Category: Industry News

Love Darg is The People’s Friend charity initiative, and this year is being delivered in partnership with the National Year of Reading and The Children’s Book Project, two organisations dedicated to championing literacy and improving access to books for young people. 

Rooted in the magazine’s long-standing belief in the power of storytelling to comfort, inspire and connect generations, the campaign invites readers to share children’s books that have played a meaningful role in their lives and the young people in their lives, giving them a second life with children who need them most. 

At the heart of the campaign is a simple idea: every book carries more than words – it holds memories, imagination and possibility. By donating pre-loved stories, readers can help spark a lifelong love of reading and open doors for the next generation. 

The National Year of Reading highlights the transformative impact of reading for pleasure, helping children to build confidence, creativity and connection. Through Love Darg Books, The People’s Friend aims to bring that mission to life, encouraging communities to come together and share stories that matter. 

Stuart Johnstone, Editor of The People’s Friend, said: “The People’s Friend is proud to support The National Year of Reading, and we encourage everyone to ‘Go All In’ and enjoy reading, too. We celebrate the power of words in every issue of the magazine, and I will never miss the chance to advocate why reading is great. 

“Books have been a huge part of my life. As a young boy, the local library was my favourite place to go, and I look back on those days with real fondness. I devoured adventure series like Tintin, The Three Investigators and The Hardy Boys. 

“I enjoy hearing other people talk about their experiences with a particular author or book, too. This is where our Love Darg Books campaign can help, by encouraging young readers to go on their own book journeys. 

“Everyone at the ‘Friend’ is delighted to be teaming up with the fantastic Children’s Book Project to make sure the wonderful tales our readers enjoyed can be passed on to a new generation through book donations. 

“This is a really exciting initiative that will help keep reading not just alive, but flourishing. I will be raiding the shelves in our house to drop off some books, and I know the whole ‘Friend’ family will do the same. 

“Reading has shaped my life in many large and small ways, and I would like to thank everyone in advance for donating their books. Your generosity will make a real difference.” 

How to Get Involved: Readers are encouraged to take part by donating children’s books via local drop‑off points. To find out more and sign up, visit https://www.thepeoplesfriend.co.uk/love-darg-books/ 

The SPUR Coalition (Standards for Publisher Usage Rights) is a non-profit coalition of news publishers established to shape the technical and commercial environment within which IP owners can control and monetise the use of their content by generative AI applications. 

The announcement, made at WAN-IFRA’s World News Media Congress, marks a significant moment in the coalition’s growth since its public launch at the end of February, and signals that publisher-led action on AI is consolidating into a coordinated, international movement.

The group includes a new founding member, CMA Media, joining from France.

Jean-Christophe Tortora, Deputy CEO of CMA Media, said: ‘By joining SPUR at board level, we are making a clear commitment to collective international action. The exceptional success of the WAN-IFRA World News Media Congress in Marseille demonstrates that the world’s leading publishers are determined to open a new chapter in their relationship with technology platforms and public authorities: a ‘new deal’ based on fair value sharing, content protection, and the defense of reliable and independent journalism in the age of artificial intelligence.’

SPUR will also welcome two new global affiliate organisations: WAN-IFRA/FIPP and the European Publishers Council (EPC).

Joining as standard members are: a cohort of leading Canadian media organisations: The Globe and Mail, Quebecor, Postmedia, Torstar, CBC/Radio-Canada, La Presse and TVO Media Education Group. Alongside them are: SIPA Ouest-France Group, Ringier, Citywire, Sanoma Media Finland, Der Standard, Bonnier News and FD Mediagroep.

Affiliate members will include: Digital Content Next (DCN), the Association of Online, Publishers (AOP), Independent Publishers Alliance, Newsworks, the News/Media Alliance (NMA US), Independent Media Association (IMA), News Media Canada, theHungarian Publishers’ Association, Hebdos Québec, and the PPA (Professional Publishers Association).

SPUR will also welcome associate members: Times Higher Education, RNZ and AMLIntelligence. With these additions, SPUR will bring together 36 publishers and affiliate organisationsto develop a market ecosystem that works for both publishers and AI developers. The coalition is inviting journalism organisations around the world to join in shaping how AI develops on terms that are fair, transparent and sustainable for the sector.

Stig Ørskov, CEO of WAN-IFRA, the World Association of News Publishers and one of SPUR’s new global affiliate organisations, said: ‘Announcing the significant expansion of SPUR at the World News Media Congress – the world’s largest gathering of news media leaders – underscores the importance of this initiative. WAN-IFRA strongly believes that collective publisher action is essential to creating a fair and workable AI licensing market. The global news industry should be an active participant in shaping standards for the AI era, and our affiliation with SPUR marks an important step in that direction.’

SPUR’s founding members – the BBC, Financial Times, Guardian Media Group, Sky News, Telegraph Media Group and Mediahuis – welcome the new cohort and will work alongside them on the coalition’s technical, strategic and engagement priorities.

Since launch, SPUR has made significant progress on its telemetry work: the technical infrastructure that enables publishers to see, in real time, how AI systems are using their content. The SPUR telemetry standard, which has been developed with SPUR members and technical partners, offers a framework for collaboration between content owners, AI platforms and intermediaries. Further details on this are expected shortly.

Nadine Mitschunas from Oxfordshire, Pam Woodall from Dorset, and Jo & Andi Butler from Shropshire are named finalists.

This year’s competition has a unique twist: every contender is a previous finalist, bringing together standout gardens from the last decade of the awards. With over 2500 total reader votes, three gardens emerged as favourites: Nadine Mitschunas from Oxfordshire, Pam Woodall from Dorset, and Jo & Andi Butler from Shropshire.

Representing a broad range of gardening styles from across the country, each of the finalist gardens shows creativity, dedication and a passion for plants that has inspired BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine readers over the years.

The overall winner will be chosen by our panel of expert judges, to be announced in the October issue of BBC Gardeners’ World. The panel includes garden designer and BBC Gardeners’ World presenter, Arit Anderson; garden designer and author, Ann-Marie Powell; BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Content Director, Kevin Smith, and Head Gardener at Crocus, Ashley Edwards.

Commenting on this year’s final three, Kevin Smith, Content Director of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine said “Reaching the top three is a huge achievement, especially in this special anniversary year. These gardens truly represent the very best from the past decade and showcase the creativity, dedication and passion of our readers. Choosing a winner from such an exceptional group won’t be easy”

Full list of the final three:

Nadine Mitschunas- Oxfordshire 

2021 Judge’s Choice winner

Pam Woodall- Dorset

2016 Wildlife Gardens winner

Jo & Andi Butler- Shropshire

2024 People’s Choice winner

BBC Gardeners’ World magazine / Jason Ingram

Cox joins from Mindvalley, the personal growth platform, where he held a senior marketing leadership role. He has previously led performance marketing at Experian and held leadership positions across a range of wellness brands.

In his new role, Cox will oversee top-of-funnel marketing, with Immediate’s Subscriptions Acquisitions, and Performance Marketing teams reporting to him. His focus will be on optimising Immediate’s owned and paid marketing channels and effectively segmenting audiences to accelerate growth.

Immediate have seen significant growth in subscriptions across brands like Radio Times, Good Food, HistoryExtra. and Nutracheck.  

Jess Burney, Managing Director, Customer Marketing & Subscriptions, who Cox will be reporting to, says “I’m delighted to welcome Charles to Immediate. He brings a wealth of experience in digital performance marketing and customer acquisition for subscriptions, within matrix organisations. He joins at an exciting time, as we have ambitious plans to accelerate growth, building on the strong foundations we’ve laid across our marketing, data and subscriptions capabilities.”

Charles Cox adds: “Immediate has built something really impressive with a sophisticated subscriptions business, supporting a portfolio of iconic brands.  I’m looking forward to working with the team to drive growth across our marketing channels and help reach even more people with the content they love.”  

Brett first joined Grazia in 2006 as Editorial Assistant, a year after it launched. After a successful period at The Telegraph, in 2018 she returned to the Bauer Media Group title as Editor-in-Chief, leading the publication through a significant chapter of growth and evolution.

During her time at Grazia, Brett has launched numerous brand extensions including The Juggle Instagram page, Grazia CASA and Grazia Beauty. She won BSME Editor of the Year in 2022 and in the last year, under her leadership the team secured an extraordinary run of cover stars including Kate Winslet, Kristin Scott Thomas and Kim Cattrall. More recently she led the re-positioning of Grazia on Instagram to elevate the brand, delivering impressive growth in followers and engagement, the latter up +57% in Q4 2025.

Lauren Holleyoake, Publisher of Grazia, says: “I’m so grateful for everything Hattie has done for Grazia. Her vision and commitment to the brand has been unwavering and she leaves it in great shape. Hattie has never stopped innovating and evolving the brand, always putting the reader at the heart of every idea, story and decision. I will hugely miss working with her but wish her well in her next challenge.”

On her time at Grazia, Brett says: “I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved. A true transformation, over the past eight years we’ve taken Grazia from a weekly print product into a multi-media brand that engages, informs and influences its AB female audience wherever she is consuming us. 

“In print, we’ve elevated the magazine into a fortnightly glossy title shooting some of the most exciting A-list talent. On social and digital we’ve shown that quality content from trusted brands will continue to cut through. And we’ve helped make the world a better place for the readers who demand we use our platform for good: putting affordable childcare at the heart of politics or changing the law by ending the ‘rough sex’ defence.” 

“On a personal level, it’s been both a privilege and a great learning experience to navigate a team and brand through a pandemic, interview Prime Ministers, get under the skin of luxury, high street and beauty brands, all whilst creating stories, shoots and covers I’ve loved seeing resonate. Now it’s time for me to take that insight and expertise into a new challenge. And, fresh from celebrating a successful 20th anniversary, I’m excited to see Grazia continue to grow and evolve as a leading voice of women in the UK.”

Hattie Brett will remain at Grazia until September 2026 and will continue to lead editorial operations while recruitment for her successor takes place.

We welcome Royal Mail’s £500m investment over five years, which is an important step towards stabilising the post-COVID postal market. However, it is the biggest in a generation and will significantly change how around 80,000 posties deliver letters.

A key change is to Second Class letter deliveries, which will move from six days a week to an alternating weekday schedule (Monday-Friday). This reflects lower volumes and aims to improve efficiency.

First Class will continue to be delivered six days a week, Monday-Saturday. More details, including delivery schedules, can be found here.

Following the April Communication Workers Union (CWU) agreement, rollout begins this month and will be phased across around 1,200 delivery offices, with completion targeted before Christmas.

The PPA is working closely with Royal Mail on operational communications around the rollout. Members have asked for clear, local updates by postcode and delivery office to help manage customers’ expectations, reduce disruption, and maintain subscriber confidence.

Royal Mail will also send a leaflet to every UK household in June explaining the changes in simple terms.

Ofcom’s new rules place greater focus on reliability of delivery, with targets for Royal Mail including:

• 90% First Class next working day
• 95% Second Class within three days
• 99% First Class within three days
• 99% Second Class within five days           

The PPA supports the direction of travel but stresses that delivery must match ambition. Reliability and trust are key.

We, alongside other major letter mail users, have called for Ofcom to pause on above-inflation price rises until performance consistently meets these targets.

Download Royal Mail’s Quality of Service Plan here.

For more information, please email the PPA’s Membership Manager, david.bostock@ppa.co.uk

Howzat! is an subscription magazine that has been building its fanbase since 2024. Containing a blend of fun and educational content for children, it is the only dedicated children’s cricket magazine available globally. 

According to the ‘Chance to Shine’ charity, participation in cricket is on the rise, with more than half a million British children connecting with the game over the past 12-months via in-school and community programmes.  Girls aged 7+ represented more than half of total participants.

The special edition feature issue lands in stores May 20, spotlighting the growth of the women’s game as well as a bonus pull-out wall chart to track competition results. It will also include the latest and greatest from across the world of cricket, including exclusive interviews with Cricket stars Sam Billings and Grace Scrivens, as well as British businesswoman, entrepreneur and cricket lover, Sara Davies.

Copies will be available at selected grocers, bookstores, and newsagents nationwide and via the brand site at howzatcricketmag.com.

Women’s cricket is one of the fastest-growing areas in global sport, with Lord’s citing that “the UK market alone [is] projected to be worth £1 billion by 2030”. Statistics from the English Cricket Board (ECB) note a +13% increase in girls teams competing in 2025 YoY, with more than 600 new teams registered.

“Cricket is a game for everyone” says Howzat Global Ambassador and former England World Cup Winner, Liam Plunkett, “at Howzat! we always do our best to ensure that our content reflects this. Role models in sport are very important, and the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the women’s game in particular for this special issue is something we’re so excited to be able to do.”

Change Your Mind debunks myths around mental health and reveals the secrets to keeping your mind sharp, your memory strong, and your mood balanced.

Presented by New Scientist’s Editor Catherine de Lange and Science Journalist Helen Thomson, Change Your Mind with New Scientist puts the biggest wellness trends under the microscope. Featuring guest neuroscience, psychology and longevity experts, Change Your Mind will put popular claims to the test – and reveal what works, what doesn’t, and why.

In a world flooded with wellness advice and TikTok trends, New Scientist says Cat and Helen will cut through the noise by explaining the complex science behind brain health in an entertaining and accessible way. Each episode will dig into a trending topic, from miracle supplements to manifesting, fasting to fitness, and provide clear and actionable advice, based on scientific evidence.

Catherine de Lange, Editor of New Scientist, said: “Our brains are our most valuable asset, yet they’re wildly complex and often misunderstood. We all want to look after our brain health, but when every scroll on social media brings a new “must try” hack or bold claim, it is impossible to know what is genuinely worth your time.

“We will check the facts for you. In each episode of Change Your Mind, we’ll explain what really supports brain health – helping you change your mind for the better.”

The first episode, released this week, is about anxiety, and reveals why – contrary to the advice on social media – you can’t get rid of your anxiety. Instead, an expert guest reveals the three steps that will change your relationship with anxiety forever.

New episodes go live every Thursday and will be available on all podcast platforms including on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.