The North in Numbers

Levelling Up: How is it going so far?

Ahead of the General Election on July 4th, we’re taking a look at one of the key policies from the 2019 Conservative manifesto. Levelling up promised to boost Britain’s “left behind” areas, and helped Boris Johnson storm to victory as voters in former Labour heartlands turned to the Tories in droves. You can find out more by listening to our episode from April 2022, titled “Levelling up: what it really means for the north”But have the Conservatives actually managed to deliver on their promise since then? The North in Numbers takes over the podcast this week, with Annie Gouk speaking to local leaders, policy experts and academics to find out how it’s going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dangerous dogs: Attacks and fatalities are on the rise

Annie Gouk, a journalist who writes local news stories based on statistics for regional papers up and down the country, looks at the data on dog attacks, speaking to experts to try and unpick what’s behind the increase, as well as what needs to be done to tackle the problem.Official NHS figures show that in the year to March, there were 9,277 hospital admissions where the patient had been bitten or struck by a dog. That was a record high, with the number increasing steadily since at least 1998, when figures began.Behind those numbers are people like Kayleigh, whom Annie speaks to, who have been left with life-changing injuries.The North in Numbers, in collaboration with The Northern Agenda, is a Laudable production for Reach. It is written and hosted by Annie Gouk, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Race for a place: Oversubscribed schools

It’s that time of year again - kids are back in the classroom, and applications for next year’s school places are opening. It can be a fraught time for many parents, with the quality of education, location of the school and a child’s friendship group all needing to be taken into consideration - and competition for secondary school places has become particularly fierce. The latest figures from the Department for Education reveal that the problem of oversubscription - where more people put a school down as their first choice than are offered a place - is getting worse.Nearly two in three secondary schools across the north were oversubscribed this year - the highest proportion since these figures began in 2014/15, and up from closer to half at that time. In one school in the region, fewer than one in every five first-choice applicants were offered a place.  Many of these parents will have ended up sending their child to their second or third choice of secondary. However, nearly 7,000 kids across the north didn’t get into any of their preferred schools last year - the highest number on record.Annie Gouk, a data journalist who writes local news stories based on statistics for regional papers up and down the country, investigates this race for a place in our oversubscribed schools.***The North in Numbers is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Annie Gouk, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fly tipping: A tsunami of waste sweeping the North

A tsunami of fly tipping has been sweeping the North, with a spike in cases during the pandemic accelerating a trend that has been creeping up for years. The latest figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reveal nearly 310,000 incidents of fly-tipping were recorded by councils across the North in 2020/21 - the equivalent of 35 every hour.Annie Gouk investigates this scourge of illegally dumped waste in the latest episode of The North in Numbers, speaking to campaigners, councillors, and volunteers.This podcast is a Laudable production for Reach, and it is presented by Annie Gouk and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Get in touch via laudable@reachplc.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why are fans starting to flock to non-league football in the North?

In this sports special, David Dubas-Fisher is behind the mic, as he looks at the increase in popularity of non-league football in the North, specifically tiers nine and 10 of the English football pyramid.Football clubs in those tiers have a combined attendance of almost 550,000 this season with crowds increasing in recent years - particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic.David speaks to the fans involved in non-league football, including the Northern Football League's Mike Snowdon, Hallam FC's Ian Jones, and West Didsbury and Chorlton's Gray Ellwood, to find out how the pandemic has impacted the game.He also discusses how non-league clubs are supporting their communities, how the 3pm broadcast blackout affects these teams, and why football fans are turning away from professional clubs.This episode of The North in Numbers is presented by David Dubas-Fisher and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices