The event features colourful dragon boats, each manned by ten rowers and a drummer, with races starting at 10am and taking place every 10 minutes. Alongside the competitive heats, visitors to the Leeds park can enjoy a family funfair, a tug of war contest, and makers’ stalls. Since its debut in 2008, the fundraiser has raised over £800,000 to support children and families across the region.

Two teams competing this year carry a deeply personal connection to the hospice. Caroline and Michael Lambert are leading Team Evelyn in memory of their daughter, while Esta’s Stars are fundraising in memory of Esta Alina High. Both families were supported by Martin House during their most difficult moments, including use of the specialist Snowflake Suites, where families can spend time saying goodbye to their children.

Maddie Massey said: “The Dragon Boat Race is always a great spectacle. After last year’s cancellation, we’re so excited to bring the event back bigger and better than ever. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone – rowers, drummers and spectators – for their support. Every pound raised will help us continue providing specialist care and support to children, young people and their families across West, North and East Yorkshire, when they need it most.”

The event is supported by headline sponsor HARIBO, who will provide prizes for the best fancy dress and the team that raises the most money.

Tabea Powell said: “As lead sponsor, the Dragon Boat Race is always a hotly anticipated date in the calendar for the HARIBO UK team. We’re proud to have been a partner of this important Yorkshire charity and its fundraising campaigns for 18 years now, with our shared purpose of creating memorable moments of childlike happiness for children and families in need.”

To find out more about the hospice and the work they do, visit www.martinhouse.org.uk.

The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 25th June 2026 at Bradford Live, bringing together companies from retail, leisure, hospitality, professional services, and more for an evening dedicated to recognising the best the city has to offer.

Renowned broadcaster and DJ Stephanie Hirst will host the ceremony, which will be followed by a lively after-party disco, with Hirst also taking to the decks to close the night in style.

The inaugural awards feature 10 categories, all open to self-nomination, meaning businesses of every size have the chance to be recognised. Categories include Independent Retailer, National Retailer, Eatery of the Year, Bar/Pub of the Year, Best Live Music Venue, Best Family Fun Venue, Health, Beauty & Wellbeing, Best Community/Charity Organisation, Professional Service Excellence, and a special Superhero award for those who go above and beyond in their work or community.

Jonny Noble, Chief Executive of Bradford BID, said:

“Bradford has an incredible business community, and we’re very proud to represent around 575 members in the city centre. These awards are about shining a spotlight on the people and organisations that make our city such a vibrant and ambitious place to work and visit. Hosting the first ever Bradford BID Member Awards at Bradford Live, with Stephanie Hirst at the helm, feels like the perfect way to do that.”

Member businesses have until Monday 4th May to submit nominations. A panel of judges will then select the finalists, with winners announced on the night.

For more information, including full award categories, nomination details, and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.bradfordbid.co.uk/bid-member-awards

Jowers worked at the practice on Hookstone Chase in Harrogate since July 2017 and was previously on the nursing team before moving to reception. Jowers was often responsible for making orders for medications and supplies through wholesalers but unknown to her employer she was purchasing large quantities of additional stock. Jowers was then removing these extra items from the premises in black bin liners and selling them through her eBay account.

Her employer became suspicious when a large delivery of items arrived on a day that Jowers was off work and she noticed a number of products which the practice did not normally purchase.

It was assumed that the products had been delivered in error so they were returned to the supplier but shortly afterwards it became apparent that Jowers was making telephone orders instead of following the usual digital ordering process.

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Upon making further investigations, Jowers’ employer was shocked to discover many unauthorised orders had been made and products received but not recorded as stock and could not be found anywhere on site. The missing stock was reported to North Yorkshire Police and the investigation began.

It became apparent that between 2 January and 11 April 2018, stock to the value of £17,601.98 had been ordered and stolen by Jowers after the wholesalers confirmed the date and time of orders matched the times Jowers had been working at the practice.

On Friday 13^th September 2019, Jowers received a two year suspended sentence at York Crown Court and was ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work. A Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation proceeding will now commence to recover the money Jowers stole from her employer.

North Yorkshire Police Officer, Detective Constable Abigail Garford, said:

“Jowers’ crimes not only caused significant economic damage but also stress and strain on the owner of this small business. She abused the trust of her employer and stole a large amount of products over a period of several months before she was discovered.

“She has shown little remorse and continued to deny her offences throughout the case so I am pleased the case has now been concluded. The Proceeds of Crime Act ensures that not only will criminals face conviction in the courts but that the money they have stolen can also be recovered.”

The new information service offered by Leeds City Council shows all of the Tree Preservation Orders currently in place across the city.

There are currently approximately 2100 Tree Preservation Orders in place in Leeds dating back to 1945, providing legal protection to trees ranging from singles to large areas of woodland.

The new online system allows searches by address or postcode, and has been developed with a feature on smartphones to work together with location software to easily locate protected trees near where people are.

There service also identifies the 79 Conservation Areas across the city, which offer protection to large numbers of trees in much the same way as a Tree Preservation Order.

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The system has been user tested by council officers as well as external professional tree contractors. Such contractors will now be able to take advantage of being able to check in real-time the location of any protected trees on sites they are working on in the city, which will reduce the risk of unauthorised work being carried out and therefore will help to protect the environment.

This will be of particular use to sole traders and small companies, who now have the ability to check the status of trees at a time of their choosing with instant results.

Leeds City Council executive member for the environment and active lifestyles Councillor Mohammed Rafique said:

“We are very pleased to have launched this new online mapping service, which gives immediate location information on all trees with protection orders in place across Leeds. This will help anyone who is unsure to be able to check the position easily and quickly, and will help all gardeners and professionals who work around trees every day with the result being better protection for our environment.

“Leeds values its trees which contribute greatly to the amenity of the city as a whole. They help improve wellbeing, control climate through carbon and pollutant capture, provide shading, wind reduction and flood control, as well as offering food and habitat to a wide range of wildlife.

“The council constantly strives to improve services and to protect the environment and this new online service will help to achieve this, so we would encourage as many people as possible to make use of this service from now on.”

The service is now available at https://www.leeds.gov.uk/planning/conservation-protection-and-heritage/tree-works-and-preservation

The latest phase in the much-loved theatre’s redevelopment has seen the installation of the first in a series of four striking ceramic panels, forming a vibrant façade above what will be the venue’s dynamic new entrance.

Working with architects Page\Page, the design has been influenced by the local tradition of using ceramic and faience (fine tin-glazed pottery on a buff earthenware body) in building facades and interiors.

Leeds Playhouse’s new façade is flanked by handmade coloured ceramic panels reflecting the creativity and diversity of the artistic programme, audience and building.

This rich tradition is visible throughout the city, notably in the tiled hall of the Central Library, Art Gallery and County Arcade, and continues in more recent developments such as Victoria Gate.

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Key stakeholders gathered on site to get an up-close look at the new features, which are a key part of the building’s £15.8million capital redevelopment.

Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “I’m thrilled to see the plans for the Playhouse coming to life in such a visually impressive way which the whole city can see and appreciate.

“These stunning designs are a fitting tribute to Leeds’s past whilst the theatre itself is very much a key part of our future, making a bold statement about our growing status as a leading destination for world class culture and the arts for many years to come.”

Leeds Playhouse artistic director James Brining said: “It’s fantastic to see the grand new entrance of Leeds Playhouse taking shape and it will be an eye-catching and striking addition to the Playhouse.

BAM have done an incredible job re-navigating the building to improve accessibility and the visitor experience while Page\Park have brought creativity and drama to the design, befitting a theatre, whilst considering the area’s history and legacy.

In keeping with the vibrant aesthetic of Leeds City Centre, the new façade cements the Playhouse as a cultural landmark within the cultural quarter on Quarry Hill and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the Playhouse in October with a full programme of events and productions.”

The £15.8m redevelopment project, led by Leeds City Council, will be funded by £5.6m from the council, alongside a £6.6m Arts Council England contribution and £3.6m from the Playhouse’s own resources, including a fundraising target of £2.75m.

John Phillips, regional director- North East for contractors BAM Construction said: “BAM has been building in Leeds for more than 75 years and it is a privilege to be part of the redevelopment of this celebrated cultural institution in the city. The installation of these special tiles is an important milestone in the Leeds Playhouse redevelopment, they will create a unique entrance to the theatre.

“I’m delighted the council has trusted BAM with this special scheme. One of BAM’s great credentials is our adaptability and genuinely collaborative approach. We’ve listened carefully to the Playhouse, to truly understand how they use their building, and it has been a pleasure to help them to make their vision a reality.”

The palette of the new façade recalls the vivid colours of Burmantofts Pottery, Leeds’s major ceramic manufacturers known for its distinctive multi-coloured pottery and the development of architectural faience which was globally exported. The colour scheme will also feed into the interior of the rejuvenated building.

The repetitive three-dimensional form of the ceramic panels is derived from the geometry of the existing theatre building, to ensure a dynamic façade that changes with the light. The eye-catching, four column panels are 200-strong, with each of the panels representing one of the four performance spaces within the Playhouse.

Page\Park Director Nicola Walls said “We’ve incorporated an abstracted view of each performance space, in each case inspired by standing on stage and looking back at the auditorium. The performers are depicted at the base of the panels and the contrasting ‘spot’ colours at the head of the panels represent the audience.

The Playhouse’s values sit at the heart of this architectural project. Celebrating the city and people of Leeds the new façade is a dramatic welcome to the Playhouse’s rejuvenated building.”

The technical design of the panels and the support system has been developed working closely with main contractor BAM, the specialist subcontractor Varla, and the ceramic supplier Darwen Terracotta.

Leeds Playhouse is due to reopen in Autumn 2019 with performances commencing from 3 October. An Open Weekend will invite visitors to explore and rediscover the transformed theatre, kicking off a season of incredible productions.

Audiences and Patrons can support Leeds Playhouse’s fundraising campaign by dedicating a tile, acknowledged by receiving a corresponding wall plaque inside the Playhouse building or by naming a seat in one of our newly redeveloped theatre spaces.