Worrying times at Sunderland University where a big increase in the number of visa refusals will have a knock-on effect on their income from foreign students. That loss means bosses are looking to make £40m in savings in the coming year.
Innovation is the buzz word in Newcastle today where Innovate UK is hosting a high-profile forum which coincides with the announcement of a multi-million-pound programme that will create high-quality jobs and reinforce the North East’s position as a hub for research and innovation.
Have you heard of the UK Deposit Return Scheme? Me neither, but it will be a good bit of business for one County Durham company when people start getting 20p back for returning single-use plastic bottles and empty drinks cans. It’s only a year away, apparently.
Mayor Kim McGuinness has commissioned an independent review into the River Tyne nurdle spill, the first phase of Sunderland’s Crown Works Studios has been approved by planners, and the stars are coming out in Newcastle for the Mercury Prize award later this month.
Some of you will know that I used to be the Editor of The Journal. I remember one product development meeting where our business section was criticised because it was “full of pictures of men in suits”. How times change - as you will see from our Business bites section this week.
Also in this edition there’s the National Trust manager “filled with hope by the way nature is taking its course” at the Sycamore Gap site, Reform’s majority in Durham is reduced to two, New Writing North has a new Chair, and the North East football club where players and staff haven’t been paid their wages.
Brian Aitken
Editor
Innovation in the air
A multi-million-pound innovation programme, delivering hundreds of high value jobs to the North East and bringing together world-class university research and leading innovators, has just been announced.
The region’s first four projects will receive a share of £23.7m in funding from the government’s Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF), unlocking an additional £55m of private investment.
The announcement was timed to coincide with Innovate UK’s Innovation Forum: North East event at The Catalyst at Newcastle Helix this afternoon where regional leaders, businesses and investors will assemble to discuss how innovation can accelerate growth and unlock new opportunities across the region.
The four projects are:
North East Centre for Accelerating the Green Economy led by Procter and Gamble.
North East Vision for High Value Materials Innovation Acceleration led by CPI.
Project Sycamore: Establishing the UK’s First-of-a-Kind Hub for Carbon Negative Advanced materials led by Low Carbon Materials - a spin out from Durham University.
Centre for Realisation and Advancement of Future Technologies led by Durham University.
Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “This programme brings together our world-class universities with some of our most innovative, cutting-edge businesses, collaboration that will deliver hundreds of good-quality jobs for local people, major private sector investment to benefit our region’s economy, around 90 new products to market and wider benefits including new facilities and growth across the supply chain. This is great news for innovation in the region.”
There is much more on this story here.
University plans £40m cuts
Sunderland University is looking to cut £40m from its budget within a year, blaming a rise in visa refusals that has reduced the number of international students it can recruit.
In an email to staff seen by the BBC, the university’s chief financial officer Ben Dale said: “The savings we make come from a range of measures, covering both staff and non-staff costs, and must be recurrent and permanent - in other words, the costs taken out cannot reappear in future years.”
He said existing financial pressures had been made worse by the “sudden and immediate impact of increased visa refusals” and that the university needed to be structured for its “future scale [and] size of student population”.
A university spokesperson said it was working with staff to identify savings without compromising the student experience, and promised a measured and transparent process.
Nurdle review
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has commissioned an independent review into the River Tyne nurdle spill after it was revealed that nearly three quarters of the plastic pellets have not been recovered - despite the best efforts of an army of volunteers.
It is estimated that 18 tonnes of nurdles entered the river after a collision between the Wind Orca and berthed container ship BG Orange at the Port of Tyne in July. Just over five tonnes have been recovered.
“So many people have done all they can to clean up but it was always going to be an uphill battle once the nurdles were in the water and dragged by the tides,” said the mayor. “We all want to know whether the response could have been faster or better, and that’s why I have commissioned an independent review into the response and recovery.”
The mayor is backing calls for a change in international rules about how plastic nurdles are transported - something we covered in this edition:
Teacher banned
A teacher who failed to inform her County Durham school of her relationship with a man who had been jailed for sexual offences against a child has been banned from teaching indefinitely.
A professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency said she had not intended to be dishonest but her actions amounted to misconduct of a serious nature which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.
Green light for Studio One
Plans for the first phase of Sunderland’s Crown Works Studios have been approved by the city council. The decision represents a significant step forward towards delivery of the first phase of the 31-hectare site, which is set to become a major hub for film and high-end TV production and a catalyst for further investment in the wider Riverside area.
Studio One will deliver 125,000 sq ft of film and TV production space, including three sound stages, ancillary production accommodation, backlot space parking, alongside the refurbishment of the historic WH Foster Printworks building.
Extensive site preparation and remediation works have already been completed, with enabling work continuing this autumn.
Red lights out
Show Racism The Red Card’s annual Wear Red Day is on October 16 this year with people encouraged to wear red and donate a £1 to the charity - but Gateshead Council is refusing to light up the Millennium Bridge in red to mark the event.
That decision comes just over a week after another Reform-led council, Sunderland, said it wouldn’t be illuminating civic buildings in red on October 16 - and that it was withdrawing any financial support for the charity.
From one AI to another
In Monday’s edition of The Source we’ll be taking a look at AI and how businesses are adopting and adapting to it. A recent Entrepreneur’s Forum survey showed that a large number of members were seeing real benefits. Two founders give us their take on it.
Happy returns
The UK Deposit Return Scheme? It was news to me. But in exactly a year’s time, shoppers will pay a refundable 20p deposit on single-use plastic bottles and drinks cans. They will get the 20p back when they take the empty container to supermarkets acting as a return point. Glass is not included, by the way.
The scheme is run by not-for-profit body Exchange for Change and around 700 jobs are expected to be created at six dedicated processing centres - the nearest ones to the North East being in Scotland and Scunthorpe.
It was a business story that alerted me to the scheme. County Durham-based Hargreaves Services will provide collection and transport services in Scotland after being named as the preferred bidder by Re.Group who were named as the waste‑management partner north of the border. Suez will be the recycling partner in the North East.
Charity fund takes off
Every so often you write something you wish you didn’t need to. This is one such time.
A fund called Matthew’s Meals and Miles was launched this week named after 18-year-old Matthew Adams from Tynemouth, who died last year from metastatic paraganglioma, an ultra-rare and incurable cancer.
His mum is Jane Hall who was my features editor on The Journal for many years and was a regular contributor to The QT. She wanted to launch the fund this week ahead of what would have been his 20th birthday.
The money raised by Matthew’s Meals and Miles will be donated to the Children’s Cancer North charity, which will help with the costs of transport, meals, and accommodation for families visiting the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.
“He would be very proud because he had that generous, kind nature,” said Jane. “He didn’t like publicity, he wasn’t one for jumping up and down and going, ‘look at me’, but he really just wanted to go out and do good if he could.”
Matthew, an air cadet who was hoping to study archaeology at university, was in his final year of A-levels at Kings Priory School when his condition quickly deteriorated.
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Big night at the arena
Paul McCartney and Dave won’t be there but the rest of the shortlisted artists for this year’s Mercury Prize awards will be performing at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle on October 22.
Olivia Dean, Jade, Raye, Florence and The Machine, Dove Ellis, local group Knats, Kojey Radical, Nia Archives and Suede will perform one track of their choosing as they compete for the album of the year prize won memorably last year by Sam Fender. Pulp will also perform, representing the charity compilation album War Child Records – HELP(2).
The week-long Mercury Prize Fringe - a big success last year - will bring events to more than 30 venues across the region. It begins on October 15.
Cluny revamp
Talking of music, independent venue The Cluny in Newcastle’s Ouseburn has been awarded £344,000 by the Government’s Arts Everywhere Fund to deliver a programme of sustainability and accessibility improvements. Savills will design and oversee the delivery of the works, which are expected to begin in January and last over a year.
Mark Coulter, associate director in Savills’ architecture and building surveying team, said: “The Cluny plays a hugely important role in the cultural life of Newcastle and the wider North East. We will help create a more accessible, sustainable and resilient venue that can continue to support live music, attract new audiences and deliver lasting benefits for the local community and economy.”
Family rescued
A family of five were rescued after their car became stranded and drifted off the Holy Island causeway. A Seahouses RNLI spokesperson said the incident was a stark reminder of how quickly conditions can change.
“The causeway is tidal. The safe crossing times are there for a reason. This was a vehicle carrying three children. What could have been a family journey home could have had a very different outcome.”
A quick word
National Trust general manager Andrew Poad said he is “filled with hope by the way nature is taking its course” at the site of the felled Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian’s Wall. With a thick ring of new shoots growing around the stump, he said: “These flourishing shoots are really encouraging and show the special measures we’ve taken, including reducing soil compaction around the roots and limiting human disturbance, are paying off. Reform’s majority on Durham County Council has been reduced to two after Aaron Hillam’s decision to resign because he has moved out of the area. Work on restoring the Grade II listed Keelmen’s Hospital in Newcastle has been named as one of the Architectural Heritage Fund’s standout projects for this year. The last section of Gateshead’s A167 flyover has come down after a demolition process that has taken six months. Council chief executive Dale Owens said: “It’s a huge milestone for us to actually get the flyover down so that we can redevelop the site for future housing.” The cost of rebuilding The Maltings in Berwick has nearly doubled to £36m. Northumberland council’s cabinet is expected to agree to pay £7.5m when it meets next week with the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal funding the remaining £28.5m. A 32-year-old man from Sunderland has been arrested in connection with the dumping of “thousands of tonnes of waste” at the former Dewhirst Site in Peterlee and Hart Quarry in Hartlepool. The arrest came as part of a wider investigation by police and the Environment Agency into the two sites, as well as a third near Newcastle Airport. The deadline for donations to help two wildlife trusts raise £30m to buy Rothbury Estate has been extended by a month until the end of October. A 17-year-old boy who was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving has been released on bail pending further inquiries. Three Sunderland College students died after a car came off the road and entered the river near Wearmouth Bridge on Tuesday afternoon. Northumberland’s publicly-run leisure centres have delivered a financial boost to council coffers. The service, run by not-for-profit company Places Leisure, had been expected to be run at a loss of around £115,000 – but ended up bringing in £743,000. Hexham MP Joe Morris is to take up the plight of residents in the town after a group of travelling people set up caravans on the football pitch outside their homes for over a month. Police and council officers said their powers to deal with the issue are insufficient.
Writing new chapter
Former Channel 4 executive Sinead Rocks has been appointed Chair of New Writing North as the Newcastle-based charity marks its 30th anniversary and prepares to open a £10.5m centre dedicated to writing, reading, and publishing.
Rocks, who becomes CEO of ScreenSkills next month, succeeds interim Chair Helen Dalby, editor-in-chief, Reach North East and Yorkshire, who stepped in following the unexpected death of Neil Warwick in December 2025.
Terns thriving
A record-breaking breeding year has been achieved on the Northumberland coast for one of the UK’s rarest seabirds. The Long Nanny site near Beadnell, which is managed by the National Trust, has recorded a minimum of 126 pairs of nesting little terns, compared to the location’s previous record of 57 pairs set in 1994.
At least 82 chicks are known to have fledged from the site, boosting the population of what is the UK’s second rarest breeding seabird. Tony Henderson has more in Cultured. North East.
Bitterns, one of Britain’s rarest and loudest birds, are thought to have bred at Gosforth Nature Reserve for the first time in 70 years, the Natural History Society of Northumbria said.
Wages unpaid
Gateshead FC has failed to pay players and staff their wages for September. The news comes in the week that Mark Nellist resigned from the board and withdrew his funding support, saying the National League side was “not moving in the direction I would have liked or hoped for.”
Interim chair Graham Wood said he was hopeful of quickly finding new investment for the club. “Significant progress has been made in the past 24 hours and we are hopeful of making an announcement in the next day or so.”
Liverpool switch
The North East delegation that attends the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds gets bigger and bigger each year. It is not alone, apparently. Organisers say next year’s event at the Royal Armouries Museum will be the last and that the larger Liverpool Experience Campus will become the new home from 2028.
Business bites
Greggs has begun a consultation on a proposal which could result in the closure of four manufacturing sites, including one at Seaham, and see 740 roles become redundant over two and a half years. Chief executive Roisin Currie said: “These proposals are intended to strengthen our manufacturing network, improve efficiency and ensure we remain well placed for the future while continuing to deliver the quality, value and service our customers expect.” Joanne Whitfield has been promoted to the new role of managing director of FW Capital’s operations in England. The move also sees Newcastle-based Lindsey McMenamin promoted to fund director, leading teams across the North East and Yorkshire. Changes at the top too at Northumbrian Water. The retirement of Richard Warneford at the end of the year means Louise Hunter is taking on the expanded role of Environment and Wastewater Director with Jennie Collingwood becoming Corporate Affairs Director. Newcastle fashion rental business Hirestreet has been acquired by CTR Group, in an undisclosed deal. Founder Isabella West said: “CTR has given us the tools and infrastructure we need to properly scale. It’s a really exciting time for the business.” Property giant Land Securities has agreed a £516m deal to take a 100% stake in the Metrocentre shopping centre. LifeSaver Power, the fast-growing portable phone charging business, has secured £335k from North East investment firm Middleton Enterprises to support the expansion of the company’s charging network across the UK. Fairstone has reported a 17% year-on-year increase in revenue to £179.3m in the year to the end of December 2025. During that time, client assets under advice rose by 35% to hit £21.4bn at the end of 2025. Sports travel business Nirvana Europe has secured a six-figure investment to speed up its digital transformation and overseas growth. The Gate in Newcastle city centre has been bought by M Core, the same company who bought Eldon Garden shopping centre four months ago. Newcastle architecture practice MawsonKerr has opened a studio in Leeds which will be headed up by associate Daniel Dyer.
2018 ad break
This is not an ad you are likely to have seen before - unless you are American or have caught it on social media over the years. It’s a 30-second ad for Purple mattresses that was getting a lot of love on The Poke’s channels this week. I was intrigued enough to check it out and it made me laugh - so I thought it was worth sharing.
THE WIDER VIEW
Source of inspiration
You may already know about Mill Media. You may have heard me mention the company before. I certainly talked about it at the launch of The Source a couple of weeks ago.
It is a company which gives the clearest of indications as to why The Source can grow into being a modern, sustainable media business, supported by people who think that independent, quality journalism is worthy paying for.
The Mill started with one journalist in Manchester six years ago. It now has 25 journalists in not just Manchester but Liverpool, Sheffield, Birmingham, Glasgow, London and Leeds with 200,000 free subscribers and 15,000 who pay.
Those numbers are about to jump after the company received £100,000 from the Postcode Lottery this week to fund 1,150 subscriptions that the company can give away to people aged 16-25.
David Miller, communications director at Postcode Lottery Group, said: “Strong communities need strong journalism. People should be able to understand what is happening where they live and have access to information they know they can trust. That’s particularly important for young people at a time when misinformation can travel incredibly quickly and AI is changing the information landscape.”
That’s the journey that The Source is on. A sustainable way to demonstrate your support would be to upgrade to become a paying subscriber. You can do that here:
We are also Crowdfunding with the specific purpose of recruiting a reporter who will specialise in public-benefit journalism. This will enable us to produce more of the journalism that has helped the Mill Media titles become such a success.
So far we have had donations ranging from £5 to £2,000. But we still have a way to go and your support would be very much appreciated.
Here is the link: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/thesource
And finally…
I want this to be true. It probably is - but my Welsh is a bit rusty.
I was scrolling through social media the other day and came across this sign. You may know that there’s a legal requirement in Wales for road signs to be in both English and Welsh.
An official from the Highways Department emailed the English wording to the translator and, after receiving a reply, proceeded to have the sign made and installed. Then Welsh-speaking drivers began to call up to point out that the sign says: “I am currently out of the office. Please submit any work to the translation team.”