“I’ve always loved dogs, so helping them while they wait to be adopted is a joy.”

Meet Ann Lamont who has earned a huge round of ‘appaws’ for dedicating 1,000 hours of her time volunteering to support homeless hounds.

Ann, who lives near Kells in Co Antrim, began volunteering at Dogs Trust Ballymena two years ago, regularly helping for 12 hours every week. Ann is a much-loved and well-known face at the rehoming centre, where she can be found every Monday and Wednesday, in the laundry room, also known as ‘Ann’s Office’.

Ann lost her beloved golden retriever Simon over 30 years ago when he was 15, but she never forgot the joy he brought to her life, so she always said that when she retired, she would volunteer for Dogs Trust to help the dogs.

Ann has certainly done that and is renowned for her dedication to the dogs, as epitomised by her favourite saying: “Every dog, no matter where they’ve come from, deserves a clean bed”. And a clean bed, they shall have, thanks to Ann.

Speaking about volunteering during National Volunteers’ Week (June 1-7), Ann said: “It brings a sense of achievement, helping the staff, and you get to know the dogs, and they get to know me. The dogs are brought into the laundry room every time they pass, so I can give them a treat.

“I feel part of the team, not just the volunteer team, but the wider Dogs Trust team, as people know my name, they know what I do, and they appreciate it.

“I’m an organised person, so I enjoy working in the laundry room. I make sure it is clean and tidy, ensure all the bedding and blankets are washed, the shelves are organised and that every dog has a nice, clean bed.

“I also upcycle any damaged blankets that can no longer be used into toys and snuffle mats, which proves popular with the dogs. I’ve always loved dogs, so helping them while they wait to be adopted is a joy.”

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Ann is one of 30 fabulous volunteers, who give more than 200 hours of their time to Dogs Trust Ballymena every month – helping with all manner of tasks, including walking four-legged friends, gardening, making sure the pooches have clean beds, and fundraising.

There really is no end to their dedication and talents in support of the daily work at the Ballymena rehoming centre.

Nationally, Dogs Trust has over 3,600 volunteers who play a vital role in helping the charity care for over 11,000 dogs every year. Volunteering with the UK’s largest dog welfare charity is one of the best ways to support rescue dogs, and there is every breed of opportunity to get involved to match all manner of interests and skillsets.

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Lisa Towers, Volunteer Coordinator at Dogs Trust Ballymena, said: “Our fabulous team of volunteers are the most amazing, kind, and dedicated people I have ever met. They go above and beyond for the dogs in our care, and it simply wouldn’t be possible to achieve everything we do without them.

“That is certainly the case with Ann, who is an absolute superstar. Ann has dedicated herself to our laundry rooms. She helps train other laundry volunteers, and she is so enthusiastic about a role that is often overlooked and yet is so essential in its importance for the smooth running of the centre.

“Ann has even created her own sustainability initiative within her role. Whilst she waits for the machines to run their cycle, she is sewing up salvageable teddies, so they don’t go to landfill and cutting up ripped bedding to reuse as snuffle mats and rope toys for the dogs, which she braids by hand.

“Reaching 1,000 hours of service as a volunteer is a fantastic achievement, and we can’t thank Ann enough for her wonderful support.”

To find out more about volunteering with Dogs Trust, visit: www.dogstrust.org.uk/support-us/volunteering.

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What: Bucket list attractions, colossal sporting events and an array of natural wonders to explore

Where: The state of California, which spans over 1,000 miles of the United States’ western coastline

Don’t miss: The mind-blowing attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles, or the stunning beaches of San Diego further south

Highlight: Heading north to Monterey to see the spectacular Big Sur coastline and the captivating kelp forest at Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the tallest aquarium exhibits in the world.

Getting there: Fly direct to California gateways with Virgin Atlantic, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco

“Sleep tight angel… never forgotten”

Tributes have flooded in to remember a ‘one of a kind’ dad who was tragically found dead inside a car in Oldham. Christopher Neary, 58, was found on Monday (June 1) days after being reported as missing from his flat.

A search was launched after reports Christopher had last been seen on Lees New Road on Thursday (May 28). At the time, his family said it was believed he was travelling in his silver Ford Focus.

In a tragic update on Tuesday, Greater Manchester Police confirmed the body of man found in a car that had was found having left the carriageway on Lees New Road was that of Christopher. Police, paramedics and fire crews had first been called to the scene on Monday night to reports of the car near an embankment.

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It is not known exactly when or how the collision happened, with investigations now ongoing by the Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU). Anyone with information is being urged to contact the force, including anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage from the area, from around 6.50pm on May 28 until Monday, June 1.

Following the news, tributes were paid in posts on social media describing Christopher as ‘one of a kind’ and a ‘lovely man’. Sarah Murphy penned: “R.I.P Chris. You were a lovely man with a lovely family. Sending lots of love to them all.”

Meanwhile, Demi Leigh wrote: “RIP Chris you was one of a kind sleep tight angel never forgotten.” In another post, Gordon Haigh penned: “So sad, rest in peace Chris, my old school Buddy.”

Detective Inspector Clare Harrison, from GMP’s Oldham district, said: “Firstly, I want to extend my condolences to Christopher’s family and friends – this is a tragic outcome and I want to ensure that we provide them with the answers they deserve.

“We are working hard to establish the circumstances that led to his death – including his movements in the days preceding, and in which he was reported missing, as well as the exact cause of the collision.

“If anyone has any information they can share, I would urge them to do so. Even the smallest amount of detail could greatly benefit our investigation.”

You can contact police via 101 or the Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 3165 of 01/06/26. Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Wales took on Ghana in a friendly in front of a small crowd at the Cardiff City Stadium

Wales played out their first friendly of the summer in front of a sparse crowd against Ghana at the Cardiff City Stadium. Craig Bellamy’s side faced the Black Stars in the first of two games this week, with this clash a celebration of the Football Association Wales’ 150th anniversary.

But having missed out on qualification for the World Cup this summer, this game, which ended 1-1, was always going to be a tough sell for supporters. Read the match report here.

Indeed, the swathes of empty seats on the night firmly suggested this game had failed to capture the imagination of the Red Wall.

Officials had previously estimated around 10,000 tickets had been sold for the game.

It was later confirmed that 11,806 supporters were in attendance on the night.

Several areas of the ground were closed off on the night, including both corners of the Canton End, as well as a large section of the Grange End and the upper tier of the Ninian Stand.

Speaking ahead of the game, Wales boss Craig Bellamy, admitted he had sympathy for supporters.

“It’s a difficult period, I have to be honest,” he said.

“Don’t forget it was half term last week, this is a midweek game.

“If you’ve been with your kids for a week, I’m not sure I want to take them to a game Tuesday night and spend another two hours with them!

“So I understand quite a lot on this. But look, our Nation’s league games will be sold out.”

Ghana’s away support did, however, bring some plenty of colour and noise in the away end.

An estimated 2,000 supporters, mainly decked in yellow, turned up to back Carlos Querioz’s men, who will face Panama, England and Croatia in their group at the upcoming World Cup.

Lewis Koumas scored his first international goal to salvage Wales a 1-1 draw with World Cup-bound Ghana in Cardiff.

Substitute Caleb Yirenkyi delighted the noisy Ghanaian contingent after 66 minutes, converting from close range after the ball had stuck a post.

Ghana fans greeted Yirenkyi’s goal as if it was at the World Cup itself – possibly against group rivals England – rather than at a 33,000-capacity stadium which was around a third full.

But Koumas, sent on as a substitute on the hour, spared Wales’ blushes by nodding home a Neco Williams cross in the third minute of stoppage time.

Violence erupted as demonstrators took to the streets over the arrest of Henry Nowak as he lay dying

Officers came under attack as missiles and wheelie bins were pelted at them during a protest that erupted in connection with the Henry Nowak murder.

Violence erupted on Tuesday night (June 2) as riot police remained stationed near to the Southampton home of Henry Nowak’s killer Vickrum Digwa, who has now been convicted of murder.

The 23-year-old was jailed for life on Monday after being convicted of murdering 18-year-old Nowak as he walked back to his student accommodation last December. He was stabbed five times.

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However Digwa told police attending the scene that he had been the victim of a racist attack, with police going on to arrest Nowak as he lay dying. Body cam footage has since shown Henry repeatedly telling officers he had been stabbed as he lay dying in handcuffs.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation into the force’s response.

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The circumstances around the death which saw Mr Nowak handcuffed have seen politicians clash, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage calling for the response to be ‘pure, cold rage’. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer has said he ‘felt sick’ watching the footage and said there are ‘serious questions’ to answer about the case.

A large crowd first gathered and took part in a demonstration outside Southampton Central Police Station on Tuesday, before then moving close to the family home of Digwa in St Denys. Tensions then grew as the riot police response grew.

Chairs, cans and flares were thrown at officers in riot gear, forcing them to retreat. Videos on social media, including on X, showed violence rapidly developing, with bricks and flaming wheelie bins also hurled towards the line of officers.

Members of the protest were seen running through the streets, some bleeding, as the chaos continued. A police helicopter was filmed hovering overhead as officers were pelted with stones on the residential street.

Demonstrators were heard chanting “Henry, Henry” as the line of police clutching riot screens were pelted with the bricks, chairs and other items. Fires were also started, with some lit items placed in large waste bins that were pushed into the line of officers.

Hampshire Police said in a post on social media: “We know there has been significant commentary following the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa yesterday afternoon, and we recognise the desire for answers about the police response that night.

“However, what we cannot accept is the significant spread of misinformation online by those intent of causing further fear and division by making threats to officers and sharing names that are simply not true.

“A police officer unrelated to this case has been misidentified online and subject to death threats. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is continuing its independent investigation into our response on the night in question, following our self-referral the next day. While that progresses, we ask that people avoid harmful speculation online.”

Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, condemned tonight’s disorder in Southampton.

She said: “The scenes this evening in Portswood are completely unacceptable. The Nowak family made a powerful call to us all yesterday to not let Henry’s death be used to create further division, hatred or tension. There can be no justification for hijacking this tragedy to stir up violence and disorder. Those responsible can expect to face the full force of the law. I thank the police who have tonight shown great bravery and calm in the face of disgraceful violence directed at them.”

​Only half of secondary schools in Scarborough and Whitby achieved a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ rating for their quality of education, below a national score of 73 per cent, in 2025.

​A new report on educational standards and funding at 48 schools and academies in the Scarborough and Whitby area revealed that 77 per cent of local primary schools had a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating for their quality of education, compared to North Yorkshire’s figure of 90 per cent and a national score of 86 per cent.

​The report is set to be discussed at a meeting of the Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee on Friday, June 6.

​Half of secondary and special schools in the area were rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding for behaviour and attitudes against a national figure of 85 per cent and 89 per cent respectively. However, 92 per cent of local primary schools received top ratings, four per cent below national and regional scores.

​In the ‘personal development’ benchmark, 100 per cent of primary and special schools received top ratings, beating national ratings, while 83 per cent of local secondary schools were rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ in the category, in line with regional figures.

​Similarly, all of the 29 childcare establishments that had an Ofsted inspection in the Scarborough and Whitby Committee area were ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. The rate in North Yorkshire was 97 per cent at the same time.

​Last year, 56 per cent of children in the area achieved the expected level in reading, writing and maths, which is lower than both the North Yorkshire figure of 59 per cent and the national comparable figure of 62 per cent.

Ofsted Rating For Scarborough And Whitby Committee Area. NYC

​According to the report, North Yorkshire secondary schools are placed 142 out of 151 local authorities in terms of funding level per pupil.

​On average, a school in North Yorkshire receives £6,849 per pupil in 2025-26 compared to a national average of £7,450.

​The number of students attending schools and academies in North Yorkshire is set to decline by 3.6 per cent by the end of the decade, but the decline is not expected to be spread evenly.

​“A small number of areas in the county may experience an increase in the demand for school places whilst in other areas the decline in pupil numbers is forecast to be significantly in excess of the forecast average rate of decline,” the report states.

​The Scarborough and Whitby area includes rural areas that are served by small schools that are vital in serving their local communities.

​“Inadequate sparsity funding and general financial pressures for smaller, rural secondary schools continue to be a significant concern,” the council said.

​“The declining birth rate combined with other demographic changes means that several small schools are facing financial challenges associated with low numbers on roll.

​“In the committee area, there are examples of schools working innovatively to mitigate these challenges, including in federations.

​“The area also has areas where there is a significant amount of new housing development, including in both the north and south of Scarborough.”

(Image: Newsquest)