Local wellbeing organisation Healthy Me Healthy Communities are showcasing their latest project in an online film launch today, and are asking communities across Manchester to share their ideas on what community action could be taken next. Access to the full film available via this article. Healthy Me Healthy Communities, a Manchester based social enterprise, are […]
Four international journalists, who graduated in Manchester, report on their Covid-19 lockdown experiences
Four International Students who graduated at Manchester Metropolitan University discuss the impact of Covid-19 around the world, finding many similarities and a shocking tendency for misinformation and conspiracy theories to spread faster than Covid-19. Four friends from four different countries all graduated as Journalists in Manchester. We may now be living worlds apart, but we […]
Wythenshawe-based domestic abuse charity providing help to victims during coronavirus crisis
There has been a suspected spike in domestic abuse during lockdown. Safe Spots charity stresses that women can still get help during this time and are taking donations in order to be able to continue providing help. First published in The Northern Quota, 20 April 2020 Concerns have been raised about the potential rise of […]
Street Meet soup kitchen reports increased demand for food during lockdown, and not just from Manchester’s homeless
Volunteers running an outdoor soup kitchen in city centre Manchester are reporting increased demand for food during the pandemic lockdown. People using the kitchen include many of the temporarily housed homeless, those still sleeping on the streets, the working poor and those struggling to survive on welfare payments. A band of volunteers responsible for outdoor […]
Locked down in Peru: social media mobilisation brings back Manchester student
The journey of a lifetime for Sophie was brought to a grinding halt by the pandemic. She credits a social media campaign for spurring the UK government into action, who had initially failed to offer any support to her and the hundreds of other Britons stranded in Peru. Just three weeks into a six month […]
Don’t let the coronavirus crisis usher in chlorinated chicken – and worse!
The UK and US trade deal negotiations are still underway, aiming to be finished for the end of the Brexit transition period with the EU in December. Campaigners in Manchester are determined to oppose the introduction of chlorinated chicken and continue the fight for the UK to keep its higher standards in farming and food […]
Businesses are struggling, the government’s schemes are not working and the UK economy is about to disappear
Political economist Richard Murphy believes the UK government’s business support scheme will fail to help many small and medium size enterprises survive the coronavirus crisis, and points to Europe for a workable solution. In Greater Manchester, in 2017, there were 100,510 firms fitting into the small and medium sized enterprise band, employing 1,166,740 people. I […]
Supporting vulnerable communities in Manchester during the coronavirus crisis
Four organisations supporting vulnerable communities in Manchester speak of the difficulties they are facing in carrying out their work due to the coronavirus crisis Disadvantaged and marginalised communities in Manchester face hardships at the best of times. Organisations offering help to these communities usually top up government support with charitable contributions from the public. With […]
The experience of isolation
The UK has been in lockdown for almost two weeks, and some have been self-isolating for longer. This personal account of life in isolation reflects on the experience, and some of the unexpected benefits, of such a drastic change in our lifestyles. Last week, I left my house for the first time in fourteen days. […]
Trio take over Manchester planning decisions
The coronavirus lockdown means that council planning decisions will be delegated to a small team of council officers and not subject to scrutiny by a full planning committee. The power to decide on major Manchester planning applications has now been delegated to council chief executive Joanne Roney, alongside chair of the planning committee Cllr Basil […]