating remote and autonomous offboard systems for underwater surveillance and seabed warfare, vital to our national security… click here
6. Marks and Spencer to open 20 new UK stores and create over 3400 jobs
M&S has announced a near half a billion (£480 million) investment in bigger, better stores across the UK. The retailer’s investment will generate over 3,400 new jobs across the country and aims to create a fit for the future M&S store estate and a seamless experience for its customers every time they shop… click here
5. Great Britain’s Matt Weston soars to skeleton World Cup GOLD
Great Britain’s Matt Weston has pulled off a stunning run to claim men’s skeleton World Cup gold in Altenberg. The Olympian ended the first run in fifth, just 0.08 seconds off Germany’s Christopher Grotheer in the lead. Weston produced the fastest time of the second run to claim gold, 0.14 seconds ahead of Grotheer with Axel Jungk of Germany completing the podium. The sliders could not be separated after the first run with Grotheer’s time of 56.11 leading the way and Jung Seung-gi of South Korea, China’s Wenhao Chen and Weston’s fellow Brit Marcus Wyatt… click here
4. Government takes action to stop disruptive protests
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is backing the police to clamp down on highly disruptive and dangerous protests, under plans announced today. Through an amendment tabled to the Public Order Bill, the Government will broaden the legal definition of ‘serious disruption’, giving police greater flexibility and clarity over when to intervene to stop the disruptive minority who use tactics such as blocking roads and slow marching to inflict misery on the public… click here
3. More than 100 projects awarded share of £2.1 billion from Levelling Up Fund to create jobs and boost UK economy
Landmark levelling up funding will breathe new life into more than 100 communities, with up to £2.1 billion awarded today to transformational projects across the United Kingdom. These include Eden Project North visitor attraction in Morecambe, a new AI campus in Blackpool, a new rail link in Cornwall, and a major regeneration scheme in Gateshead that will create jobs and grow the economy… click here
2. £100 million boost as UK shipbuilding confirms return to Belfast
A £1.6 billion contract has been awarded to Team Resolute to manufacture the vessels providing munitions, stores and provisions to Royal Navy ships. Creating 1,200 UK shipyard jobs, hundreds of graduate and apprentice opportunities, and an expected 800 further jobs across the UK supply chain, Team Resolute, comprising BMT, Harland & Wolff and Navantia UK, will deliver three Fleet Solid Support ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Set to invest around £100 million into UK shipyards, including £77 million of infrastructure at Harland & Wolff’s Belfast and Appledore shipyards… click here
1. Boost for Britain as UK jumps into top three countries for business growth
The United Kingdom has become the third-most important country in the world for chief executives trying to expand their businesses according to a prominent survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). It’s the first time the UK has made the top three in the survey, which has been conducted for 26 consecutive years and was released this week to mark the start of the World Economic Forum in Davos… click here
For last week’s Top 20 Great British news stories (9th – 15th January 2023).
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By Claire Bullivant
Conservative Post, Founder and Editor
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