Tom Keighley

Hull-based fashion brand Exiled, launched by waste-management company MyGroup in 2024, transforms discarded uniforms, make-up bags, PPE and other materials into clothing, accessories and homeware. Its ten-person textile team will present the work at the Root Cause exhibition during London Fashion Week in September. Exiled is also developing regenerative cotton in Sri Lanka, reusing luxury-car leather with HMP Humber, and working with Innovate UK and the University of Leeds on recycling old hi-vis garments into new yarn. The projects aim to move fashion away from a linear take-make-dispose model, although the company acknowledges that some upcycling processes are difficult to scale.

Hull-based holiday-home maker Willerby supplied four New Holland luxury lodges for a new family welfare facility at HMS Drake, the main barracks within His Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport in Plymouth. The lodges, which can accommodate up to eight people, are intended to give Royal Navy personnel and their families a safe, relaxing place to spend time together. The project was developed by former Naval Base Commander Mike Tanner and retired naval officer Henry Merewether, funded by Greenwich Hospital and supported by architectural firm ARA Architecture. The facility was formally opened by Naval Base Commander Commodore Jane Roe, with Willerby executives and other suppliers attending.

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust will present plans to redevelop its Willerby Hill site and potentially consolidate adult mental health inpatient services currently spread across nine Hull-area units. The proposed purpose-built facilities would include modern wards, private en-suite rooms, therapy spaces, calming areas and secure outdoor environments. Residents can review the proposals and provide feedback at a consultation event on August 24 or online until September 13, ahead of a planned application later in 2026. The Trust says existing services will continue during planning and construction, and that any decision to relocate services would require a separate NHS consultation.

Families gathered in Hull’s Queen Victoria Square for Dino Day 2026, a free event organised by Hull BID. The programme featured life-size dinosaurs including a T. Rex, Baby Dino and Dilophosaurus, alongside face painting, exhibitors, stalls and dinosaur-themed photo opportunities. The event was sponsored by KCOM and included participation from The Deep, Hull Truck and Dinostar.

Humber Rescue will hold its largest annual open day at Hessle Foreshore on August 9, featuring a Battle of Britain memorial flypast, aerobatic displays, rescue demonstrations, emergency-service showcases, family activities, food vendors and live music. Around 20,000 visitors are expected, with free shuttle buses provided by East Yorkshire Buses. The event brings together local emergency services and community groups and aims to raise donations for Humber Rescue, which relies entirely on public funding to keep operating on the Humber Estuary.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park has welcomed Cisco, an eight-year-old male sea lion transported nearly 800 miles from southern France. He is being kept in a smaller pool and introduced gradually to the park's existing colony of seven sea lions, with staff monitoring his progress. Park officials say his arrival will support the breeding programme and that he has already interacted through mesh and briefly swum with Bailey and Coral.

Pensana abandoned plans to build a major rare earths separation facility at Saltend, Hull, after failing to secure sufficient UK government and private investment despite initial support and early groundwork. The £186m project, expected to create 125 jobs and bolster the UK's critical minerals supply chain, was ultimately redirected to the US, where comparable ventures receive far greater financial backing. The decision highlights challenges in the UK's ability to compete with US incentives and leaves Hull excluded from the refreshed national Critical Minerals Strategy.

Several pubs across Hull and East Yorkshire are highlighted in The Telegraph’s new guide to the UK’s best pubs. The featured venues include historic inns, traditional village pubs, and city centre establishments known for character, atmosphere, and quality cask ales, each praised for features ranging from open fires and heritage interiors to well‑kept beer and strong food offerings.

A youth football team from Hessle reached the final of the Paris International Cup after competing in extreme heat during a European heatwave. Despite travel delays and last‑minute schedule changes, the under‑nines team performed strongly at Paris Saint‑Germain’s training campus, narrowly losing in the final. Parents and players overcame challenging conditions, with temperatures reaching 35°C, and used an extra day for sightseeing. The team returns to Hull encouraged by the experience and preparing for their next tournament before moving into the under‑10s league.

Goole’s clock tower has been granted Grade II-listed status during the town’s bicentenary. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport approved the listing on Historic England’s advice, citing the tower’s neoclassical design, rarity as a non-war‑memorial interwar monument and its representation of Goole’s economic heritage. Built to mark the town’s centenary, the structure was funded jointly by residents and the Aire and Calder Navigation Company and completed in 1927. Historic England highlighted the tower’s civic significance, while the new listing grants planning protections and adds the landmark to the National Heritage List for England.

A growing seafood group, Andrew Marr International, has acquired Hull-based frozen fish supplier Seafish UK through its Fastnet subsidiary. The deal, which combines two established Humber firms, is expected to enhance sourcing, distribution and manufacturing capabilities across retail and foodservice markets. Seafish UK, operating from an 85,000‑square‑foot facility with multiple production lines, reported turnover of more than £18 million in 2024, while Andrew Marr International posted over £1 billion. Leadership at Fastnet and legal advisors from Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP highlighted the acquisition as part of a long-term strategy for sustainable growth in the seafood sector.

Kaye’s Estate Agents on Newland Avenue in Hull has been acquired and rebranded as a Reeds Rains branch, with former owner Neil Kaye retiring after more than two decades. The branch will be managed by Paul Rogers of franchise group Rogers Stewart, integrating into a wider regional network and taking on a substantial lettings portfolio. LSL Estate Agency Franchising, the parent company, highlights the expansion as part of its broader growth strategy, which includes recent acquisitions in property search and lettings. Customers will gain access to expanded services, including the MyReedsRains online portal and the national branch network.

A historic Grade II-listed former school building in Hessle has been sold to SofiNo Education Group, which plans to reopen it in 2027 as a special educational needs facility. The sale, facilitated by Garness Jones and agreed through Jem Property, was chosen over alternative proposals that required planning changes and posed higher risks. Representatives noted strong demand for SEND provision and highlighted the significance of repurposing the former school to serve community educational needs.