Thousands of people in Leicester will receive unique Diwali postcards through their letterboxes this week, sharing stories of people’s experience of the Festival of Lights – a major part of the city’s cultural calendar for more than 40 years. Over 10,000 homes will receive the postcards tomorrow (16 October), which form part of We Bring Light: Leicester’s Diwali Legacy, an anniversary research project set up to celebrate an event that is central to the identities of the South Asian community. Supported by fintech company Marshmallow, the two-year project has been driven by the city arts organisation Inspirate, whose executive director, Jiten Anand, grew up in the Belgrave community – the traditional heart of Leicester’s Diwali celebrations. It comes at a time when support for the festival in Leicester has been reduced due to funding constraints at Leicester City Council, which last year withdrew its financial backing for the long established Diwali lights switch-on event. Jiten said: “Generations have celebrated the Diwali lights switch-on and we are here to honour their story. We want to bring hope and light to the people of Leicester and the rest of the world. “The legacy of what Diwali festival has brought to the local, national and global South Asian diaspora will always continue. Hopefully, our project can add to that story – we’re an arts organisation telling the story of the city’s heritage and want to do what we can to keep Diwali alive.” Specially designed by artist Sharonjit Sutton, the Diwali postcards are one of five elements of the We Bring Light: Leicester’s Diwali Legacy project. They are also the culmination of two years of work by lead researcher Malini Chakrabarty, who spoke to generations of people in the city’s South Asian communities about their lives and experiences. Alongside the postcards reaching thousands of homes, the project also includes a short documentary film created by film maker Kieran Vyas, a website designed by Sharonjit Sutton, a display of glowing Diwali lanterns designed and crafted by children in local schools, and a mural on Belgrave Road created by acclaimed artist Shiraaz Ali. Meghan Elliott of Marshmallow said: “We know how important community and connections are, which is why we’re proud to sponsor We Bring Light. “This project shines a spotlight on resilience, diversity and human connection and supporting it is a natural extension of our mission to empower those who step outside the norm to create brighter futures for themselves and their families.”

Derbyshire nursery founder Margaret Mason OBE has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Nursery World Awards, recognising her extraordinary contribution to early years education across the UK over more than 70 years. Margaret, who founded Children 1st Day Nurseries in Long Eaton in 1988, has dedicated her life to giving children the best possible start. From one nursery on Breedon Street in Long Eaton, she built one of the UK’s most respected nursery groups – educating and caring for thousands of children and employing hundreds of people across Derbyshire and beyond. Many of her nurseries were recognised by Ofsted as Outstanding, a reflection of the high standards and strong values she championed throughout her career. Alongside running her nurseries, Margaret also played a key role in improving quality across the whole early years sector in the UK. She became the first Chair of the National Day Nurseries Association, helping to raise professional standards and give a national voice to private and voluntary childcare providers. Her commitment to children and families has been recognised nationally too. In 2017, she was awarded an OBE for Services to Education. Last year, Margaret completed the sale of the Children 1st group to national nursery provider Storal, ensuring the future of the nurseries she created. She has retained one setting in Derby, Maggie’s Day Nursery and Forest School in Breadsall – which continues her approach to early years education. Maggie’s is also home to the Margaret Mason OBE Children 1st Trust, a charity Margaret established to support vulnerable children and families across Derbyshire. The Trust helps to provide essentials and emergency childcare to families experiencing hardship, ensuring that every child can access care and learning when they need it most. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Margaret by Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, at a ceremony in London on Saturday 27 September. Paying tribute to her impact, he said Margaret had “a life dedicated to making the lives of others better – and that is a true lifetime achievement.” Commenting on being awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, Margaret Mason OBE said: “I am honoured to have received this award and feel so proud of what we’ve achieved. This award isn’t just mine – it belongs to every member of our team, past and present, who has shared that same passion for giving children the very best start in life. “When I opened my first nursery, I just wanted to create a place where children could feel happy, safe and inspired to learn. I never imagined it would grow the way it has or touch so many lives.”

Nottingham is setting its sights on becoming a host city for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035, with a reliance on Nottingham Forest’s re-development of the City Ground. At a meeting of its Executive Board next week, the City Council will decide whether Nottingham should proceed as a part of the UK bid to stage the event due to be submitted to FIFA at the end of November. If the UK proposal to host the event is successful, with a decision by FIFA due in April 2026, Nottingham would be one of up to 20 cities shortlisted as a part of the bid. A final selection of between 14-16 host cities and stadia is expected to be made by FIFA in 2030. The Nottingham host city bid would be subject to Nottingham Forest’s re-development of the City Ground and compliance with FIFA stadium requirements. In a document for the Executive Board meeting the council notes that if this re-development does not take place or is delayed, the opportunity to host the tournament in the city would not be possible. The council added that the bid represents an “ambitious once in a lifetime opportunity for Nottingham to host a truly world class sporting event.” Expected England-wide economic outputs hosting the tournament is forecasted to be £1.9bn GVA and creating 31,000 jobs, plus significant benefits of social value, volunteering, participation and a feel-good factor. It is expected that Nottingham, if selected as a host city, would host seven matches as a part of the tournament. Based on this it is estimated that the host city GVA would be in the region of £20m.

A Nottingham developer has smashed its fundraising target to send dozens of sick children and their families to visit Santa Claus in Lapland. Arran Bailey, managing director of ALB Group, hosted a ‘Night at the Fair’ charity black tie ball at Goosedale in Papplewick on Saturday 11 October. Thanks to the generosity of local business people and celebrities, £151,040 was raised for local charity, When You Wish Upon A Star Foundation’s Lapland trip. The achievement means ALB Giving can now fund seats on the plane for between 35-40 children and their families. The total sum needed to fund the plane was £130,000. Arran said: “When You Wish Upon a Star is a charity close to my heart. The work they do is inspiring. “We set ourselves an ambitious target to raise enough donations to sponsor a plane to fly children with life threatening and terminal illnesses to Lapland for an unforgettable opportunity to meet the real Santa Claus. Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we have achieved that goal. “I’d personally like to thank all those who bought tickets to the ball, donated prizes, made a bid at our charity auction or bought raffle tickets. We’ve been blown away by your generosity, and I cannot thank you enough. “What we have achieved together for the children is tremendous.” ALB Giving, the charity arm of ALB group, announced the black-tie event in May. Within 24 hours 75 per cent of the tables available had been snapped up. Guests flooded in from a range of Nottinghamshire businesses with high profile names including Carl Froch and his wife, and TOWIE’s Tommy Fordham. Donations for raffle prizes and auction lots included signed boxing gloves donated by both Carl Froch and Leigh Wood. Experience trips up for grabs included a private tour of the Ferrari garage in Italy, donated by Graypaul Nottingham, and opportunity to meet and greet Tommy Fordham and design your own trainers working with his brand Ctrne. The star prize of the night for a ticket on the plane to Lapland created fierce bidding with bids starting at £1,000. This quickly soared to £10,000.00, at which point the bidding was halted by guest auctioneer and sports commentator Darren Fletcher, and four different people agreed to pay the same price putting a wallet busting £40k into the charity’s pot. When You Wish Upon a Star was founded in Nottingham by Barbara White CIOF OBE. It is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Since 1990, the charity has granted over 19,300 Wishes to sick children across the UK. Its specially chartered Santa Express flight to Lapland is the highlight of the year and helps children to swap hospital beds for sleigh rides and Santa Claus meets. Arran said: “As a successful Nottingham firm that champions our hometown, we wanted to give back to our supporters and community. To put on a ‘never to be forgotten’ event, to thank our friends, customers and contacts whilst also raising a tremendous amount of money for such a worthwhile charity has been a privilege.” Joe Williamson, CEO of the charity, said: “Everyone at When You Wish Upon a Star has been so excited about the ALB Giving Ball and the incredible opportunity it presented to make dreams come true for the children we support. A trip to Lapland is one our wish families will never forget. “Events like this are the heartbeat of our charity, and it’s truly heartwarming to see such generosity and enthusiasm from everyone involved. I want to extend my huge appreciation to the entire ALB team for their unwavering commitment and support, your passion and kindness are helping to create magical moments that these children and their families will cherish forever.”

A Long Eaton childcare apprenticeship expert has been recognised nationally for her exceptional impact on the early years sector. Kate Bickley, head of apprenticeships at Storal, has won the Outstanding Contribution Award at the Nursery World Awards 2025, which celebrate excellence across early years education. Kate has devoted her career to early years education for more than two decades. She began as a nursery nurse in 2000 and has gone on to specialise in training and workforce development. Over the years, she has supported hundreds of apprentices to qualify and progress, while also helping colleagues across the sector grow in confidence and skill. Today, she leads Storal’s national apprenticeship programme, shaping the careers of the next generation of early years professionals. The Outstanding Contribution Award recognises an ‘unsung hero’ in early years education – someone whose dedication, experience and support for others make a lasting difference. Kate became head of early years apprenticeships for Storal following the acquisition of Children 1st Day Nurseries in 2024. Prior to this, she spent more than a decade as director of training at the Children 1st Academy, where she was responsible for the professional development of more than 600 staff across 24 nurseries. Commenting on her award, Kate said: “I’m absolutely over the moon. Supporting apprentices and colleagues to develop their skills and confidence is something I’ve always been passionate about, and to see so many of them flourish in their careers is what makes this job so special. To be recognised in this way for doing something I love means the world to me.” Sarah Mackenzie, CEO of Storal, said: “Kate thoroughly deserves this award, and we are incredibly proud to see her contribution recognised on a national stage. “She has devoted her career to training and supporting others, and the results speak for themselves. Over the years, she has guided hundreds of apprentices and colleagues, helping them to gain qualifications, grow in confidence and build lasting careers in early years education. “What sets Kate apart is her ability to combine real expertise with genuine care for the people she supports. She inspires those around her and is a role model for both new entrants to the sector and experienced practitioners alike. We are lucky to have her as part of Storal.”