Manchester homelessness groups join over 60 others across the country to call for additional funds for local authorities to permanently eradicate homelessness, as Manchester City Council tells The Meteor it needs ‘greater financial support’ from the government to keep people off the streets. Five frontline homelessness groups and charities operating in Manchester have joined more […]
Covid-19: April unemployment rates indicate Manchester has been hit hard
Manchester ranks high on unemployment created by Covid-19 in April 2020. Northern cities and towns have taken the biggest hit economically during the pandemic, exacerbating the already substantial north-south divide. Unemployment, caused by Covid-19, has hit Manchester and nine other northern cities the hardest according to a regional analysis by the Centre for Cities. Using […]
ACORN will fight to ensure there are no Covid-19 evictions
ACORN tenants union in Manchester are fighting against the threatened ejection of homeless people housed in hotels and the growing threat of eviction for private renters burdened with growing rent arrears due to lockdown. They have put together six key demands to create a healthier housing system nationally and are petitioning Greater Manchester councils to […]
Covid-19 and me: my experience
Anti-poverty activist and journalist Charlotte Hughes, explains the experiences and the problems she encountered when she came down with Covid-19 and why she feels that the government let her down. Charlotte, who has previously interviewed Ken Loach, questions the motivations behind government decisions and how it affects the poor. Whilst I haven’t had a test […]
The Covid-19 crisis offers opportunities to create a better world – can we seize them?
Video of online debate discussing the big issues around the Covid-19 crisis. A pandemic that has shook the world and destabilized the status quo. What will take its place? Five panelists from Manchester shared a wealth of knowledge and ideas at this debate, which asked the question: The Covid-19 crisis offers opportunities to create a […]
Campaigners call on Greater Manchester councils to rethink their £250m financial aid package for Manchester Airport
Greater Manchester councils agreed to provide a finance package of more than £250m to Manchester Airport Group to alleviate the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the airport. Open letter signed by eleven organisations asks the Greater Manchester Combined Authority council to reconsider their decision. An open letter addressed to the ten borough councils of […]
Food for all – could we come out of this with a bold plan to combat hunger?
This pandemic has shown how communities can effectively redistribute food, but what happens next? Guest article from Manchester Confidentials The National Food Service is a campaign group with food hall branches across the country. Expanding that network, they say, will be instrumental to tackling hunger post-lockdown. Instead of expensive restaurants for some and food banks […]
Beyond charity: Greater Manchester’s mutual aid response to coronavirus
Like Toto in the Wizard of OZ, the coronavirus crisis has pulled back the curtain to reveal the inner workings of our society. The precarity of the vulnerable and how many of us are much closer to that vulnerability than we realised. The new light has revealed who’s work is truly essential and how deeply […]
Controversial plans for Hulme student flats given green light under delegated powers
Despite calls to reinstate the council planning committee, plans for student accommodation in Hulme were approved by the chief executive. Councillors and campaigners say the council’s emergency arrangements for the coronavirus crisis are undemocratic, with locals feeling excluded and threatening legal action. Last week, Manchester City Council’s chief executive approved controversial plans for a nine-storey […]
The new coronavirus Neighbourhood Watch
Whilst spreading the ‘stay at home’ message, our news outlets have also been flooding us with images of people in parks and outside, fueling widespread suspicion and mistrust throughout communities. Police have reported an increase in calls and groups set up for mutual aid are being inundated with videos and pictures of neighbours playing in […]