June 2025 press releases

A man with white hair does his finances with a calculator

Costs for minimum retiree needs have fallen while moderate and comfortable standards see modest rises

The latest update of the Retirement Living Standards (RLS) shows a decrease in the cost of the minimum retirement lifestyle, down to £21,600 per year for a two-person household, due to the impact of lower energy prices and changes in the public’s expectations for this standard.
The nanoscale violin under a microscope

Loughborough University physicists create ‘the world’s smallest violin’ using nanotechnology

Physicists at Loughborough University have used cutting-edge nanotechnology to create what they believe may be ‘the world’s smallest violin’, which is small enough to fit within the width of a human hair.
Dr Rob Harland, Professor Mike Wilson and Dr Catherine Rees are sat together on a bench outside.

Loughborough Professor becomes UNESCO’s first-ever Chair in Storytelling

Loughborough University’s Professor Mike Wilson has been appointed as UNESCO’s first ever Chair in Storytelling Education for Sustainability.
Picture of a young girl in a blue coat

Majority of MPs represent constituencies where one in four children are in poverty

As the UK grapples with record child poverty rates, new analysis from Loughborough University shows two thirds of MPs represent constituencies where at least one in four children are in poverty.

HMRC website and a pen and letter

“Recent cyber attacks weren’t purely technical failures, they started with people, processes, and misplaced trust” – Cyber Security expert comments on run of high-profile online attacks

HMRC revealed yesterday that more than 100,000 taxpayer accounts had been compromised, as cyber criminals stole more than £47 million through fraudulent tax rebates. While the tax authority managed to secure the accounts, meaning no taxpayer’s money was lost, the incident highlights how susceptible to organised fraud large organisations can be.

People stood in a line wearing military boots and camo trousers

UK looks to military gap years to boost recruitment in the face of growing geopolitical tension

An opinion piece written by Professor Sarah Mills, from the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, for the Conversation platform:

A group of students are walking past the Hazelrigg Building on the Loughborough University campus.

Complete University Guide 2026: Loughborough celebrates a decade amongst the UK’s top ten universities

Loughborough has been ranked seventh in the Complete University Guide 2026 – out of 130 institutions.
Lots of industrial chimneys releasing CO2 in the sky

Firms that emit more carbon face higher costs, reduced investor confidence, and greater financial instability

A new international study has found a strong link between carbon emissions and corporate financial instability.
A man on his smartphone

New national benchmark reveals what UK households need to be digitally included in 2025

A new report has set out a national benchmark for what UK households need to feel digitally included in 2025.
ornament houses on a table

"Housing investment needs to be backed up by concrete detail about delivery, rather than this investment simply delivering more ‘affordable’ housing, which is anything but for many households."

Rachel Reeves unveiled billions for social and affordable housing in today's Spending Review (11 June 2025), in what some are calling 'the biggest cash injection for affordable housing in half a century'.

two men shaking hands

Loughborough University and Army Sport forge new partnership

Loughborough University and Army Sport have announced a new strategic partnership designed to enhance high-performance sporting opportunities for Army personnel.
3 children sat working together at school

“Parents’ understanding of their children is often belittled and children are rarely asked what they need" - Loughborough expert argues need to fully focus on children's rights in SEND system reform

As part of this week’s Spending Review (June 25), Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed over £1bn in support for children's social care and the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. Of this, £760m will go towards making the SEND system "more inclusive and improve outcomes for all children and young people."
A florist stands behind a table of flowers in his shop

The UK’s small businesses should be fuelling the country’s growth ambitions. Here’s why that’s not happening

The UK government’s spending review has set out its priorities for the next three years. But behind the rhetoric about boosting growth lies growing concern about small businesses being locked out of the wider UK economy. Government funding and regulation are increasingly out of step with the reality of micro-enterprises and sole traders, shutting off their potential to boost GDP growth.
A child in a red top with a pencil working on a piece of paper

Nine-year-olds in England sit timed multiplication test – but using times tables is about more than quick recall

An opinion piece by Professor Camilla Gilmore and Natasha Guy, of Loughborough University's Department of Mathematics Education, and Professor Lucy Cragg, of the University of Nottingham.
A child holding a selection of LEGO bricks

LEGO improves maths and spatial ability in the classroom - new findings

Incorporating LEGO building blocks into the daily teaching curriculum can improve children’s maths and spatial ability, a study has found.
Christ the Redeemer watches over Rio Je Janeiro

Loughborough University scholar awarded prestigious ERC grant for groundbreaking youth research across the Global South

A Loughborough University London academic has been awarded €2.4m in European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant funding to launch a major international research project that will explore how young people across the Global South navigate uncertainty and push for change.

A block of flats in London

Families with children in London can no longer count on having access to social housing

A new report from the Minimum Income Standard (MIS) London programme reveals that, for the first time since research began in 2014, it can no longer be assumed that families with children will have access to social housing – a shift that has significant implications for the cost of living and the adequacy of social support in the capital.
dr anthony papathomas sitting down

Expert comment: disordered eating in athletes (VIDEO)

From the outside looking in, athletes often appear to be the pinnacle of physical health. But behind the podium places, victory laps, and trophy lifts, a less visible struggle can often be found.  
Traditional fuel cooking giving off polluting smoke

Zambia runs on mostly green power, but households use polluting cooking fuel: study suggests how to fix this

Zambia, like many African countries, is facing a crisis over clean cooking fuel. Over 80% of the population still relies on polluting fuels like charcoal and firewood. This exposes families to toxic indoor air, deepens poverty and gender inequality, drives deforestation, and adds to climate change.