Liverpool's film Locations are connecting people, places and productions

LIVERPOOL is now the UK's most filmed City outside London; and at the heart of its thriving screen industry are 2 sisters helping to make the magic happen.

Faye and Claire Newton, long established location managers with credits on:- Peaky Blinders, Bridgerton, The Ipcress File and Amazon's Heads of State, founded Liverpool Locations to connect productions with local expertise and create new opportunities for people entering the industry.

Faye says:- "We love what we do, but it was about finding a way to stay in this exciting industry while also having a family life. Liverpool Locations gave us the balance we needed; and a platform to grow something bigger."

Through contacts at the Liverpool Film Office, Faye and Claire (pictured) were introduced to Liverpool City Council's Business Support Service, funded by the UK Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund via the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Despite their experience, the sisters faced a familiar challenge for many small businesses; visibility. Faye explains:- "People didn't always know who we were. We realised that if we wanted to keep working on the projects we loved; and do it on our own terms; we needed to put ourselves out there on another level."

With support from business advisor Mark Butchard, the sisters refined their business strategy, strengthened their online presence, and developed new ways to grow their profile and community impact.

Faye commented:- "Mark helped us find focus. He'd give us a mission and check in on our progress. It gave us structure and accountability when we were struggling to find time to move the business forward."

From those sessions came Crew Night; a relaxed networking event bringing together everyone from costume designers to camera operators, creating space for genuine connection across Liverpool's screen community.

What began as an idea is now a fixture in the City's creative calendar, attracting hundreds of attendees and fostering collaboration and opportunity.

Alongside Crew Night, Faye and Claire have expanded their training programme, supported by the British Film Institute (BFI) through the Liverpool Film Office, helping dozens of new entrants find work in film and TV. Faye says that:- "We've built something we're really proud of. We're helping people find their way into this amazing industry; and keeping experienced crew connected, too."

With ongoing business support, Liverpool Locations has grown into a thriving enterprise that's helping to sustain the Region's creative economy.

Their work has:-

Strengthened Liverpool's crew base through training and mentoring.
Supported economic growth by linking productions with local professionals.
Created new opportunities for freelancers and small businesses across the City.
Kept Liverpool firmly on the film and TV map.

Cllr Nick Small, Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy, says:- "Liverpool Locations is a brilliant example of how local businesses can grow and thrive with the right support. Faye and Claire have shown that with creativity, collaboration and determination, Liverpool businesses can compete on a national; and international; stage."

Liverpool City Council's Business Support Service has received �451,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as the lead authority.

The service offers free, tailored advice for small and growing businesses, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. If your business is looking for support, visit:- Liverpool.Gov.UK.

Partou 'goes blue' for World Children's Day in support of UNICEF

TEAM members at leading day Nursery provider Partou in Manchester and around the North West have celebrated:- 'World Children's Day' by dressing in blue and taking part in a range of fun activities to raise funds for UNICEF.

Earlier this year, Partou; which operates 114 settings in the UK; announced an official partnership with the United Nations agency which works to protect the rights of children, provide humanitarian aid and ensure that every child can reach their full potential.

'World Children's Day' is a global day of action for children, by children, marking the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. On this day, UNICEF advocates and raises awareness to protect and fulfil the rights of every child, without discrimination.

Partou team members around the country, and children if they chose to do so, were invited to wear something blue for the occasion and/or make a donation to UNICEF.

The Partou logo also turned blue for the day across its social media channels.

Other initiatives to support the fundraising efforts included:- baking blue themed cupcakes and cookies, decorating nurseries in blue and creating pictures using blue craft materials. And team members could enter a special prize draw to win a hamper of blue themed goodies with all proceeds going to UNICEF.

Established in 1975, Partou is the biggest childcare group in the Netherlands with more than 700 settings, over 70,000 children and 9,000 team members.

Following 2024's merger of Just Childcare and All About Children to become Partou UK, it now cares for around 9,000 children and employs more than 2,000 dedicated childcare professionals in the UK, including:- 240 apprentices.

Through its partnership with UNICEF, Partou is supporting a portfolio of targeted early learning initiatives and broader flexible funding ensuring more children have the right to the best possible start in life, nurturing/supporting their health, learning and development.

This includes supporting:- 'Early Childhood Development (ECD)' by contributing to UNICEF's:- '5 Million Futures' programme which aims to offer 5 million children globally access to quality pre-school education by 2030. Through this initiative, UNICEF is working with young children and their families to ensure that the most vulnerable children can gain the life long benefits of accessing quality learning in the early years.

Partou is also providing flexible funding to enable UNICEF to deliver fast, effective aid. For example, through the Global Humanitarian Thematic Fund, Partou is supporting the provision of rapid assistance to vulnerable children in crisis and emergency settings.

Samantha Rhodes, Partou Managing Director, said:- "It was wonderful to see so many of our nurseries, team members, children and families come together to support World Children's Day and raise much needed funds for UNICEF. World Children's Day shines a powerful spotlight on every child's right to safety, education, play and voice. Partou's philosophy:- 'children lead the way,' mirrors this by encouraging child led learning and exploration; promoting respect, empathy and inclusion; and supporting children's emotional and social development through play and choice. This approach encourages children to express themselves, make choices and be heard; values that are central to World Children's Day."

Louise Lane, Chief Marketing and Partnerships Officer at UNICEF UK, said:- "World Children's Day celebrates the incredible resilience of children to learn, play and grow even in the hardest of times and it's thanks to the generous support of partners like Partou that UNICEF can scale up its efforts to support the wellbeing of children everywhere. A huge thank you to all team members and children for their incredible fundraising efforts this World Children's Day that will help ensure every child has the happy, healthy, and safe childhood they deserve."

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Liverpool's film Locations are connecting people, places and productions

Partou 'goes blue' for World Children's Day in support of UNICEF