Cricket bats made from English willow grown in Suffolk and Essex are being shipped in large numbers to India and Pakistan, with some manufacturers sending most of their output there. Family-run firms are replanting willow trees and local farmers and parish councils are earning extra income from growing them for the trade.
A Cornwall charity has received a donation of £7,899 as it marks its 80th anniversary.
Frankie Hooper from Oundle was crowned Queen Conker at the World Conker Championships in Southwick, Northamptonshire, after beating the men's winner in the final showdown. More than 250 competitors, including visitors from Japan, Holland and Germany, took part in the friendly, fun-filled event.
A volunteer from Ramsgate has been recognised as a Kent Local Hero for many years of service to the community. The honour celebrates the lasting difference their volunteering has made locally.
Two players from Hartlepool helped Team GB's blind baseball side win bronze at the Blind Baseball International Cup in Italy. The squad, which includes members from the Hartlepool Monkeys team set up by Gareth Hammond's ideas, reached the semi-finals against strong international opponents. The players said they were proud to bring a medal home to Teesside.
Volunteers from a Durham litter-picking group uncovered a plaque marking an 1883 riverside walk, hidden beneath ivy on a wall near Elvet Bridge. The walk, named after Reverend William Andrewes Fearon, a former Durham School headmaster, was a surprise even to the local parish council, and the group hopes to trace his relatives and encourage more people to join their litter picks.
A giant mural has been unveiled in Liverpool to honour a figure often described as the city's forgotten sixth Beatle. The artwork aims to give due recognition to a local music figure whose contribution has been overlooked.
Volunteers in Lancashire are working to transform local green spaces.
A new specialist centre for neurodivergent children has opened in Coventry, founded by two mothers who wanted a non-judgemental space for young people with conditions such as autism and ADHD. Actor Colin Farrell sent flowers and a handwritten note to mark the opening, and parents have spoken warmly about the centre's value to their families.
Martin Lewis has launched the Small Ideas Initiative, inviting the public to suggest practical, low-cost fixes to everyday problems across the UK. A cross-party panel will choose around 50 ideas to put before government, councils and regulators, with submissions due by 12 November. The project aims to rebuild public confidence that government can sort things out.
Students at Red Fox have been learning fire safety skills that could save lives.
A food rescue charity called Felix recovers edible surplus food and passes it to over 8,000 organisations that feed people in need, including lunch clubs, food pantries and homelessness shelters. Partnerships with manufacturers and supermarkets, backed by government, aim to triple the amount of food redistributed over the next decade.
