We Invented the Weekend is a bold and unmissable FREE festival taking place at MediaCity and Salford Quays on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th June.

The brand-new two-day culture-led event in Salford will see festivalgoers getting involved in all sorts of activities and at its core, celebrate differences in how people spend their leisure time, situated where the weekend was originally invented in Greater Manchester, 1843.

The weekend was invented when Salford Lyceum director and workers’ rights activist Robert Lowes (also Sir Ian McKellen’s Great Great Grandfather) campaigned to win mill workers the right to leisure time on Saturday afternoons. In this triumph, Greater Manchester gave an enormous gift to the world and We Invented the Weekend will honour this, in true style, celebrating leisure time, free time, quality time, and me-time.

We Invented the Weekend will take place across both MediaCity and Salford Quays, including a main stage on MediaCity’s main piazza, satellite stages and a dedicated BBC stage across the festival site, activities on the water and a whole host of indoor spaces, including the newly announced Central Bay waterfront food and drink destination.

Across the two-day weekender CBeebies Bedtime Stories LIVE will descend onto MediaCity and delight children of all ages, with festival guests and celebrities reading stories. BBC Children’s will continue to spark attention at We Invented the Weekend with everyone’s favourite CBBC and CBeebies’ stars making an appearance on the festival main stage.

We Invented the Weekend will also be hosting the first ever Junior Art Battle Manchester, where young artists will compete in live painting competitions to be named champion. In a world-first, the event will take place in The Lowry theatre and gallery complex, which sits in the heart of Salford Quays, named after the early 20th century-painter L.S. Lowry. Young artists will take part in the Junior Art Battle Manchester in the Compass Room, which sits adjacent to the historic L.S. Lowry collection.

Community Clothing, an ethical clothing brand based in the North, will be leading a swap shop over the two day weekend, whilst their founder and presenter of BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee, Patrick Grant will join Wayne Hemingway MBE to discuss sustainable fashion and the history of the local textile industry, paying tribute to the Greater Manchester workers who fought for our right to have Saturday’s off*.

The festival will also be hosting over 100 ‘We Get Creative Workshops’ delivered by talented designer makers from the region. The workshops will be welcoming, age inclusive and free to join. As part of an extensive set of workshops designed to boost creativity and positive emotions, festivalgoers can expect Hot Bed Press – a workshop designed for attendees to create their own designed tote bag. Ghetto Fabulous will also host a workshop aimed at teaching the whole family how to ‘werk’ the runway and pull a picture-perfect pose. Manchester Street Poem will create a giant participatory artwork to describe what the weekend means to festival goers.

At The Lowry, a key partner of We Invented the Weekend, there will be a whole host of activities as part of the ‘We Get Creative Workshops’ organised by the festival, including Lowry by The Lowry, which will allow the whole family to let loose with the paintbrushes in the iconic setting. Local Goggleboxer, Helena Worthington will host the experience in true Salfordian style.

From a musical perspective, the powerhouse of North West talent and fronted by Pops Robert, Lovescene will be making an appearance as part of the ‘We Get Creative Performances’ as well as an unmissable Unity Radio Mainstage takeover, SFTOQuays brought to the festival by local heroes Sounds From The Other City and Get Your Docks Off musical themed boat trips on the ship canal. ‘Playhouse Project’ are also set to get the whole family going with soulful house, rare funk and broken beats on the MediaCity weekend stage, amongst a plethora of other DJ sets across the site.

Wayne Hemingway MBE, co-founder of the We Invented the Weekend festival, said:

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“We Invented the Weekend is the first festival of its kind which celebrates free time in its unrivalled and universal joyous form. The festival represents an opportunity for everyone to come together and enjoy an ambitious, nationally significant free and inclusive event. The art of ‘Try Outs’ is at the core of the festival; it’s about experiencing something new and inspiring and seeing how others celebrate their weekend. Boxing or box sets, arts and crafts or dinner and drinks – whatever free time means to you, we’ll have it here. We can’t wait to welcome our audience in June.”

Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett also, said:

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“The people of Salford have always had a strong sense of togetherness and pride in their communities and our city. We have a distinct identity and a passion for what we do here. The idea that We Invented the Weekend is a unique celebration of the city, its people and our progressiveness as a place that has never allowed the status quo to define who and what we are, whilst also acknowledging that the welfare of the people is the highest law in all we do. I’m not only proud to be supporting this festival, but I’m excited to experience everything that will be taking place. There’s no better way to celebrate our city and enjoy the weekend than with friends, family, neighbours and loved ones and so I’d urge everyone to come and join us for a fantastic weekend celebrating the Spirit of Salford.”

We Invented the Weekend will take place 3rd – 4th June in MediaCity and Salford Quays and is expected to attract more than 150,000 people to the area. More information can be found here.

A new official podcast from the University of Salford will celebrate the achievements and bring wider recognition of our outstanding alumni.

Talking Salford is a new staff-student venture that will feature in-depth interviews with some of the University’s most interesting alumni as they dig deep into their time at Peel Park and learn how it set them up for their careers.

The fortnightly series is recorded in the recording studios of the New Adelphi Building and in the radio studios at the MediaCity campus. The production is a collaboration between staff and students with the series’ first four episodes produced and edited by current Salford students.

Each episode is also filmed and will be available to watch in full via the University’s official YouTube channel with all episodes edited and shot by current students.

Hannah Burchell, Director of Communications, Marketing and External Relations at the University of Salford, said:

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“The University of Salford has some outstanding alumni and this new podcast will act as an innovative way to bring their stories to life and showcase the fantastic career that a degree at Salford can unlock.

“We are very excited to be launching this new staff-student venture that will not just showcase the quality and range of what you can study here at Salford but also provide our current, former and even future students with the unique opportunity to hear how some of our top graduates found success in their chosen fields.”

 

Over the series, the podcast will interview members of our alumni community from across the University’s four schools over the last few decades, covering the creative industries, politics, business, economics, science, health and society.

The first guest is freelance journalist and neurodiversity consultant, Nick Ransom, who discusses how he coped with finding out he was autistic in his second year at Salford and why he formed the 900-member strong Neurodiversity Media Community after graduating.

The Talking Salford podcast will be available every other Friday on all podcast platforms including Spotify, Acast, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music. The first episode can be listened to here.

Greater Manchester, 2 June 2023 - KFC and UK Youth have officially launched new youth employability programme in Greater Manchester following its pilot last year. The ‘Hatch’ programme aims to help 16-24 year olds, who have faced barriers to employment, to build their work skills, confidence and land their first job, as new research reveals the cost of living has significantly worsened work and training opportunities for young people in Greater Manchester.

Working with UK Youth to identify young people most in need, the ‘Hatch’ programme will offer participants 1-2-1 training, support, and practical work experience, with an interview at KFC on graduation.

The rollout of the programme in Greater Manchester comes as new research from KFC and UK Youth reveals the stark impact the cost-of-living crisis has had on young people’s employment outlook in Greater Manchester. This follows the recent release of Office for National Statistics NEET figures which show that 770,000 young people are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) across the UK - higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Seven in ten (70%) of young people in Greater Manchester say the cost-of-living crisis has increased barriers to finding employment, as a half (52%) of employers in Greater Manchester say they are more likely to hire people with more experience, due to the current economic climate.

The research lays bare the impact the cost-of-living crisis is having, not just on young people’s immediate job and training opportunities, but also on their confidence and longer-term employment outlook.

Over a third (35%) of young people in Greater Manchester feel anxious about their employment, training and education prospects, a rise compared with last year. One in four (24%) of Greater Manchester’s young people say they do not feel confident about the future, with this figure rising to 27% when asked how they feel about finding a job in the next 5 years.

For employers in Greater Manchester the difficult economic climate means hiring young people has taken a backseat to other priorities.  Increasingly, employers in Greater Manchester were found to be reducing training and development opportunities available for young people in a bid to reduce costs: over a third (39%) of employers in Greater Manchester say they are less able to invest in upskilling young people now, while only half (51%) of employers in Greater Manchester now offer mentoring for young people.

Nonetheless, employers in Greater Manchester recognise the important role they can play in supporting young people into employment, as 88% believe that employers have a responsibility to help young people into the workforce and 90% say they want to do more to help them develop their skills.

Both employers (87%) and young people (71%) in Greater Manchester agree that the Government needs to do more to help young people into employment and support businesses to hire and train the next generation of talent. Following the pilot of the Hatch programme in Greater Manchester, it is essential more is done to support local young people into employment.

To help reduce the barriers young people face across the UK, KFC and UK Youth are calling on government to work more closely with businesses to ensure young people are being equipped with the skills that will help them thrive in the workplace. They are also calling for a joined-up strategy that brings together businesses with local authorities, job centres and youth work organisations to better connect young people with job and training opportunities in their local area. 

By 2030, KFC aims for a third of all new hires into KFC to be young people, aged between 16 and 24, who have faced barriers to employment - whether that’s because of social, economic, domestic or mental health challenges, coming through the Hatch programme. 

Meg Farren, General Manager, KFC UK & Ireland, said:

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“Young people today are facing greater challenges than ever before. The pandemic took away crucial skills and career development opportunities – now, they’re faced with a cost-of-living crisis and an uncertain economy, making it that much harder to land their first job. 

“As one of the biggest youth employers in the country, we see first-hand how difficult it is for young people to build the skills and experience they need to enter the world of work in today’s economic climate. This is further exacerbated for those who have faced issues such as being excluded from education or formal training opportunities.

“There are buckets of talent across the UK, but all too often young people are cut out of accessing opportunities. That needs to change. That’s why we’re excited to be bringing our employability programme Hatch in Manchester, to invest in the next generation and help unlock the potential of those who’ve faced barriers to employment. Working with UK Youth, Hatch will help young people in Greater Manchester to build their skills, confidence and land their first job.”

 

Jacob Diggle, Director of Strategy, Research and Impact at UK Youth, said:

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“The lingering effects of the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis are having a damaging impact on the employment prospects of young people. We cannot ignore the concerns of the next generation as they attempt to enter the world of work – their success is crucial to the success of our economy and our country.

“Youth work can play a huge part in tackling the rise in youth unemployment. However, these life changing services are under strain and need more support – as highlighted by our cost of living campaign. The partnership between youth work and businesses is vital to meeting the scale of need. We are proud that our Hatch programme with KFC will help thousands of disadvantaged young people develop the confidence and skills they need to secure stable employment.”

 

Kofowolora Ibitola Patrick, recent Graduate of the Hatch programme in Manchester, said:

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“Unlike many of my friends, I chose not to go to university, but I soon found that finding my first job came with lots of challenges. I was really struggling and felt a lot of pressure to find work when the Hatch programme came along at just the right time.

I’ve felt really supported throughout my experience and everyone I’ve met has been friendly and welcoming. The programme has improved my problem-solving skills and patience, as well as broader employability skills that have made me more confident about my future. Now, I’m continuing to enjoy my KFC journey and look forward to what opportunities lie ahead!"

 

Since piloting Hatch in Manchester city centre last year, 80 young people have successfully graduated from the programme, with more than 50% finding full time employment as a result. By 2024, KFC is aiming to have upskilled 1,100 young people, ensuring they’re ready for future work, training or education through the Hatch programme.

Mind in Salford – To raise money and awareness for mental health services.

Mind in Salford’s Project Development Manager, Sam, and a group of others with lived experience of mental health issues are embarking on a 128 mile journey from Newcastle to Manchester 13th-16th July, 2023. Sam and the group will be walking to fundraise for Mind in Salford. When Sam first participated in this walk during September 2017, he found himself in a really difficult place mentally. Now, 6 years later, he’s in a much better place thanks to both statutory services and charities like Mind in Salford. To mark this journey, he wants to go back to where it all started.

A Word from The Great North Walkers:

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“If it hadn't been for statutory mental health services and charities like Mind in Salford some of us, and many other people, would no longer be here. The opportunity to work on our mental health has quite literally been instrumental to survival for some of us; help Mind in Salford to help more people do the same.”

To learn more, visit https://www.mindinsalford.org.uk/the-walk/

The itinerary for The Walk is as follows:

·       Newcastle to Dalton-on-Tees, 36 miles, 13 July

·       Dalton-on-Tees to Kettlewell, 35 miles, 14 July

·       Kettlewell to Hebden Bridge, 33 miles, 15 July

·       Hebden Bridge to Manchester, 24 miles, 16 July

Many people in Salford, like Sam, have experienced mental health issues. According to current statistics, 50% of Salford residents are concerned about their mental health (Salford City Council). With fundraising support for The Walk, Mind in Salford can continue the journey toward better mental health for the people of Salford. Donate here.

A 39-year-old man from the Salford area has been sentenced to 20 years in prison at Manchester Crown Court today (Thursday 1 June 2023) after committing a number of offences against a girl under the age of 18.

Michael Jolly (02/04/1984) pleaded guilty to 20 charges of rape and one count of attempted rape on 8 November 2022.

Detective Constable Neil Rothwell, of GMP’s Child Protection Investigation Unit, said:

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“Jolly’s crimes are truly awful and it is pleasing to see he is now behind bars where he can no longer harm children.

“I must thank the victim and their family for having the strength to come forward. Without their courage, we would not have been able to conduct this investigation and get the result we’ve got today.

“We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault, or knows someone who has, to get in touch with GMP. We will always listen to you and investigate all allegations.”

 

If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police, or a support agency so you can get the help and support available.

- Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Manchester provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to men, women and children who live or have been sexually assaulted within Greater Manchester. They offer forensic medical examinations, practical and emotional support as well as a counselling service for all ages. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and can be accessed by calling 0161 276 6515.

- Greater Manchester Rape Crisis is a confidential information, support and counselling service run by women for women over 18 who have been raped or sexually abused at any time in their lives. Call on 0161 273 4500 or email help@manchesterrapecrisis.co.uk

- Survivors Manchester provides specialist trauma informed support to male victims in Greater Manchester who have experienced sexual abuse, rape or sexual exploitation. Call 0161 236 2182.

SALFORD students were offered an enriching tour of a live construction site, thanks to a collaboration between Lovell Partnerships and City Skills – part of the Salford City College Group.

The event provided electrical students with an up-close look at the construction processes and the opportunity to gain invaluable insights. Held at Lovell Partnerships' Pendleton site, Spinners Quarter, students were given a unique hands-on experience helping to further enhance their understanding of real-world applications.

One of the primary objectives of the tour was to foster an environment where the students could engage with the onsite team and gain valuable knowledge. Lovell staff members were present throughout the tour, enthusiastically sharing their expertise and answering the students' questions about the construction processes. This direct interaction created an exceptional learning environment, empowering the students with insights into the practical aspects of their chosen field.

Chris Griffiths, work experience and employability coordinator at City Skills, said:

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"The site tour has been an incredibly valuable experience for our electrical students, getting them out of the classroom and into a live construction site. We are grateful to Lovell Partnerships for offering such enriching experiences to our students."

Lovell Partnerships has a longstanding commitment to supporting educational initiatives and nurturing the next generation of industry professionals. The company recognises the importance of bridging the gap between academia and industry, ensuring that students have exposure to real-world scenarios. The site tour with Pendleton College exemplifies Lovell’s dedication to fostering talent and promoting learning beyond the classroom.

Laura Taylor, community engagement manager, said:

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"Engaging with students and offering them direct experiences is crucial for their professional development, so we were more than happy to collaborate with Pendleton College for this site tour. We hope that this tour has inspired the students and provided them with valuable insights that will shape their future careers in the construction industry."

The Spinners Quarter development – delivered by Lovell Together, a joint venture between Lovell Partnerships and Together Housing Group – is part of the Pendleton Project, one of Greater Manchester’s biggest regeneration schemes. Named in honour of the area’s rich textile milling heritage, the site revives an under-utilised area of Salford with a new community of 127 energy efficient and affordable homes. 

A parent and children group based in a local church has secured a £1,000 donation from Persimmon.

Connect Parent and Child project, located less than two miles from Persimmon’s North West regional office in Urmston, has received the donation after applying for funding to Persimmon’s Community Champions scheme.

The donation will help cover the running costs for the church’s Connect Parent and Child project. Connect provides a safe space for parents to connect with other local parents. The group, established in January 2015, supports parents of babies and children between 0-5 years of age.

Since 2021, CONNECT has facilitated mental health and well-being sessions for mothers and babies under 12 months. After a successful pilot, the church is looking to expand the service to offer ‘Dads Connect’, a session aimed at dads, grandads and male carers, helping them to build connections and stronger relationships with others in the Stretford community, improving their mental wellbeing.

The monthly sessions, facilitated at Sevenways Methodist Church, will take place on a Saturday morning and incorporate storytelling, sensory activities, singing and child-led play.

Persimmon has donated over £1.5 million to charities, community groups and local organisations nationwide via its Community Champions scheme over the last two years. Donations of up to £6,000 are available to local community and charitable groups every quarter, with applications received via the Community Champions website.  

Jo Stockton, Session Facilitator for Dads Connect, said:

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“Dads Connect aims to build connections and stronger relationships among dads in the Stretford community and surrounds, with children 0-5 years. The monthly sessions, facilitated at Sevenways Methodist Church, take place on a Saturday morning and incorporate story-telling, sensory activities, singing and child-led play.

“Dads don’t get as many opportunities to connect with other parents and build a group of supporting families as mums do; the funding from Persimmon will help us to provide more sessions for local dads and continue our work to help reduce feelings of isolation and improve mental wellbeing amongst local families.”

 

Karl Wiseman, Deputy Regional Chairman at Persimmon, said:

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“Through our Community Champions scheme, Persimmon is committed to making a difference to the people in communities local to where we operate.

“The importance of mental health is something which can’t be understated and is extremely important to us at Persimmon. In 2019, Persimmon signed the Building Mental Health charter to raise awareness and improve mental health in the home building industry.

“Therefore, it’s pleasing to support Sevenways Methodist Church and their Dad’s Connect initiative, which will have a genuine impact on the mental health of people in the local area.”

 

Today Carl and I visited Salford CVS based in Eccles to discuss how Salford Media can go further with our community reporting and help required, regarding community grants, office space etc with Jeremy Engineer a Development Officer there, who couldn't have been both more useful and friendly to us.

I mentioned that the old Eccles Magistrates Court which was established in 1890 was once housed in the Eccles Town Hall building and was delighted when he told us that their main office was housed in one of the Court rooms and would we like a tour?

It was wonderful to walk around the empty court and marvel at the mahogany wood panelling, huge doors, the benches in the public gallery complete with original graffiti!, the press bench, the ornate decorated ceiling and most of all the prisoners dock, accessed by a flight of stairs from the cells below with it's cast iron railings to deter felons from leaping over and escaping.

The court closed in the mid 1990s and cases were transferred to Salford Magistrates Court in Bexley Square, that too has closed and is now apartments.

Many people will have memories of Eccles Court and it's proceedings, I do know that several friends of mine would sit in the public gallery on a Monday morning and watch the goings on shall we say, and more often than not familiar faces would appear before the Magistrates.

Obviously I have to mention that this court room has been used several times for filming television shows and most notably in March 1998 when an episode of Coronation Street saw Deidre Rachid sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for her alleged part in a fraud, which led to a public outcry in the newspapers, remember, "Free The Weatherfield One", campaign?  which even politicians voiced their opinions...

Once again many thanks to Jeremy for allowing us access to take photographs of this magnificent building, it certainly made my day!

A Swinton teenager was made a VIP guest at the official opening of a new playground after she complained about the loss of the previous one.

Ciara was eight when the old wooden playground at Campbell Road had to be removed on safety grounds and she was so angry she wrote to Salford City Council to complain.

Now a brand-new playground has been installed, thanks to Section 106 funds from a nearby development and Ciara, 13, was invited to help cut the ribbon to officially open it.

Councillor Barbara Bentham, lead member for environment, neighbourhoods, sports and leisure, said:  “It was a hard decision to remove the old playground, but it had to go on safety grounds. We couldn’t put children at risk of being injured.

“It was always our plan to reinstate it and we remembered Ciara’s letter so we thought now that has been done, the least we could do was to invite her to officially re-open it.”

Mum Janine, who runs her own decluttering and organising company said Ciara and her younger sister Emilia, now 11, were both very upset when the playground was removed.

“They loved playing on it and went virtually every day and at weekends,” she said.

“We’d organised a litter pick and Ciara had played a big part in that so she was really annoyed that the playground had gone when she’d worked hard to tidy up the area. She wrote a letter to the council and sent a drawing of a man chopping the playground down with a big X through it.

“We had a meeting with councillors and they explained why and that it would be replaced and then suddenly the fence went up and the playground was going in.

“It’s lovely to see the children playing on it again and hear the laughs and giggles. Ciara and Emilia still go there and really enjoy it and she was over the moon when she found out she was officially re-opening it.”

Two Salix Homes tower blocks have been transformed, with the creation of new communal gardens complete with growing areas, wildflower meadows and new seating areas for residents.

Arthur Millwood Court and Canon Hussey Court, in Islington, are in full bloom after undergoing major landscape and architectural work that offers residents and visitors a relaxing place to take time and enjoy the natural surroundings, designed to be a calming green space in the middle of inner-city Salford.

Some of the green spaces are designed to be wild gardens to encourage wildlife, insects and butterflies, leaving green areas to grow naturally also aids in reducing carbon in the atmosphere, promoting biodiversity and helping to make a healthier environment.

Salix Homes are committed to improving homes and communities across Salford, and this latest investment in the outdoor area at the two tower blocks aims to aid well-being and provides residents with much-needed outdoor space to catch up with friends and take some time out.

Construction partners Truline created new block paving outside each of the main entrances, with a walkway leading to benches to encourage residents to spend time outdoors – as little as 15 minutes connecting with nature has been proven to help reduce stress and anxiety.

There is a new covered bin store built with sustainability and the environment in mind, with a living roof of grass and wildflowers, all part of Salix Homes’ net zero ambitions and helping towards being an environmentally conscious housing provider.

Raised beds have also been constructed to encourage residents and visitors with limited mobility to enjoy some gardening such as planting herbs, vegetables and flowers. The planting areas also have benches built into the design to encourage tenant groups to work together and socialise.

Liam Turner, Executive Director of Assets, Growth and Sustainability at Salix Homes, said:

“It’s really important as a housing provider that we think about customer well-being and being able to offer peaceful, back-to-nature places in the middle of an urban environment is an important part of city living. Pleasant and welcoming communal garden areas are a great way to help tackle isolation and promote a healthier lifestyle, by taking some time to connect with nature and enjoy the sights and sounds. The feedback from tenants has been really positive and we look forward to seeing the benefits these new outdoor facilities bring to the community.”

Rob Smyth, Truline Construction Manager is delighted with the results, he said: “We have enjoyed collaborating with our supply chain partners to design and build the landscaping works for Salix Homes at Canon Hussey Court and Arthur Millwood Court. It is rewarding to receive such high praise from our client partners and the residents who can relax in the peaceful areas created by our talented teams and partners.  We have also been able to assist the wider community with our social value commitments by renovating a local community garden.”

Police say that Jake Vaughan (23/12/1994) of Wood Lane, Worsley has been charged with the following offences as the result of an investigation into a report of a disturbance on Manchester Road, Swinton at around 6:50pm on Saturday 27 May 2023.

Section 18 assault causing grievous bodily harm

Possession of a bladed article

Driving whilst disqualified

Driving a motor vehicle on the road otherwise in accordance without a license

Using a motor vehicle without third party insurance

He was remanded in custody ahead of an appearance at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Tuesday 30 May 2023.

Some £3.7million is to be spent on improvements to Salford’s roads and footways in the next 12 months in a bid to drive down legal claims for vehicle damage and pedestrian injuries.

The cash comes from the city council’s capital allocation from the Department for Transport for the Highways Investment Programme (HIP) for the year ahead as legal claims for damaged vehicles soared to above 40 claims last year and personal injuries climbed to nearly 60 from almost zero.

Town hall bosses implemented a ‘network recovery plan’ in 2009/10 in a bid to arrest the deterioration of the highways.

But since 2016/17 the authority has been consistently awarded less than it has bid for under the HIP.

It has asked for a total of £32.6m since then, but has received just short of £20m in that time.

However, for the first time in the last seven years, Salford has now to received £3.7m – the amount it requested.

The allocation is being carved up into £2.5m for carriageway refurbishment and resurfacing and £1.2m for repairs to surfaces on footways and kerbing.

A report to the Property and Regeneraion Briefing meeting said the number of legal claims against the city council fell when the HIP was fully funded, before 2010.

“This is a direct consequence of the investment made,” it said. “However, it should be noted that in the last 12 months there has been a significant increase in the number of claims received by the council and while the value of payouts has slightly increased, not all claims are settled in year.

“The number of accident claims has begun to rise in the last three years which is a result of the deterioration of the network brought about by lower funding levels.”

It said that investing in the footways would lead to ‘better equality outcomes’ as footways will become safer, particularly for the elderly, infirm and those with mobility difficulties.

“Safer footways shall in turn produce a reduction in accident claims and a reduction in the number of reactive works orders issued over time,” the report continued.

“This is provided that investment levels are maintained at the £1.2m required for footways to remain at an overall steady state condition.”

A key element of the city council’s approach are cycle lanes, the report said. “Cycle lanes will see a major shift in the way people will move around our city and the greater conurbation,” it said. “It is appropriate that this is reflected within the way the highways are managed. The likelihood of risk of injury to a cyclist is far greater than the risk of damage to a victle from defects in the carriageway.”

More than 200 footways and nearly 400 roads across the entire city have been earmarked for improvement.

It has been agreed that the deputy city mayor Coun Tracy Kelly approves the proposed programme of work for the HIP for 2023/24.

Last night Carl and I ventured into Irlam, more specifically The Club House at Boysnope Wharf to see Manchester United legend Sammy McIlroy talking about his career at a charity bash for CLAPA (Cleft Lip and Palate Association).

We were the guests of Bill McLoughlin the ace photographer and Editor of The Local Mag and to be honest Carl and I had never attended a Sportsman Dinner so we were a tad apprehensive, at to what we would find.

We were met by Bill who sat us at table eight... more about that lucky table later... and we had a drink and dined on steak, chips and peas as we awaited the show to begin.

Sammy McIlroy stood up and told us some hilarious if not libellous stories about his career, he didn't hold back when talking about Ron Atkinson the United manager who moved Sammy on to Stoke City in 1982 for £350,000, Sammy wanted to finish his career at United and referred to Atkinson as, "big, fat Ron" amongst other things!

We heard tales of Sir Matt Busby and what an influence he was on the apprentice footballer, how George Best bought him a bottle of champagne for scoring on his debut against Manchester City and to his amazement it was still full when he handed it over, tales of World Cup 1982 when Northern Ireland beat Spain, he was the Captain, as they celebrated their win in a hotel local journalists placed empty bottles of beer and wine and their table, then took a photograph.

This was shown in the papers next day with a headline saying, "Spain beat by drunkards", he showed the paper to team mate Norman Whiteside who said, "that's rubbish we drank much more than that!" and when asked about the forthcoming FA Cup Final he showed his colours, Red! we know who Sammy will be cheering for once a Red always a Red.

Comedy was provided by, Big Lou Jones, proper old school, no excuses, near to the knuckle, laugh out comedy which had the audience in stitches, well crafted in the art of the one line killer put downs, the audience loved him... and he admitted supporting Everton!

Next up was the charity auction in which donated football items were auctioned off to the highest bidder, mainly signed Manchester United memorabilia and two items of Manchester City, of which only one sold and that was purchased by Big Lou Jones!

Finally the raffle, before the meal each person at their table put £10 in an envelop with your name on it, there were 10 people on our table, table eight which is important as you will see.

The compere pulled out signed envelopes and of the 12 prizes, seven were won by people sat at table eight including Carl who won a paint balling, go karting, archery day out... I came home empty handed... yet again.

We had a great time and caps doffed to Bill McLaughlin for inviting us along and we were more than happy to help the charity CLAPA, and what a lovely club house it has to be said, our first ever visit.

The winners of The Lowry’s first annual Creative Writing Challenge were announced at a special celebration event on Thursday 18th May.

Presented by Manchester-based actor, writer, and director Carla Henry, with performances by poet Tony Walsh, the 16 shortlisted entries were performed on the Quays stage at The Lowry, Salford.

Open to children aged 7-11 (Key Stage 2) from across Salford and Greater Manchester, the judges, who included actor Carla Henry, writer and actress Samantha Giles, performance writer and spoken word activist Emma Rogerson, playwright Simon Stephens, poet Tony Walsh, screenwriter and children’s author Frank Cottrell-Boyce, and Programme Manager at the National Literacy Trust, Mike Leyland, had the difficult task of shortlisting from almost 400 entries in three categories - Script, Poetry and Short Story.

Winners and runners-up include; in the Script category – (winner) Salome Samuel (age 10) for Freya’s Amazing Adventures and (runner-up) Ruby Lee (age 10) for Alien in Manchester. In the Poetry category - (winner) Layla Wood (age 11) with The Journey, and (runner-up) Peter McColgan (age 10) for The Lonely Man. And in the Short Story category – (winner) Gabriela Kulacz (age 11) for In The Box, and (runner-up) Maryam Akram (age 10) with Return To Kandahar.

A special Founders Prize was awarded by Beryl Jones to (winner) Hawa Chowdhury (age 9) for their piece The Adventure of The Oak Tree and (runner-up) Charlie Grieve (age 10) for The Rivers Adventure.

All shortlisted children and runners-up each received a certificate and book token, with the winners also receiving an original illustration created by artist and illustrator Catherine Booth.

Other shortlisted entries who performed on the night included: Maariyah Ahmad (age 10), William Maher (age 11), Eve Bennet-Mould (age 10), Andaz Amin (age 11), Éowyn McDonald (age 9), Isla Hickey (age 11), Kaio Devine Dos Santos (age 7), and Rosanna De Martiis (age 9).

Layla, a pupil at Marlborough Road Academy (Salford) whose poem ‘The Journey’ was inspired by refugees traveling to unknown places, said:

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“My school teacher entered my piece into the competition. It was fun. I made a lot of new friends and enjoyed watching the other pieces being performed. Getting up on stage was nerve-racking but the moment I began to read my poem all the nerves disappeared. This has inspired me to write even more and enter more writing competitions. The whole experience has boosted my confidence.”

Carla Henry, said:

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“What a pleasure and privilege to have been part of The Lowry’s first ever Creative Writing Challenge. Fabulous memories were made! It was beautiful to see such creative and talented young people sharing their words with such confidence and joy. I felt so proud and inspired!”

Tony Walsh, said:

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“It’s been a delight and an inspiration to be involved with the first Creative Writing Challenge with The Lowry. The competition uncovered a huge wealth of young writing talent in all parts of Greater Manchester. To see many of them visiting The Lowry, some of them for the first time, and even taking to its famous stage to share their work, was a night which will live long in the memory.”

The Lowry’s Creative Writing Challenge is delivered in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, an independent charity dedicated to raising literacy levels across the UK.

Jenny Riding, Director of Learning and Engagement at The Lowry, said:

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“We work with thousands of young people every year and we have seen the devastating impact the pandemic has had on those who were already facing the biggest challenges. Our Creative Writing Challenge has inspired children to use their imagination and develop literacy and oracy through creativity.  We could not have done this alone; it has been wonderful to work with teachers and artists in schools and to begin a new partnership with the National Literacy Trust.”

Mike Leyland, Programme Manager, National Literacy Trust:

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“It was an absolute privilege to join as a judge for this fantastic creative writing challenge and meet the young writers at the awards ceremony. It was so inspiring to see the incredible work they produced as research from the National Literacy Trust shows that children who enjoy writing outside school are seven times more likely to write above the expected level for their age. Our partnership with The Lowry is invaluable as projects like this play a vital role in supporting children’s literacy, encouraging them to find a love of reading, writing, speaking and listening, that will last a lifetime.”

The competition has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Beryl Jones, who along with her husband Trevor is a Gold Patron of The Lowry. The launch of this new award is timely given the post-pandemic need for support in education and creativity being greater than ever.

Julia Fawcett OBE, CEO of The Lowry, said:

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“We feel so passionately about the creation of this prize, to be able to encourage the creativity and confidence of the next generation of writers and performers is a true privilege. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Beryl and Trevor Jones whose generosity has made this possible.”

Beryl Jones, Gold Patron of The Lowry, said:

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“I am passionate and dedicated to children's creativity and removing any barriers they may experience to enjoying and creating great literature and performance. Thank you to the team at The Lowry for launching the Creative Writing Challenge this year and I look forward to working with them to grow it in the future. Seeing the children present their work on stage at The Lowry was a true joy and my dream come true.”

The Creative Writing Challenge is a 5-year project. Related to the competition a support scheme is available to primary schools in Salford and Greater Manchester, to register your interest please email getcreative@thelowry.com. The Lowry has also developed free downloadable lesson plans for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 which can be accessed here visit thelowry.com/creativewritingchallenge

It's nearly here, the music event of the year I'm talking about Irlam Live, three days of live music from top bands and singers, food, drink, family friendly, VIP tent, a wonderful atmosphere and yes, the sun will be shining, guaranteed.

Thanks to the largesse of the event organiser, the wonderful Darren Goulden we are able to offer to our readers the chance to win, one of four... yes that's right four weekend tickets and you can take a guest, how good is that?

All you have to do is answer this easy question:

The Lottery Winners are from which town in the North West?

Send your answer to  newsdesk@salford.media and the first four names out of our fabled hat will win the tickets, you will be contacted electronically via email.

The competition closes at midday on Monday 29th May so get posting!

Five people have been charged in connection with a firearms discharge which occurred in Eccles during which a 16 year old boy was injured.

Aiden Broadhurst (08/12/1994) of Manchester Road, Salford and Kyle Meighan (23/10/1992) of Chancel Avenue, Ordsall have both been charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Whilst, Jaieh Sufyaan (11/03/1988) of Pyrus Close, Eccles, Andrew Whiteside (12/10/1994) of Bradley Green Road, Hyde and Philip Broadhurst (31/01/1996) of Boddington Road, Eccles have also all been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

They were remanded in custody ahead of an appearance at Manchester Magistrates Court on Friday 26 May 2023.

These charges are a result of an investigation by GMP’s Major Incident Team into a firearms discharge in Eccles during March 2023 where a 16-year-old boy suffered serious, but thankfully not life-threatening injuries.

Emergency services were called to the Higher Croft area of Eccles on Sunday 19th March), following reports of a 16-year-old boy having been shot in the arm whilst riding a motorbike by two men who were also said to have been on a motorbike.

A fundraiser has been launched aimed at raising as much money as possible in aind of an Irlam woman who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer of the appendix, Pseudomyxoma Peritonei or (PMP) for short.

Claire was diagnosed with the cancer which quickly spread, requiring her to undergo life saving surgery which involved her sadly having several organs removed.

PMP is a rare tumour that grows slowly and causes a build-up of mucin (a jelly-like substance) in the abdomen and pelvis, giving rise to the name “jelly belly”. The cancer often starts in the appendix but can also start in other organs such as the large bowel and ovary.

Claire is still on her journey with PMP and without cancer research and the Christie’s, not many would have been made aware of this cancer.

Her loving and supportive family say that their amazing Claire was given a second chance at life.

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"Our family get their mum and nanny for longer.

We would love for you to join us in celebrating Claire’s second chance and help us give back to the Christie’s!"

You can keep up to date with Claire's journey on her Facebook page - Here

For their fundraiser, they have many fun things for all the family, including a DJ, raffle, auction, bake sale, face painting and more!

Children aged 12 and under are free admission (ticket required)

Residents at Pendleton Court care home, Salford, recently enjoyed a therapeutic visit from local pony, Mr Perfect, thanks to the team at KI Pony Therapy.

Everyone at the HC-One owned home was excited to welcome back four-legged friend ‘Mr P’, who was back for his first visit to the home since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Therapy animals, including ponies, are proven to have several positive effects on both physical and mental health, with studies showing they help alleviate stress, reduce anxiety, and improve social isolation too. Pony therapy is especially valuable because ponies have emotional intelligence and often mirror people.

Mr P and his handler Katy Smith, from Kl Pony therapy, visited all the communities in the home, visiting Residents in the lounge and bedrooms – even going in the lift. Residents brushed Mr P’s coat, and enjoyed walking round the lounge with him.

The visit sparked lots of reminiscing among Residents at the home, as they talked about pets and animal encounters they had in the past. Harry Wink shared a story from his time in the Queen’s Guards with his horse ‘Diablo’.

Everyone enjoyed learning about the pony and his stories from visits around other nursing homes.

Gwen Johnson, who lives at Pendleton Court, commented:

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“What a gorgeous creature!”

Wellbeing Coordinator Lesley Moore, commented:

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“Mr P coming today has been a joy to see all the Residents, Relatives and Colleagues happy and smiling. It’s amazing how seeing the animals in the care environment can change someone’s mood in such a positive way.

I noticed that the pony visit has a profound effect on some Residents and definitely lifted everyone’s spirits. It is wonderful to be able to welcome Mr P into our home once more and we’re all already looking forward to his next visit.”

 

Donna Blackwood, young mum from Manchester launches her new single ‘Where Are We’ produced by Jay Faith and Luke Nelson alongside her new Manchester based record label Blackwood Records.

Donna Blackwood will be performing her new single for the first time at the We Invented the Weekend festival of free time at Media City on Saturday the 3rd of June at 4pm at the Unity Radio takeover stage.

Donna has raised her profile vastly within the music industry over the last year performing at various venues across the UK. Donna is on the rise to stardom with several record labels interested in her music. Donna set up Blackwood records due to her inspiration by other artists including Amy Winehouse, Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys.  This inspiration is dynamically displayed within the music she produces. Her new R&B single is uplifting and is undoubtedly the brightest song on your playlist for summer.

The lyrics touch on a personal journey which is relatable for many women trying to advance their chosen careers whilst holding down a committed relationship and a family. Donna is a young mum of five children, two boys and three girls. The tune emphasises the importance of friendship and love in parental relationships.

Donna Blackwood’s new single is available at Spotify, Amazon music, iTunes  you tube and all major digital platforms