Latest news with #CharlotteSmith
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Newmarket residents 'excluded' from new bus route
Two new bus routes have left a community in a town "excluded", a councillor has said. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority replaced the number 11 bus service from Newmarket, Suffolk, to Cambridge with two new routes on Tuesday. Residents in Studlands Park, Newmarket, have been "excluded from the route" said Janne Jarvis, a Labour councillor at West Suffolk Council and Newmarket Town a statement on their website, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority said: "These routes have been designed to better connect our towns, villages and communities." The new Tiger 4 bus service, which is run by Stagecoach, operates between Newmarket to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. Charlotte Smith, who lives in Exning, Suffolk, said: "We used to be able to get to the centre of Cambridge. We now have to go to Addenbrooke's."Addenbrooke's Hospital is about two miles (3.2km) from Cambridge city centre. She added: "I am a mother; I do not drive. My husband does not drive. We now cannot access Tesco anymore."My main concern of this is I have been a passenger on these buses every day for the last five years and have built community on these buses."Ms Smith added that residents were "looking for accountability from Suffolk County Council" to reach out to explain "why they thought this was OK".A spokesperson for Suffolk County Council confirmed the new routes were "funded by Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority who, as such, ultimately decide on where the bus routes should serve". Jarvis said: "I strongly urge Suffolk County Council to take immediate action to reinstate the Studlands route."It is concerning for the more vulnerable and elderly in our society."We are going to challenge this. We are going to look for a resolution," he and Peterborough Combined Authority added that the new routes will offer "faster journey times, more frequent services, and improved reliability". Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Business Wire
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Basis Global Celebrates Another Record-Breaking Year
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In FY24/25, Basis Global cemented its position as one of the fastest-growing insight consultancies in the industry, delivering a record-breaking performance fuelled by deeper client partnerships, major industry recognition, and bold expansion across its UK and US markets. Turnover rose to £37.7 million — a 27% year-on-year increase — underlining continued demand for high-impact, consultative insight. Gross profit also rose by 37%, reflecting the strength and balance of the business as it heads into FY25/26. As Rune Mortensen, Group CEO at Basis, explains: 'Momentum like this doesn't happen by accident. It's the result of ambitious clients, bold thinking, and a team that brings it every day. 'We're proud to have delivered another record year — not just in growth, but in the depth and quality of work across the business. Basis is built to evolve, and this year proves the power of combining strategic thinking with innovative tools and exceptional talent.' Most awarded insight consultancy of 2025 As well as being named Quirk's 2024 Marketing Research Supplier of the Year, Basis Global's success was recognised with a record 8 nominations at the 2025 MRS Awards — more than any other insight consultancy — and 5 wins, including: Business Impact of the Year – Global (with EuroMillions) Healthcare Research (with UKHSA) New Consumer Insight (with Which?) B2B Research (with Sage) Social Impact (Liz Nelson Award with UKHSA) These awards reflect the ambition of our clients, the strength of our team, and the impact we're able to deliver. Growth that goes deeper But success isn't just about numbers. It's the result of a deliberate strategy that sees us doubling down on high-impact, high-value work; strengthening our US and UK operations; and investing in AI-powered innovation that keeps our clients ahead of change. With this, we've grown not just in size, but in strength. Our global team now sits at 140 — an 11% increase year-on-year — as we continue to invest in exceptional talent, career-defining opportunities, and a culture that fuels bold thinking across our UK and US offices. Demand for AI-driven insight, long-term programmatic partnerships, and deep expertise has fuelled our momentum. As a result, we partnered with 45 new clients this year, with major wins across Gaming, Retail, Beauty, Pharma and Alcohol. Charlotte Smith, Managing Partner at Basis Global commented: 'This has been a landmark year for Basis. We've scaled without losing what makes us different — deep thinking, fearless creativity, and an outstanding team. We're proud to work with some of the world's most ambitious brands and grateful for the trust they place in us.' Looking ahead We're investing boldly in the future — from deeper integration of generative AI, to emerging sectors, to a fresh new look that reflects who we are today. 'We're looking sharper, thinking bigger, and moving faster,' said Rune. 'And as ever, we're focused on helping our clients stay ahead in a fast-changing world. Here's to another record-breaking year in 2025.' Built for complexity. Obsessed with clarity. And we're just getting started. *All financial results quoted are provided for informational purposes only and are subject to statutory audit About Basis Global Basis Global is an award-winning insight consultancy that combines two decades of expertise with cutting-edge AI to help brands lead in a constantly changing world. With operations across the U.K. and U.S., our work spans over 60 countries and multiple sectors—including Consumer, B2B, and Health. By blending human creativity with AI precision, we deliver tailored strategies, actionable insights, and measurable results that help brands navigate complexity and seize opportunities. Learn more at
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
James Norton's ex Charlotte Rose Smith, 26, takes savage swipe at Happy Valley star, 39, after he 'joined dating app Raya days after split'
James Norton's ex girlfriend Charlotte Rose Smith took a savage swipe at the Happy Valley star after he joined celebrity dating app Raya days after they split. The model and artist, 26, seemingly 'congratulated' their split as she shared the iconic photo of Nicole Kidman jumping for joy moments after finalising her divorce from Tom Cruise on Instagram. The viral meme of the Hollywood actress is often shared by people celebrating a fresh split and like Charlotte, the image was also used by Jenna Dewan following her divorce from Channing Tatum. The stage and screen star, 39, was reportedly spotted on exclusive celebrity dating app Raya last week. The model and artist seemingly 'congratulated' their split as she shared the iconic photo of Nicole Kidman jumping for joy moments after finalising her divorce from Tom Cruise on Instagram The profile in question is said to feature photos of Norton with a shaved head – a dramatic new look he's adopted for his upcoming role in Sunny Dancer, currently being filmed in Scotland with co-star Bella Ramsey. MailOnline has contacted James' reps for comment. James, who is a strong contender to be the next James Bond, started dating Charlotte late last year and was pictured out with her on several occasions. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. At the time, an insider told The Sun: 'They have been enjoying dates and seem very happy together. 'It has been a year since his relationship with Imogen ended and he appears to get on so well with Charlotte. They make a lovely couple.' While it appears he now back on the dating scene, the model has been busy posting cryptic videos on TikTok. 'When everything is falling apart I will always have art. Broken heart? Still got my art,' she captioned a recent video of herself working in her London studio. In another video, she is strutting around in a chic figure-hugging dress with the caption: 'How I imagine every ex thinks of me.' James is not short of support as he moves on from the British beauty. He revealed in a recent podcast episode of Travel Secrets that he was planning a Kenya trip soon with his parents, Hugh and Lavinia, and sister Jessica. 'It's with my family, which is really lovely,' he said. 'There's a point you get to in your early twenties... I was lucky enough to look at my mum and dad when we were all adults, and say, "We get on!" 'My dad and I have a grudge match playing chess and we play bridge. 'My sister has two little boys who are six and four and we have a really nice little family unit. 'So for the first time, I'm taking them on holiday. We're going to the Masai Mara for some Safari. I can't wait to see my little nephews do Safari.' James was previously engaged to actress Imogen Poots, 35, before they split late 2023. They were together for seven years before their demanding careers tore them apart. 'Some of the choices recently weren't mine, yet I don't feel begrudging,' James told the Sunday Times late last year. Towards the end of their relationship, he had been starring in A Little Life - a West End adaptation of Hanya Yanagihara's novel dealing with trauma and abuse - and admitted he had 'given his life' to the demanding role. 'If the work starts to compromise one's relationships, it can become unhealthy,' he reflected. 'Suddenly you realise you haven't left any space for other people and so I was p***ed off with that.'
The Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
James Norton's model ex takes savage swipe at Happy Valley actor days after their split and he joined dating app
JAMES Norton's ex girlfriend Charlotte Rose Smith has "celebrated" their split by taking a savage swipe at the actor. The artist and model posted the iconic image of Nicole Kidman looking jubilant after finalising her divorce from Tom Cruise. 3 3 The 2001 picture became a viral meme and was used recently by Jenna Dewan following a contentious divorce from Channing Tatum. Charlotte posted it on her Instagram story without comment after it was reported James had signed up to celebrity dating app Raya. The 39-year-old started dating Prada model Charlotte, 25, in November of last year. It's unknown why the pair called it quits, but the meme indicates the split wasn't amicable. Charlotte was James's first public romance since he and Outer Range actress Imogen, 35, ended their six-year romance. James's profile on Raya features snaps of the star with a shaved head, which is a new look for his upcoming role in movie Sunny Dancer. He is yet to comment on Charlotte's dig on social media. Hollywood stars Nicole and Tom were married from 1990 to 2001 and adopted daughter Isabella, 31, and son Connor, 29. The Big Little Lies actress recently spoke out about the famous meme, insisting she wasn't celebrating the end of her marriage. 'That was not me,' she said. 'That was from a film. That wasn't real life. I know that image!' Happy Valley viewers know James, 39, as Tommy Lee Royce in the BBC crime drama. Earlier this year it was revealed James has signed up to star in the third series of HBO smash-hit House of the Dragon. He is stepping into the world of Westeros as Ormund Hightower in the Game of Thrones prequel. A description for the character reveals he is 'Otto's (Rhys Ifans) nephew, Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Gwayne's (Freddie Fox) cousin, and the Lord of Oldtown. He is presently leading the Hightower host in a march on King's Landing to support his house against Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy).'
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Government's social housing model not delivering for Wellington residents, Rongotai MP says
Strathmore resident Daisy Taua says she has lost three lounge suites and three mattresses to black mould in the five years she's lived in her Kāinga Ora flat. Photo: RNZ / Rachel Helyer-Donaldson The government is set on shaking up the way social housing is provided in Aotearoa, but the time it is taking to make these changes is leaving dozens of people in dire need of a healthy home, says a Wellington MP. Thursday marks a year since the Housing Minister announced $140 million of investment into 1500 social homes, and it will be another 18 months until they are all completed. In January, Charlotte Smith and the five tāmariki under her care were evacuated from their mould-ridden and structurally unsafe home next to Wellington Zoo, and transferred to a four-bedroom apartment. It was the second home in 16 years living in social housing that she had been evacuated from. Each time her young, healthy baby - first her eldest child and then her youngest - has developed respiratory conditions with countless trips to the hospital emergency department as a result of mould and damp, she said. Two-year-old Wolf was onto his fourth portacot, she said. "The first one was a metre off the ground, and I found mould underneath, on his mattress. It was happening again, and that's why it was so triggering." The new apartment did not have mould, but it cost an extra $165 per week, which Smith could not afford. A tenant of a community provider, Smith now hoped to get into a Kāinga Ora house. She was one of 30 constituents in the Rongotai electorate, which covers Wellington's southern and eastern suburbs, who had asked local MP Julie Anne Genter, of the Greens, for help with their housing situation in the past year. They included individuals and families, both in emergency housing and on the transfer list, waiting to be put into housing or one that is more suitable. Rongotai MP Julie Anne Genter. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver Genter said one elderly couple was living in a house that was inaccessible and mould-ridden. It was affecting their health, she added, yet they had been been on the transfer waitlist for nine months with no updates. Thirty inquiries "may not sound like a lot", said Genter. "But in the context of a community where you have a severe need for healthy housing, this is very material, and it makes a huge difference to people's lives when they can get adequate housing." Strathmore resident Daisy Taua said she had lost three lounge suites and three mattresses to black mould in the five years she's lived in her Kāinga Ora flat. Bathroom ventilation, installed by the housing agency, had helped, said Taua, who suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, making her particularly susceptible to mould and cold. But she slept on the couch because the downstairs bedroom was "like an icebox in winter". Kainga Ora regional director for Greater Wellington Vicki McLaren said "extensive work to remediate a mould issue" had been done in Daisy Taua's bathroom in 2023 and she had not raised any concerns to the agency about mould at the property since then. "If there are ongoing issues with mould or cold in the home, we strongly encourage Ms Taua to contact us so we can address them." McLaren said Kainga Ora was aware of Taua's health conditions and continued work to find another home for her to relocate to "however there are no suitable available properties to offer her at this time". Healthy, safe and affordable housing in Wellington was extremely difficult to get into, said Genter. "Yet it's really, desperately, needed because we have so many people who are living in inadequate social housing. Whether you're on the streets looking to be placed into a home or if you're on the transfer waitlist it is so challenging and hard our constituents." At the heart of the problem, said Genter, was the government's policy of putting housing developments on hold or under review. In the Rongotai electorate alone, six Kainga Ora developments - the equivalent of 215 homes - had been put on hold since December 2023. Genter said the government had "turned off the pipeline for new healthy state houses". It was not a numbers game, she said. "Each one of those is a person or a family whose everyday quality of life will be affected by having access to healthy housing, or not." McLaren said those developments remained under assessment, with decisions on individual projects, including those in Rongotai, to be made over the coming months, "although some sites will potentially need to wait for decisions beyond 2025-2026". "It's important to understand that we continue to deliver new homes while we are assessing some projects to ensure value for money, and that we are delivering in areas most needed ... This includes 44 homes delivered in Wellington city [this financial year]." Housing Minister Chris Bishop (L) and Associate Minister for Housing Tama Potaka. Photo: Louis Collins Last month the Minister and Associate Minister for Housing, Chris Bishop and Tama Potaka, surprised many when they announced the bulk of funding to build a thousand social homes, would go to five of the country's 80-plus community housing providers (CHPs). Of the 500 homes already underway, just 17 were for Wellington, in the Lower Hutt suburb of Wainuiomata. Dwell Housing Trust chief executive Elizabeth Lester, whose organisation missed out on the funding, said the ministry had told her that Pōneke "was not a priority right now". For local housing providers that felt like a "kick in the teeth", she added. One of Dwell's projects was Gordon Place, for 26 social homes in the suburb of Newtown, where homelessness was a visible and increasing issue. "Local housing providers are the best placed organisations to address those specific community needs and yet it looks like nothing going to be happening in our local community here in Wellington [city]." Housing Minister Chris Bishop said the government was committed to addressing New Zealand's housing crisis and was taking action, including in Wellington. "We are focusing on the fundamentals of housing supply, which is land supply and infrastructure funding and financing." In the current financial year Kāinga Ora had already delivered 191 social homes in the Wellington region and had another 58 under construction, he added. "As well as all of this, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is working with strategic partner Te Āhuru Mōwai to finalise their delivery schedule for social homes in the Wellington region, and we'll have more to say about this in due course." 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