Annie Gouk, a journalist who writes local news stories based on statistics for regional papers up and down the country, looks at the data on dog attacks, speaking to experts to try and unpick what’s behind the increase, as well as what needs to be done to tackle the problem. Official NHS figures show that in the year to March, there were 9,277 hospital admissions where the patient had been bitten or struck by a dog. That was a record high, with the number increasing steadily since at least 1998, when figures began. Behind those numbers are people like Kayleigh, whom Annie speaks to, who have been left with life-changing injuries. The North in Numbers, in collaboration with The Northern Agenda, is a Laudable production for Reach. It is written and hosted by Annie Gouk, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s that time of year again - kids are back in the classroom, and applications for next year’s school places are opening. It can be a fraught time for many parents, with the quality of education, location of the school and a child’s friendship group all needing to be taken into consideration - and competition for secondary school places has become particularly fierce.  The latest figures from the Department for Education reveal that the problem of oversubscription - where more people put a school down as their first choice than are offered a place - is getting worse. Nearly two in three secondary schools across the north were oversubscribed this year - the highest proportion since these figures began in 2014/15, and up from closer to half at that time. In one school in the region, fewer than one in every five first-choice applicants were offered a place.   Many of these parents will have ended up sending their child to their second or third choice of secondary. However, nearly 7,000 kids across the north didn’t get into any of their preferred schools last year - the highest number on record. Annie Gouk, a data journalist who writes local news stories based on statistics for regional papers up and down the country, investigates this race for a place in our oversubscribed schools. *** The North in Numbers is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Annie Gouk, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A tsunami of fly tipping has been sweeping the North, with a spike in cases during the pandemic accelerating a trend that has been creeping up for years. The latest figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reveal nearly 310,000 incidents of fly-tipping were recorded by councils across the North in 2020/21 - the equivalent of 35 every hour.Annie Gouk investigates this scourge of illegally dumped waste in the latest episode of The North in Numbers, speaking to campaigners, councillors, and volunteers.This podcast is a Laudable production for Reach, and it is presented by Annie Gouk and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Get in touch via [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this sports special, David Dubas-Fisher is behind the mic, as he looks at the increase in popularity of non-league football in the North, specifically tiers nine and 10 of the English football pyramid.Football clubs in those tiers have a combined attendance of almost 550,000 this season with crowds increasing in recent years - particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic.David speaks to the fans involved in non-league football, including the Northern Football League's Mike Snowdon, Hallam FC's Ian Jones, and West Didsbury and Chorlton's Gray Ellwood, to find out how the pandemic has impacted the game.He also discusses how non-league clubs are supporting their communities, how the 3pm broadcast blackout affects these teams, and why football fans are turning away from professional clubs.This episode of The North in Numbers is presented by David Dubas-Fisher and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode is all about the surge in mental health issues seen across the UK in the wake of the pandemic - and the massive strain this is putting on services, with unprecedented demand and huge backlogs.We spoke to some of those who have been affected in the north - including a teenager who saw her eating disorder “blow up” during lockdown, and a young man with bipolar disorder who ended up in hospital after struggling to access treatment for his worsening symptoms - as well as experts from mental health charities, working on the front line.Written and presented by Annie Gouk and produced by Mark Magill.Mental health crisis helplines: www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/crisis-services/helplines-listening-servicesFind your local Mind: www.mind.org.uk/information-support/local-mindsBeat eating disorders helpline: 0808 801 0677 / [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The North in Numbers podcast tells the human stories behind various statistics for the north of England. In this episode - the first of series three - host Annie Gouk gets to the bottom of levelling up, speaking to policy experts and people working in some of the key areas the strategy targets. 'Levelling Up' was a strategy set out by the Conservative party in their 2019 manifesto and has huge implications for the north.However, recent polling by YouGov reveals that 74% of people don’t actually understand what “levelling up” is - including one in four people who have never even heard of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final episode of the series, host Annie Gouk takes a look at the importance of local journalism and why local news has been so vital during the pandemic in particular.Annie is joined by actor and activist Michael Sheen, Jen Williams, the Politics and Investigations Editor for the Manchester Evening News and Dion Jones, Brand Editor of the North Wales Daily Post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is all about the resurgence in gin that has led to an ongoing boom in distilleries across the north. To find out more, we spoke to industry experts, as well as gin brands and craft distillers from across the region.According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, since March 2010 the number of distilleries in the north has exploded from around 15, to closer to 125 in March 2020. Most of that growth has been seen since 2015, with the number more than quadrupling in the last five years alone.The increase in distilleries has largely been driven by a revival in the popularity of gin, dubbed the ‘ginaissance’ - with the drink overtaking whisky and more recently vodka to become the most popular spirit in the UK. Written and presented by Annie Gouk and produced by Mark Magill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re taking a look at house prices, which have been soaring during the pandemic - particularly in the north.You’ll hear from people across the region about their experiences of buying and selling in the last year, while a South Manchester real estate agent and a property expert from Zoopla offer their thoughts on what’s driving these trends - as well as giving hints and tips for people looking to buy or sell right now. Written and presented by Annie Gouk. Produced by Mark Magill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is all about the rising tide of child poverty that has been gripping the north over the last few years, while also taking a look at how the pandemic has been affecting the situation.We spoke to a single mum struggling below the breadline, a teacher who encounters the reality of child poverty in the classroom every day, as well as experts from anti-poverty charities and Trussell Trust Foodbanks, to put these shocking figures into perspective. As of March 2020, just before Covid-19 hit, there were estimated to be 1.1 million children living in poverty across the North. That was up by around 300,000 children compared to March 2015.It means that in the five years before the pandemic, the proportion of children living below the breadline had risen from 28% to 33% - affecting one in every three northern kids.Written and presented by Annie Gouk and produced by Mark Magill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices