editor’s WORD

4 Hello and welcome to the latest edition of North East Times Magazine.

Now, before I begin, I’d like to point out I’m no meteorologist - I’d be as handy as Michael Fish in hurricane season.

Even I, however, can sense there is change in the air.

As this publication was being finalised, February was giving way to March, the slow shift towards lighter mornings and longer nights restirring the senses.

And the feeling of change and new beginnings carries through this edition, nowhere better highlighted than through our cover star Jill Scott.

As part of the triumphant England women’s Euro 2022 side, Jill provided welcome on-field relief to a country parched by a long major trophy drought.

But the change didn’t end on Wembley’s green expanse.

By lifting the cup alongside her teammates, the former Sunderland midfielder helped revolutionise focus on the women’s game, affording the sport much greater - and rightful - exposure, which continues to grow with every passing day.

Change is all Jill has known since that summer’s afternoon too.

From victory on ITV’s ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’, to roller-skating with Olympic diving champion Tom Daley, paddle boarding with Robson Green and receiving the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation/North East Football Writers’ Association’s Personality of the Year Award, it has been quite the nine months.

She even managed to impress notoriously hard to please ex-Sunderland AFC manager Roy Keane… Elsewhere, we speak to Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, about the watershed political change promised by the north of the region’s £4.2 billion devolution deal. p. 030-031

With the mayoral-led power shift pledging to help create thousands of jobs and generate billions in private sector investment, Councillor Miller explains how it will unlock ‘big ticket’ projects and “limitless opportunities” across the North East’s seven northernmost local authorities.

Change is present too in the latest instalment of our high-level VISION 2031 campaign, wherein roundtable members analyse the region’s healthcare sector and the prospects upon which to fashion further positive moves.

We do the same in a special report on an event - held alongside law firm Womble Bond Dickinson, Invest Newcastle and UK Tech News (UKTN)which assessed the digital industry’s strengths and opportunities, and how and where its application can make a positive difference to organisations and people’s lives.

And we complement it all with an interview with TrendBible founder Jo Feeley.

Forced into a pandemic pivot, Jo’s Newcastlebased trend forecasting creation is material proof of change for the better, with the business now pressing ahead with global expansion plans.

Contents p. 036-045

As the clock ticks towards the next General Election, what are the key priorities you believe the principal parties must include in their manifestos to catalyse the economy and instil fresh market confidence?

Words by Steven Hugill

It's been an incredible year for Jill Scott. From winning the Euros with the Lionesses to being crowned Queen of the Jungle in ITV’s 'I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!', the last 12 months have been nothing if not eventful. That Wembley win was her 161st and final England appearance, and buried the pain of her own international near misses in a 17-year career that began at 18 for hometown club Sunderland in 2005.

Words by Colin Young

p. 053-060

Welcome to the latest instalment of VISION 2031, the campaign launched by North East Times Magazine that lays out a blueprint for how our region can stand at the vanguard of global industrial and economic progress across the next ten years.

Words by Steven Hugill

The Big Question

Great Scott

V31Breaking new ground: The North East’s key role in the healthcare revolution p. 068-069

It may be known for its soft seating, but with a European expansion complementing high calibre boardroom additions and gold Investors in People accreditation, Cramlington-based Bazaar Group is very much a company on the move. Here, chief executive Mark Dolder tells Steven Hugill about the firm’s progress and why its growth trajectory is far from slowing down.

Five minutes with...

Words by Steven Hugill

p. 070-077 p. 094-101

With a £4.2 billion devolution deal agreed with Government, the north of the region stands on the brink of watershed change. Promising thousands of jobs and billions in potential private sector investment, the mayoralled power shift includes further significant funding for areas such as housing, skills and transport, and the creation of a louder voice to echo around Westminster’s corridors of power.

Limitless opportunity by Steven Hugill

Words

When Jo Feeley picked up a creative industries honour at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards late last year, she could have been forgiven for pondering whether she'll collect the accolade in two years’ time. After all, it is her job.

Words by Colin Young

Booking the trend