After a highly spiritual Coronation service at Westminster Abbey and a massive procession across London, thousands of people filled the Mall despite the rain. The RAF Red Arrows painted the sky red, white, and blue as the King and Queen waved from the balcony of the Palace.

The route of the horse-drawn Diamond Jubilee State Coach to Westminster Abbey, past ecstatic spectators and an honour guard of 1,000 members of the armed forces, signalled the start of the King’s day shortly after 10:00 BST. The processions were led by commonwealth and religious officials, with the King and Queen coming next. The two-hour ritual, which was the first to crown a king in 70 years, was seen by about 2,300 people inside the abbey and on televisions all across the world. Cries of “God Save the King” and gun salutes could be heard inside and outside the palace as Charles was given the crown.

In the first part of the ritual, Charles was referred to as the “undoubted King.” The assembly was then instructed to display their devotion by chanting “God Save the King” as a sign of respect.

The anointing, which is regarded as the most sacred element of the ceremony, was performed with the King shielded from the people for one part of the rite. Here, the Archbishop of Canterbury anointed the King with holy oil. It “has historically been regarded as a moment between the Sovereign and God,” according to the Palace, which explains the need for secrecy. Choristers sung Handel’s Zadok the Priest, which has been performed at every coronation since 1727, as they waited for the crowned King to reappear.

As they made their way back to the Palace, the freshly crowned King and Queen rode up The Mall in the Gold State Coach, flanked by thousands of service members. The King’s position did not technically alter with the Coronation. In September, when his mother Queen Elizabeth II passed away after 70 years in power, Charles was crowned King of the United Kingdom and 14 other nations. Since then, there have been months of meticulous preparation for the festivities, which marked the 40th coronation to take place at Westminster Abbey since 1066. With contributions from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Sikh delegates, this coronation’s emphasis on diversity and inclusivity featured more multifaith aspects than any previous coronation.

Delivering high quality and trustworthy television and online coverage that regularly attracts audiences in excess of 3.5 million viewers, ITV News will once again support the annual award ceremony, pledging their unwavering commitment to nationally profiling the awe inspiring stories and journeys of our official shortlisted nominees!

Diane Ridley, Head of Newsgathering at ITV News states

‘ITV News are proud to support The National Diversity Awards in 2023. The awards celebrate diversity champions across the community and highlights the amazing work they do every day’

You never know… your chosen nominee could be coming to a TV screen near you very soon!

The National Diversity Awards have been inundated with nominations and votes for the 2023 ceremony. A staggering 12,000 votes have been submitted showcasing the extraordinary work being carried out nationwide.

Nominations and voting closes on 12th May 2023. Don’t waste any time and submit today!

Once a nomination has been submitted and approved, nominees can share their direct voting link with their networks so that others can tell us why they deserve this award.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to vote:

• Visit https://www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/awards-2023/nominations/

• Type the name of your chosen nominee in the ‘Nominee Search’ bar and select enter

• Select the correct profile (The link in the tab is the nominees direct voting link)

• Complete the form and validate your vote via email

If your nominee has not yet been nominated, please select your chosen award category and follow the instructions on screen.

Schools and colleges will receive investment to upgrade classrooms and refurbish buildings that will provide high quality learning environments – benefitting communities for years to come.

Since 2010, one million school places have been created, the largest increase in school capacity in at least two generations. Thanks to this new tranche of funding, thousands of additional primary and secondary school places will be created in good or outstanding schools for September 2026.

This comes on top of the School Rebuilding Programme which will transform buildings at 500 schools across the country over the next decade – prioritising those in poor condition. The government has already invested over £13 billion in school capital funding to improve the condition of school buildings since 2015.

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

This significant investment will transform school and college buildings across the country so that they are fit for the future and can provide the best education for students, no matter where they live.

We want every young person to have access to high-quality facilities and learning environments, to gain the skills they need to climb the ladder of opportunity into further study and work, whilst supporting efforts to grow the economy.

The funding announced today includes:

• A £1.8 billion investment for the 2023-24 financial year to improve the condition of the school estate across England. This builds on over £13 billion to upgrade school buildings since 2015.
• A further £487 million will be invested to support councils to provide additional school places needed for September 2026.
• Alongside this, 146 colleges will benefit from the final phase of the £1.5 billion Further Education Capital Transformation Programme, to upgrade buildings and transform campuses.

The FE Capital Transformation Programme is just one part of a wider programme of government investment to transform post-16 education and training, ensuring that every student can gain the skills they need to progress and secure a good job.

This includes massive investment to support the roll out of new T Levels, boost capacity so there is a place for every 16 to 19-year-old and a £300 million investment to establish a network of Institutes of Technology.

Under the plan, 16 areas in England and Wales will be funded to support either new ‘hotspot’ police and enforcement patrols in areas with the highest rates of anti-social behaviour, or trial a new ‘Immediate Justice’ scheme to deliver swift and visible punishments. A select few areas will trial both interventions, and following these initial trailblazers, both schemes will be rolled out across England and Wales from 2024.

Hotspot trailblazer areas will see an increase in police presence alongside other uniformed authority figures, such as wardens, in problem areas for anti-social behaviour, including public transport and high streets or parks. The increased presence will help deter anti-social behaviour, step up enforcement action against offenders, make sure crimes are punished more quickly and drive deterrence efforts, helping to stop anti-social behaviour spiralling into more serious criminality.

Under the new Immediate Justice scheme, those found committing anti-social behaviour will be made to repair the damage they inflicted on victims and communities, with an ambition for them to start work as soon as 48 hours after their offence so victims know antisocial behaviour is treated seriously and with urgency.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“Anti-social behaviour undermines the basic right of people to feel safe in the place they call home.

“The public have rightly had enough – which is why I am determined to restore people’s confidence that those responsible will be quickly and visibly punished.

“This action plan maps out how we will tackle this issue with the urgency it deserves and stamp out these crimes once and for all – so that wherever you live, you can feel safe in, and proud of your community.”

Offenders, who will be made to wear high-vis vests or jumpsuits and work under supervision, could be made to pick up litter, remove graffiti and wash police cars as punishment for their actions, and victims of antisocial behaviour from the local community will be given a say in offenders’ punishments to ensure justice is visible and fits the crime. The trailblazers will be launched as soon as possible and follow research that shows that anti-social behaviour is the main reason people do not feel safe in their local area.

Under the zero-tolerance approach, Nitrous oxide or “laughing gas” will also be banned to send a clear message to intimidating gangs, that hang around high streets and children’s parks and litter them with empty canisters, that they will not get away with this behaviour. The drug is now the third most used among 16 to 24-year-olds in England and both the police and public have repeatedly reported links between use of the drug and nuisance or anti-social behaviour.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

“The British public are fed up with crime and nuisance behaviour in their neighbourhoods inflicting misery on people.

“There is no such thing as petty crime – not only does antisocial behaviour leave people feeling unsafe, it can also be a gateway into serious criminality.

“It has always been my priority to give police the powers they need to deliver a common-sense approach to cutting crime, which puts the law-abiding majority first, and that’s what this action plan delivers.”

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove said:

“Anti-social behaviour erodes local pride, blights our high streets and parks and is a stain on too many communities across the country.

“We know that it is more likely to flourish in areas that have, for too long, been overlooked and undervalued.

“This government was elected on a mandate to deliver change for those communities, and that is why the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan is critical.

“So we will intervene directly to prevent high street dereliction. We will deliver tougher, quicker and more visible justice to prevent thuggish behaviour in town centres and we will ensure young people have the opportunities and activities available to them to succeed – all backed by new investment.

“This is about acting on the people’s priorities, delivering safer streets so we can level up across the country.”

Police will also be given new powers to crackdown on illegal drug use, often a catalyst for other crimes, including expanding powers for drug testing on arrest so more suspected criminals can be tested, and more drugs tested for, including ecstasy and methamphetamine. Currently, only suspected criminals who have committed certain offences can be tested in police detention without additional requirements, but we will expand the range of trigger offences to include crimes linked to violence against women and girls, serious violence and anti-social behaviour.

A new reporting tool will also be developed over the next twelve months to act as a digital one-stop shop where people can quickly and easily report incidents of anti-social behaviour when these occur. The tool will help address problems people have faced when trying to report these sorts of crimes because of a lack of clarity around how to raise an issue or who to speak to, or a lack of confidence that these crimes will be dealt with seriously.

As well as being able to report any type of anti-social behaviour, people will have access through the tool to advice and guidance on what to do next in their cases and receive updates on what action is being taken by local police and councils following a report being logged. As well as giving the public confidence that action is being taken, the tool will help support local agencies to share information on perpetrators within their local area more effectively, so that they can more quickly identify repeat offenders and take the necessary action to prevent future crimes from happening in the first place

Other measures announced today include:

• Increasing the punishment for those who graffiti, litter or fly tip with fines of up to £500 and £1,000– council league tables will be published for fly tipping, and we will work with the Office for Local Government to increase transparency and improve accountability on antisocial behaviour outcomes.
• Giving landlords and housing associations more powers to evict unruly tenants who ruin their neighbours’ lives through persistent noise or by being drunk and disorderly
• Reopening empty shops by giving councils new powers to quickly take control and sell off empty buildings
• An anti-social behaviour Taskforce jointly led by the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up will bring together national and local partners, with a sole focus of addressing anti-social behaviour and restoring pride in place in communities. This will bring together Police and Crime Commissioners, police and local partners and agencies
• An extra one million hours of youth services in areas with the highest rates of anti-social behaviour to put people on the right track and prevent them from offending in the first place
• Tackling the awful practice of ‘cuckooing’ or home invasion by engaging with stakeholders on the scope of a potential new criminal offence
• Parks and green spaces will also be restored with up to £5 million to make them safer with new CCTV and repairing equipment and playgrounds, and to plant more trees and flowers

Nobody should be criminalised simply for having nowhere to live which is why government committed to repealing the antiquated Vagrancy Act, passed in 1824. This comes alongside last year’s unprecedented £2 billion commitment over three years to accelerate efforts to end rough sleeping for good.

It will be made an offence for criminal gangs to organise begging networks for extra cash, which is often used to facilitate illegal activities. To ensure police and local councils can address activity which is intimidating or causes the public distress, they will have the tools to direct people causing nuisance on the street, including obstructing shop doorways and begging by cash points, towards the support they need, such as accommodation, mental health or substance misuse services. The debris and paraphernalia which causes blight will then be cleared.

The Government has also today announced that an additional 43 youth centres are to benefit from the next £90 million investment from the Youth Investment Fund, distributed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. As a result, 45,000 more young people a year will have access to state-of-the-art facilities and regular, out-of-school activities, as part of an overall £300 million to be distributed through 2025. From Lincolnshire to Liverpool, Peterborough to Portsmouth, the Government’s National Youth Guarantee will support the wellbeing of young people in some of the country’s most underserved areas, giving them opportunities to develop vital skills for life, and empowering them to be active members of their community.

The new cross-government action plan builds on the Government’s focus to deliver common sense policing, backed by an unprecedented recruitment drive of 20,000 additional officers by the end of March, which we are on track to achieve. It works in tandem with our priorities to drive down murder rates, tackle serious violence – including against women and girls – and solve and prevent more burglaries.

Neighbourhood crimes like burglary, robbery and theft have dropped by 24% since December 2019 but government wants this driven down further and to see more burglaries solved, which is why the Home Secretary called for police forces in England and Wales to send an officer to attend every domestic burglary.

The Government has also funded 216 projects via rounds one and two of the Levelling Up Fund, totally £3.8 billion, which is driving the regeneration of town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport and investing cultural and heritage assets.

The Government will continue to support the Bill in the Lords helping to protect animals listed by the internationally agreed Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

After the debate, International Biodiversity Minister Trudy Harrison said:

“This is a pivotal moment in delivering one of our key manifesto commitments on international conservation and animal welfare. Using an internationally agreed list of species, this will play an important part in helping reverse the decline of wildlife across the world. I look forward to it becoming an Act of Parliament.”

Conservative MP for Crawley Henry Smith said:

“At the last General Election we stood on a manifesto commitment to ban imports of hunting trophies of endangered animals. The House of Commons passing this legislation today marks an important moment in ensuring that this pledge to support conservation becomes a reality.

“I’m grateful to the Government for supporting my Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill and I look forward to it now progressing through the House of Lords.

“Our country does not want to be part of a trade in the body parts of endangered species. Today the Commons sent this message loud and clear.”

The Bill will ban the import of trophies hunted from around 6,000 species including lions, elephants, rhinos, and polar bears.

It follows the government’s world-leading Ivory Act which came into force last year, introducing a near total ban on the import, export and dealing of items containing elephant ivory in the UK. We will also be setting out measures in due course on whether to extend that ban to other ivory bearing species.

The Government will also support Angela Richardson’s Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill in the Lords, which will provide the ability for government to ban the sale and advertising of activities abroad which involve low standards of welfare for animals.

Overall, DWP measures at Budget represent an investment of £3.5 billion over five years to boost workforce participation and grow the economy. That includes:

• £2 billion investment in support for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.
• £900 million investment in support for parents on Universal Credit.
• £70 million investment in support for over-50s.
• £485 million investment in support for unemployed people and people who are on Universal Credit and working fewer than full time hours.

Taken together, these measures tackle the challenges in the labour market, which are holding back the UK’s economic prospects, helping millions of people with specific support to look for work and progress into better-paid jobs.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Mel Stride MP said:

We know many people want to work but there are very real barriers we need to break down to help them into employment.

This package of support helps people at any age and career stage to get into work, progress into better-paid jobs – growing the economy and filling the labour market with skilled employees.

These interventions are only the start of a long-term journey to drive down economic inactivity and mobilise more people into seeking employment, which I will continue to lead across Government.

Childcare

Parents on Universal Credit looking to move into full-time work will no longer be prevented from doing so because of high childcare costs.

The Universal Credit childcare cost cap will rise in the summer meaning the Government will pay more of parents’ childcare costs. For those with one child it rises from £646.35 to £951 and for two children the cap is up from £1,108.04 to £1,630, then increasing in line with CPI each year until 2027/28.

Parents will also be further supported with upfront childcare costs. This removes any gap in funds which would currently be claimed in arrears and eases parents into the childcare costs payment cycle.

Disabled people and people with health conditions

The Health and Disability White Paper, included as part of the Budget, sets out plans to rewire the benefits system for disabled people, shifting the dial onto what people can achieve and removing barriers to work.

A major element of this will be through the removal of the Work Capability Assessment, giving people the confidence to move into work while reducing the burden of unnecessary assessments.

A new Universal Support programme will support disabled people and people with health conditions into sustained work, with those eligible able to opt in to receive up to 12 months of provision, with the government spending up to £4,000 per person and funding 50,000 places every year. This will help them to move quickly into suitable work and, with wraparound support, help them sustain that employment for the longer-term.

Pioneer areas are already mobilising services to provide greater support, and then the programme will ramp up over time, expanding to support thousands more people.

Older workers

A new digital Mid-life MOT check will be introduced to help older workers understand what their employment choices now mean for the longer-term – reaching 40,000 people a year.

They will also benefit from a boost to skills and better access to training through the Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP), Train and Progress and the new ‘Returnerships’ programme.

Jobcentre support

We are increasing jobcentre support for people on Universal Credit who could work more, helping them progress towards more paid work.

This includes around 80,000 more people, whose partners claim Universal Credit, being given access to full jobcentre support for the first time. They will be assigned their own work coach who will provide tailored support to help them find work quicker.

All those working less than half of a full-time week will also get full jobcentre support to look for more work as the Administrative Earnings Threshold increases to the equivalent of around 18 hours from 15.

And more young people aged 16-24 on Universal Credit will be able see a work coach in a Youth Hub or benefit from the expertise of our Youth Employability Coaches.

The government has launched a 12-week consultation to expand the scheme by raising the income threshold for eligibility and providing better targeted support for those on lower incomes.

In the last year alone, the scheme provided over £80 million in financial help for thousands of people so they can exercise their legal rights in a wide range of cases such as family disputes, housing issues and compensation claims for personal injury.

Today’s move could potentially help thousands more people with the costs associated with their court and tribunal fees.

Justice Minister, Mike Freer, said:

We recognise this is a challenging time financially for people across the country so it is vital we continue to ensure everyone can afford justice.

The Help with Fees scheme has helped thousands of vulnerable people to pay court fees since its inception in 2013 and our reforms will make the scheme more generous and targeted at those who need it most.

Proposed changes to income thresholds will vary depending on different families and their circumstances, including the age of any children. For example:

• For a couple with 2 children under 14, the monthly income threshold would increase from £1,875 per month to £2,980.
• For a single person with no children the threshold would increase from, £1,170 per month to £1,420.

For the first time eligibility for the scheme will also take into account the extra costs associated with looking after a child aged over 14, making sure families in these circumstances benefit from more generous support towards the costs of court and tribunal fees.

To make sure the most financially vulnerable are better supported, the government also plans to change how the scheme is targeted by:

• Providing more flexibility for individuals with money in savings and investments by increasing the minimum capital threshold for the scheme. This will allow applicants to have more capital before they become ineligible for the scheme.
• Making it easier for the self-employment and those who work variable shift patterns to qualify as the revised scheme better recognises that income can fluctuate month- on-month.
• Ensuring those on higher incomes contribute more towards their court and tribunal fees, by revising partial fee discounts so the more an individual earns, the more they pay towards their fees.
• Raising the scheme’s age cap to the state pension age of 66 from 61.

To qualify for the scheme an individual needs to be on a low income or be on benefits such as Income Support, Universal Credit or Pension Credit.

Some people on a higher income may still be supported by the scheme. Individuals can check their eligibility and apply for the scheme online

Rob made nearly 500 appearances for the Leeds Rhinos between 2001 and 2017, winning eight Super League championships.

Just two years after his retirement, he revealed a devastating diagnosis of MND in December 2019, but despite his physical decline Rob has raised awareness, including through a documentary with the BBC showing the impact of the disease on himself and his family.

He has also inspired the creation of a Rob Burrow Day (7 July) led by Leeds Rhinos, and has been at the forefront of the design of a new £5m cutting-edge MND centre in Leeds, which will be the first of its kind in the UK to be based around the holistic needs of MND patients and their families.

Rob’s awareness-raising has been matched by a fundraising drive from his old Rhinos team Kevin Sinfield OBE, who has completed multiple marathon challenges in Rob’s name to raise over £7m for MND charities.

The inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon is due to take place in May this year, with over 10,000 people signed up to take part and raise further funds for his Leeds Hospitals Charity Appeal.

The Prime Minister’s Points of Light award was first launched in April 2014, having been developed in partnership with the hugely successful Points of Light programme in the USA.

Since then, outstanding individuals from across the country who are making a positive change within their community and inspiring others have been recognised by the Prime Minister through the award.

In a personal letter to Rob, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

For almost a decade, Prime Ministers have been naming a daily Point of Light to recognise extraordinary people in our country whose service to others is an inspiration to us all.

Today, I have the honour of naming you as the UK’s 2,000th Point of Light.

You have inspired millions around the world with your strength, courage and positivity. Through your intimate documentary and all your work to raise awareness of MND, you have used your profile as one of the greatest ever rugby players to shine a light on a disease that was once rarely spoken about and little understood.

You have inspired a phenomenal fundraising campaign that is supporting vital new research and improving the care for others – not least through the creation of The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in your proud home city of Leeds.

The legacy of everything you are doing for the fight against this disease will change what it means to be diagnosed with MND.

As you have said: “in a world full of adversity we must dare to dream.” Inspired by you, many will dare to dream and fulfil those dreams, in spite of whatever adversity they may face.

You are a true Point of Light. On behalf of the whole country, thank you.

The court heard its anaerobic digestion plant at Wardley Colliery near West Boldon, South Tyneside – which makes energy from waste food – breached its odour management plan leading to unregulated and smelly gases being released into the air and impacting local residents.

It was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay costs of almost £10,000.

Andrew Turner, Area Environment Manager at the Environment Agency in the North East, said:

We understand how awful it is for residents to suffer when waste sites fail in their obligation to ensure there is no odour coming from their sites.

Environmental permits are in place to protect the public and environment and this fine should serve as a warning that the Environment Agency will not hesitate to bring to court and prosecute companies who breach their permits and flout the law.

Complaints about odour at the site

Companies like BioConstruct must have an odour management plan in place, with gas emissions outside the site odour-free and regularly monitored.

On 26 June 2020 the Environment Agency received over 25 complaints about smells coming from the plant, and officers attended and verified the reports.

Site management explained there were issues with the company’s emergency gas flare, which operates as a failsafe to burn off excess gas, and because of this the pressure release valve had operated. This releases raw smelly gas into the atmosphere in an emergency to prevent an explosion.

During its inspection the Environment Agency found several breaches of the company’s odour management plan, including a failure to properly maintain the gas flare, which increases the risk of having to vent raw gas out through the pressure release valve. The gas flare was subsequently repaired.

However, during Environment Agency site inspections in 2021, odour at the plant continued to be an issue. As a result the Agency issued two enforcement notices in July and September to bring the site back into compliance. They required improvements in the odour management plan, and for the company to install odour abatement units and monitor their performance. Neither were complied with by the deadlines set, with the company claiming supply chain issues had caused delays.

At the hearing the court accepted that the company had shown remorse and accepted responsibility for the offending. The court also accepted the offending had not been commercially motivated and steps had been taken to remedy the problem.

The court heard that the company had previously been fined in 2019 for causing off-site odour pollution at another of its plants in Middlesbrough.