The later timing of Black Friday in 2024 meant that it falls into December’s, rather than November’s figures, while the reverse was true in 2023. This worsens November figures and improves the December figures. This effect is cancelled out in the three month to December figure. Covering the five weeks 24 November – 28 December 2024, According to BRC-Sensormatic data: Overall, Total UK footfall in 2024 was down 2.2% compared to 2023. For the three months to December (Golden Quarter) footfall decreased by 2.5% (YoY) Total UK footfall decreased by 2.2% in December (YoY), up from -4.5% in November. High Street footfall decreased by 2.7% in December (YoY), up from -3.7% in November. Retail Park footfall unchanged at 0.0% in December (YoY), up from -1.1% in November. Shopping Centre footfall decreased by 3.3% in December (YoY), up from -6.1% in November. Footfall decreased year-on-year for all four nations, with Scotland falling by 1.5%, England by 2.1%, Wales by 2.6%, while Northern Ireland experienced the biggest decline at 5.8%. Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: "A drab December which saw fewer shoppers in all locations, capped a disappointing year for UK retail footfall. This means 2024 is the second year in a row where footfall has been in decline." "High streets and shopping centres were hit particularly hard throughout the year as people veered towards retail parks to take advantage of free parking and the variety of larger stores. Even the Golden Quarter, typically the peak of shopping activity, provided little relief, with footfall down over the period. While the Black Friday weekend delivered more promising results, they were overshadowed by a lacklustre festive season." "Shopping habits have been changing fast and customers are increasingly looking for more experiential shopping, as well as a variety of cafes, services and things to do. Unfortunately, investment in town centres and high streets is held back by our outdated business rates system, which penalises town and city centres." "The Government’s proposals to reform business rates may ease the burden for some retailers, but it is vital that, ultimately, no shop ends up paying more in rates than before. With retailers facing £7 billion in additional costs this year from increased tax and regulations, the changes to the business rates system must be made in way that supports retail investment and growth in the years ahead.” Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, commented: While December saw some flurries of festive footfall around a few key trading days, overall, the picture was filled with much less sparkle as shopper traffic remained subdued in what should have been the highlight of the Golden Quarter." " While store visits did build ahead of Christmas, it was never quite enough to reverse the shopper count deficit against last year. As footfall limped towards the festive finish line, December's lacklustre performance compounds a disappointing end to 2024, marking the second consecutive year of declining store traffic. Retailers will now need to look afresh to 2025 and chart a course to adopt innovative strategies to reverse this trend or maximise the sales potential of fewer visitors, finding new ways to make each store visit count.”

As we move into 2025, audience data for the 2024 reveals that ITV programmes have come out on top, across the widest range of genres. Mr Bates vs The Post Office is 2024’s biggest drama, and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! continues to claim the top spot as the UK’s biggest entertainment show, with recent seven day consolidated data revealing that the series averaged 9.1 million viewers across the run. The biggest sports audience of 2024 was of course England’s win against the Netherlands in the Euros semi final, watched by a peak audience of 21.6 million viewers. The biggest quiz show on TV in 2024 is ITV’s The 1% Club, which was watched by a high of 6.3 million viewers. The biggest programme in daytime is ITV’s unstoppable The Chase, which attracted 3.5 million viewers to its best episode, the biggest daytime audience of the year. Coronation Street maintains its crown as the biggest soap on TV, with an average audience of 4.4 million viewers across 2024. ITV has also had the biggest current affairs audience on any channel this year, with 5.4 million people watching Sunak v Starmer: The ITV Debate hosted by Julie Etchingham, the first election debate in June. In 2024, ITV continued to have the most watched News programmes on any of the commercial channels. The biggest commercial factual programme audience of 2024 was to the ITV documentary Mr Bates vs the Post Office: The Real Story, watched by 5.1 million viewers.   Kevin Lygo, ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment said, “At ITV, we’re squarely focused on making what matters to our audiences, whether that’s thrilling drama, brilliant entertainment and reality, or high quality news and current affairs - there’s something for everyone. "Thanks to the talented producers and companies we work with, I’m delighted that’s ITV’s shows have come out on top with audiences, in 2024.”

A dog-welcoming coffee shop business with premises across south Wales and south-west England is set to grow following a £1.7 million investment from the Development Bank of Wales in a deal advised on by Grant Thornton Corporate Finance. Coffi Lab has five coffee shops in Cardiff and the surrounding areas, two in Monmouthshire and two in England, with a third opening in Bristol in January. Established in 2021, owner James Shapland started the business after spending 10 years as founder and CEO of Coffee#1, before selling the chain to SA Brains in 2011. After exiting Coffee#1, James was keen to establish a chain of premium, community-based coffee shops which would welcome dog-owners and their four-legged friends, along with providing exceptional coffee and a quality food offering. The business now plans to open a number of new Labs in south Wales and the south-west of England, backed with investment from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund. The expansion plans are due to create 40 new jobs over the next 12 to 18 months. James said: “When I started Coffi Lab it began with an introspection of what mattered to me. Inspired by my beautiful Fox Red Labrador Dylan, I wanted to create a space where we could welcome dogs with open arms." "Beautiful, open venues; a focal point of leafy neighbourhoods where family and friends could come together without having to leave their canine companions at home. We focus on exceptional coffee, warm hospitality and quality food led by taste and provenance." “We have invested heavily in our infrastructure to aid smooth and efficient growth. Last year we opened our Coff Lab Roastery and Bakery as well as a central kitchen which has enabled us to deliver seasonal menus and develop relationships with wonderful producers across Wales. Our growth has enabled us to donate over £100,000 to Guide Dogs UK, sponsoring nine life changing Guide Dog Puppies to date.” He added: “The investment we’ve had from the Development Bank of Wales means we’ll be able to leverage our investment, speeding up our roll out to bring our Labs to even more communities across Wales and beyond.” Bethan Cousins, New Investments Director at the Development Bank of Wales, said: “Coffi lab has gone from strength to strength and have established a strong Welsh brand which has proven popular within their local communities. We were extremely impressed by the track record, strength and talent within the management team and are delighted to support their growth with this major equity investment." “We look forward to working in partnership with the team to accelerate the next stage of their business growth plans as they expand.” Acting as lead financial advisor to Coffi Lab, Jamie Roberts, Corporate Finance Partner at Grant Thornton said: “Coffi Lab’s brand identity resonates extremely powerfully with consumers and the business is undoubtably one of the most exciting growth stories in the consumer sector right now. We were delighted to advise James, Hannah and the Coffi Lab team on this transaction.”

The three directors of Pontardawe-based Westward Energy Services have completed a management buy-out enabling the former owners to retire after 25 years in a deal that has been part-funded by a £775,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales. Jonathan Garland, Stuart Thomas and Dai Atkins have acquired the heating and electrical services business that was first established 40 years ago. It has been operated by Andrew and Joanne Robinson alongside co-founders Anthony and Andrea Slattery since 2001. SME Finance Partners have been supporting the management buy-out and Capital Law advised on legal matters. Providing domestic, commercial and industrial heating systems, Westward Energy Services employs a team of 100 and has a broad portfolio of clients including private homes, local authorities and housing associations. The company also installs and maintains gas, oil, solid fuel and solar PV systems, along with batteries and electric charging points. Director Dai Atkins said: “Westward has gone from strength to strength over the last 25 years, delivering high level services to our clients along the South Wales corridor and beyond. We are proud to take the business forward and provide continuity for our clients, suppliers and hard-working team." “There is a natural fit with the Development Bank as their local team has experience of working in our area and providing funding for management buyouts. Their help, together with assistance from SME Finance Partners, means that we are now in the driving seat and are excited to have the opportunity to build our portfolio of commercial and domestic services while continuing to create jobs and support our local community.” Senior Investment Executive Scott Hughes and Regional Manager Clare Sullivan of the Development Bank worked on the funding. Clare said: “We can structure finance packages for management buyouts with flexible loans that work for all parties. As a well-established business, Westward is a good example of how we can help fund business succession with the capital needed to allow vendors to realise the reward of their efforts and give the management team the opportunity to capitalise on their knowledge of the business. We wish the team every success.” Darren Edwards, co -founder of SME Finance Partners said: “It was great to support the management team with their acquisition which now provides continuity for the business and their employees. I’m sure the business will go from strength to strength under their leadership.” The loan for Westward Energy Services came from the £500 million Wales Flexible Investment Fund. Financed by Welsh Government, the Fund is for deals between £25,000 and £10 million. Loans, mezzanine finance, and equity investments are available for Welsh businesses with terms of up to 15 years.

easyJet has become the first airline in the world to trial a new state-of-the-art lower-weight paint, which will enable the operator to make further savings on fuel. easyJet and its partner Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings have developed a new system that reduces the amount of paint previously needed to create the iconic easyJet livery colours. The innovative solution has already been applied to 38 aircraft and will be rolled out gradually to easyJet’s entire fleet, with the airline due to complete the transition by 2030. While the lighter weight coat generates a relatively modest impact per plane (27kg weight reduction), complemented with other fuel reduction methods and applied to entire fleets, this could provide another important method of reducing carbon emissions for the sector and is one of many initiatives that easyJet is using to effectively reduce emissions and fuel burn. The 38 easyJet planes that have been coated with the new paint are already delivering fuel savings thanks to their lighter weight and once rolled out to the entire fleet will account for a 1,296 tonne fuel reduction – equivalent to 4,095* tonne reduction of carbon emissions. Eventually, and complementary to easyJet’s sustainability strategy and roadmap to net zero, the lightweight paint is expected to contribute to an overall saving of 1296 tonnes of fuel per year – once the roll out is completed at the end of 2029. Lahiru Ranasinghe, Director of Sustainability at easyJet, said: “easyJet is constantly exploring and developing innovative solutions to lower the impact of our operations." "While this forms a small part of a bigger strategy, formulating a new lightweight paint with our partners at Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings exemplifies how we’re assessing every single part of our operation to find efficiency gains to help us achieve this mission.” Andrew Richardson, Aviation Sales Manager at Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings added: “We are pleased to have been easyJet’s chosen coatings partner for the last 15 years and to have worked on this sustainability driven project." "Sustainability and environmental guardianship are at the heart of Mankiewicz’s core values and being able to work closely with easyJet on this has been very rewarding." Richard Marston, Chief Commercial Officer at MAAS Aviation added: “Environmental responsibility is taken extremely seriously throughout our operations at MAAS. We work closely with our supply chain to ensure we use the latest technology products that deliver the highest standards of performance and finish, while reducing the impact on the world around us. We are very proud to be part of such a ground-breaking initiative.” Since launching its roadmap to net zero two years ago, easyJet continues to work hard to find solutions that will help decarbonise the aviation sector. Recently, the airline has reached various milestones including completing a full rollout of its multi-million-pound tech software installation of Descent Profile Optimisation (DPO) to its fleet and has achieved another record reduction in carbon intensity performance in FY24 versus its net zero baseline year of 2019.

A prominent Lake District spa resort has completed a £457,000 expansion project to upgrade its facilities and enhance its luxury offer. Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa, which recently became the first in the North West to attain the Good Spa Guide’s highest ‘Five Bubble Luxury’ rating, has expanded its spa with the addition of industry leading outdoor amenities, plus the creation of 10 new jobs. Guests at The Spa at Low Wood Bay now benefit from a host of upgraded facilities, including a new outdoor extension, the Upper Deck, featuring an 18 metre infinity relaxation pool, private seating, fire pits and loungers. Designed in conjunction with Mason Gillibrand Architects and Unique Pool Design and Construction, guests can enjoy first class outdoor spa facilities as well as the stunning views across Windermere whilst sipping cocktails served from the open air bar. The core aim of the investment project has been to provide more space for guests and to improve the overall 5-star luxury spa experience. The new jobs created as a result of the spa expansion project means the venue’s spa team now consists of 45 employees. A key challenge during the development work was the ability to build the additional outdoor pool and seating areas unobtrusively whilst guests continued to enjoy the existing facilities. English Lakes Hotels Group Operations Director Michael Kay says: "Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa has always benefited from the backdrop of its spectacular scenery across Windermere and the Langdale Pikes. We wanted to make the most of this with the addition of the infinity pool and the extension of our outdoor spa offering." “Our aim is for our guests to be able to immerse themselves in the great outdoors of the Lake District whilst relaxing in the warmth and comfort of high luxury spa facilities." “We’ve also recently launched our outdoor thermal spa experience events. These feature our ‘Sunset sessions’ with an Ibiza style DJ, or the more sedate ‘Spa and Strings’ with the accompaniment of the Lakeland String Quartet, both of which are proving popular." “We’re excited about our plans for 2025 as we look for more opportunities to continue creating amazing experiences for our guests.” For further information about Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa, visit their website here

A staple of the lunch menu for people across the UK is the sandwich, a stalwart of lunchboxes for generations. The humble sandwich is more than just a meal in the UK - it’s a cultural icon and a cornerstone of the British lunch hour. From its origins in the 18th century, when the 4th Earl of Sandwich requested a convenient meal he could eat without leaving the gaming table, the sandwich has evolved into a versatile, universally loved option for workers, students, and families alike. What makes sandwiches so popular in the UK is their sheer convenience and adaptability. Whether it’s a classic cheese and pickle, a trendy avocado and chicken, or a hearty bacon butty, there’s a sandwich for every taste and budget. The grab-and-go nature of pre-packaged sandwiches, readily available in supermarkets, high-street chains and local delis, fits seamlessly into the busy lifestyles of the British workforce. The UK’s sandwich culture also reflects regional diversity. From Cornish pasty-inspired fillings to Scottish smoked salmon bagels, local twists keep this lunch staple fresh and exciting. Moreover, sandwiches cater to various dietary needs, making them an inclusive choice for vegetarians, vegans, and those seeking gluten-free options. So what is the nation's favourite sandwich filling? Select your favourite from the choices below and help us determine the nation's favourite! Economical, quick, and endlessly customisable, the sandwich has firmly established itself as the UK’s ultimate lunchtime hero - a meal that delivers satisfaction between two slices of bread. We will be revealing the nation's favourite in due course.

Four diverse landowners have formed a unique pact to "reawaken the landscape" across an area of Lochaber bigger than Edinburgh. The founding members of Beò Airceig are Achnacarry Estate, Arkaig Community Forest (ACF), Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), and Woodland Trust Scotland (WTS). These partners offer an almost perfect representation of highland land ownership in microcosm - a traditional estate, a community group that has exercised its right-to-buy, a government agency and a nature conservation charity. Beò Airceig is an ambitious landscape-scale collaboration project between the community and other landowners in the iconic glens surrounding Loch Arkaig. Partners are working together to regenerate and reconnect the ancient Caledonian pine forests and other surviving rainforest remnants within this area, which is also important for its freshwater, peatland and mountain environments. "Between us we bring not only a great deal of land to the table but also a huge amount of expertise and experience," said Astie Cameron of Achnacarry Estate. "We are very excited to be working together. We have much to learn from each other and hope what we achieve will inspire others." Christina Tracey, forest planning manager with FLS said: "We have agreed a vision to reawaken the landscape as a thriving natural ecosystem with a rich diversity of habitats that will support a resilient local community of both people and wildlife with an environmental, social and economic balance." Liam McLoon of Arkaig Community Forest said: "With 30,000 hectares between us there is a greater prospect of achieving outcomes at landscape scale. Some activities, such as clearing invasive non-native species or increasing biodiversity, have a much greater chance of success if tackled across ownership boundaries." Henry Dobson who manages Loch Arkaig Pine Forest for Woodland Trust Scotland said: "Two of the members are national organisations but Beò Airceig has emerged from relationships forged locally and will be led by the land managers on the ground to ensure a focus on practical delivery. It is not expected or realistic that consensus will be reached on every issue, but we have all committed to an agreed set of principles." The Beò Airceig principles are as follows: There will be a primary focus on habitat restoration and ecological enhancement in the project area, using nature-based solutions to ensure ecosystems are robust and more resilient to climate change. There is a recognition that direct economic benefits from land management, including income from timber and venison sales, and natural capital investment will continue to be an important objective for some members. A commitment to maintain, or increase, biodiversity and rare habitats and species within the project area. The long-standing cultural influences on the landscape are recognised and valued. Local communities will be engaged with and consulted regularly. They will have the opportunity to get involved with Beò Airceig, ensuring it benefits and supports the local area. Members will actively seek opportunities to cooperate and work across land ownership boundaries including, where appropriate, the sharing of equipment and resources and collaborating on deer management, where possible. Information will be shared wherever possible, and members will seek to collaborate, particularly on monitoring.

SWL Ltd, the Parent Company of Scottish Woodlands Ltd, has announced the acquisition of RTS Forestry Ltd - creating the UK’s largest forest management, consultancy and timber harvesting business. The combined business will have more than 300 employees and operate across all of Scotland as well as in the north of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scottish Woodlands Ltd has 20 offices, with around 250 staff, in all four parts of the UK, and is headquartered at Riccarton, Edinburgh. It is 80% employee-owned with 20% owned by James Jones & Sons Ltd and provides a comprehensive range of forest, estate and land-related services. RTS Forestry Ltd employs more than 50 people across four offices – with its headquarters in Crieff, Perthshire and bases in Inverness, Inverurie (Aberdeenshire) and Hexham, Northumberland. It offers wide-ranging services in forest management, consultancy, wood fuel, timber harvesting and utilities. Ian Robinson, Managing Director of Scottish Woodlands Ltd, said: “We are delighted to welcome RTS into the SWL Group and look forward to supporting the continued development of the business. RTS brings to the Group a respected and highly skilled team of staff who have grown the company significantly in recent years.” “We are pleased that the existing senior management team are remaining within RTS to continue to develop the business. With the support and expertise of our own team within Scottish Woodlands and the SWL group, an exciting future can be expected for RTS staff and their forestry clients.” Norman O’Neill, Managing Director of RTS Forestry Ltd, said. “When we took the decision to investigate a sale process, the requirement to secure a stable future for RTS staff and our clients was the primary objective. Scottish Woodlands was by some distance our preferred choice and we are delighted to see the sale conclude in a straightforward manner.” “The sale provides long-term stability for the RTS team and an opportunity to develop their careers within a larger group. We are delighted to continue to move the RTS business forward with Scottish Woodlands Ltd, an employee-owned business of remarkable financial strength, and highly regarded within the industry. The senior management team within RTS look forward to continuing our stewardship of RTS within the expanded group.” RTS Forestry Ltd will continue to operate under the RTS name as part of the enlarged group. Both organisations have forest management as the core business area with complementary timber harvesting, consultancy, utility and renewable energy divisions. The purchase also provides SWL Ltd with a direct introduction to the UK biomass industry where RTS is a leading woodfuel supplier to small and medium-scale biomass boilers.

Loughborough Lightning have added more international quality to their squad after signing Canadian forward Courtney Holtkamp until the end of the 2024/25 Premiership Women’s Rugby season. The 25-year-old second row joins the African Violets for a third spell having made 18 appearances across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns. Holtkamp enjoyed a meteoric rise in rugby having taken the sport up at the age of 14 at high school in Rimbey, before progressing on to play for the Red Deer Titans. She was swiftly identified and selected by the Alberta Under-18s team and soon represented Canada at age-grade level. Aged just 18 in November 2017, Holtkamp made her senior international debut against England – the same opponent against whom she received her most recent and 40th international cap in October 2024. “I am looking forward to coming back because the training environment is absolutely elite,” said Holtkamp, who appeared in the 2021 World Cup. “The high-level intensity I know this group has, the top-notch coaching, and the spectacular training facilities at Loughborough are things that get me super excited to return." “Not only that, but being part of this team’s camaraderie and passion for each other and the game is something truly special which I have missed since last time I was part of this team." “As a player, my past seasons with Loughborough Lightning have absolutely transformed me; my rugby skills and smarts improved exponentially. I’m looking forward to continuing developing and being the best player I can be for Lightning, as well as in the longer term for my Canadian team as we build for the World Cup 2025 in England this coming August/September.” Lightning have been operating this season without second rows Emma Wassel and Cath O’Donnell, who have nearly 100 international appearances between them. Head coach Nathan Smith was pleased to add another quality operator to his lock options for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign. “We’re very lucky to get as player of Courtney’s quality at such short notice,” said Smith. “I am grateful for the support shown to get this signing over the line as we head into the New Year." “Courtney needs to play at the highest level ahead of the Pacific Four Series and World Cup and we need more experience in the second-row department." “There is the added benefit that she has been in the environment before so will only add to it as she is a great person, who has played with many of our squad before.” Photo credit: Claire Jones / redhatphoto.com

Co-op has revealed its commitment to continued convenience growth with a planned 75 new stores opening this year (2025), across the UK. The new stores will be both Co-op estate stores and Co-op franchise stores, a sector the convenience retailer has actively pursued recently with strong growth. In addition to the new stores, around 80 further stores will undertake major refurbishments in 2025, transforming the stores to maximise the potential of Co-op’s existing portfolio of properties. Convenience is Co-op’s core area of expertise, with its stores going far beyond just offering traditional groceries, with added services designed to create a destination and community hub including parcel collection and returns; payment services, and operating as a hub for Co-op’s leading* online quick commerce operation. In addition, Co-op’s stores provide a window on to high streets for the growth of its front-of-store digital media screens and, a focal point to bring to life the social, economic and democratic benefits of membership, including Co-op’s focus on creating additional value in communities through member-price savings and, its members having a say in how Co-op makes a difference locally with local community causes. Matt Hood, Co-op’s Managing Director said: “We want everyone to have easy and convenient access to a Co-op store, wherever they live, and this year we are completely focused on achieving that through an ambitious and exciting new stores strategy. Not only are we a membership organisation owned by our six million members, we are experts in convenience shopping, where we combine great quality products, value and deals and ethical retailing with quick online delivery services, community participation and additional customer services." "Our stores play an active role in local life, and are often a community hub, providing the products and services our members and customers want and need.” Co-op’s plans for new stores in 2025 include up to 25 new Co-op operated stores – with the first new Co-op stores to open in early 2025 in: Salford Quays – The Anchorage and East Benton – Newcastle Upon Tyne. Furthermore, up to 50 stores are expected to open and operate as a franchise this year (2025) - enabling Co-op to bring its products and the benefits of membership to more communities, and operate in locations where it may not otherwise be able to access. The move builds on Franchise growth in 2024 which included innovative new locations where Co-op shares its convenience expertise with quality partners. Last year saw Co-op franchise stores open on more university campus; a first for Co-op with a store opening in a hospital, on petrol forecourts (in partnership with EG On The Move), plus a Co-op store at HMS Collingwood (in partnership with ESS) to enhance the lived experience of service personnel. Up to an additional 80 existing stores will also undertake major refurbishments in 2025, maximising the potential of Co-op’s existing portfolio of properties to serve and support communities, and creating stores which are fit for the future while ensuring Co-op maintains a store in every postal area. Stores set to re-launch following major makeovers in early 2025 include those in Exeter; Brighton; Bristol; Cambridgeshire; Hampshire; Avonmouth; Hereford and Clapham. Co-op continues to look for new freehold and leasehold space as it maintains its momentum in convenience. Co-op stores act as micro-distribution hubs for its online home delivery operation – with Co-op’s model seeing orders picked fresh in local stores and delivered quickly and conveniently in the community so that the high street store benefits from online orders. Co-op is working to grow its share of the quick commerce market to over 30% by focusing on both its own Co-op platform (shop.coop.co.uk) and with its partners including Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo. Co-op has been named top grocer across all major delivery platforms, and stores in more communities will further support ecommerce reach and growth. Plus, as part of Co-op’s commitments to carbon reduction, it has announced ambitions to install up to 76,000 solar panels on up to 700 of its sites across its food, funeralcare and logistic portfolio over the next three years. Co-op is on track to achieve its ambition of growing to eight million members by 2030, with new stores bringing the benefits of membership, including member savings, to more local communities.

Three of the UK’s leading Ballet and Opera organisations will work together in a historic first, commissioned by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. Alongside local artists, the Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO), Opera North and Northern Ballet will collaborate with Bradford’s young people throughout the year to celebrate dance, singing and creativity as part of the district's cultural activities. This new work entitled Sing, Dance, Leap, is a major creative initiative in which the dreams and creativity of more than 2,000 primary school students from across Bradford will inspire the creation of new music, choreography and performance elements in a series of collaborative workshops run by the Ballet and Opera companies. These innovative workshops will see Bradford’s young people experience the creative process face-to-face with professional artists, with the experiences, hopes and dreams of real students reflected in the finished product. This final piece will be showcased at a mass participation performance on 18 June 2025, where all the students will perform their original piece of work live alongside the companies and local artists. As part of a four-year project, the Royal Ballet and Opera’s work in Bradford began back in 2023, focusing on broadening access to arts education for young people, no matter their background, and inspiring their own creativity through the RBO Schools and Chance to Dance initiatives. RBO Schools, a nation-wide initiative providing free teacher training, live lessons and learning resources, has been rolled out across several Bradford schools over the past year, showing students how engaging with opera and ballet can help to promote self-expression and inspire creative confidence. Chance to Dance, a programme that creates lasting links between primary schools and local dance schools to encourage greater access to ballet through a more diverse talent pool, has also been introduced across a number of Bradford primary schools. Tom Whitehead, a Bradford-born Principal Character Artist with The Royal Ballet, was involved in Bradford’s first Chance to Dance event earlier this year and continues to be a leading advocate for encouraging more opportunities to get young people involved in opera and ballet. Tom Whitehead, Principal Character Artist with The Royal Ballet, said: "I feel extremely proud to have been able to bring the art form I love so much back to Bradford as part of the RBO’s Chance to Dance programme, and now as part of Bradford 2025. Bradford has such a rich cultural heritage, and Sing, Dance, Leap is about celebrating the young people who are the future of that culture through dancing and singing." "It’s always amazing to show ballet and opera to people who may not have experienced it before, but of course it’s extra special to be able to do it in my home town." Supporting Bradford 2025 is a core element of the Royal Ballet and Opera’s commitment to broadening access to ballet and opera for young people right across the country. Jillian Barker, Director of Learning and Participation at the Royal Ballet and Opera, said: "We are delighted to be working with the young people of Bradford, alongside Opera North, Northern Ballet and local artists, to celebrate Bradford 2025. Everyone should have the chance to be creative, no matter where they are from, and we are honoured that we have the chance to work together with Bradford students on a piece truly inspired by their own creativity. We look forward to continuing our work in Bradford beyond 2025 to ensure the district’s young people continue to have access to these extraordinary artforms." Leanne Kirkham, Director of Learning and Academy Operations at the Northern Ballet, said: "As a company rooted in West Yorkshire, and with a strong commitment to outreach work within Bradford for over 20 years, we knew we wanted to get involved in Bradford 2025 to contribute to all the wonderful opportunities and experiences it will provide for local young people. It is also a fantastic opportunity to work with two other cultural powerhouses, to tell the stories of thousands of young people through the beautiful art of ballet and opera. Our Community Dance Artists cannot wait to get back into Bradford and start work on this project." Laura Canning, Opera North General Director, said: "Bradford 2025 is going to be a remarkable year, and we are so glad to be a part of celebrating all this youthful, diverse, growing city has to offer, right in the heart of West Yorkshire." "During the next year and beyond, Opera North will be sharing joyous and moving musical experiences with audiences across the city, including with the schools taking part in Sing, Dance, Leap. We can’t wait to join forces with Royal Ballet and Opera, and our fellow Leeds arts organisation, Northern Ballet, to help bring the young people's stories to life." Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, said: "We're delighted to be working in partnership to create this unique opportunity for children to sing, dance and tell stories. This extraordinary project will have a lifelong impact across the Bradford District, across West Yorkshire and the North for years to come." Photo credit Tom Arber.jpg