The group, set up by veteran Glenn Croston, wants to contribute to Salford's new veterans memorial garden by raising funds for replacement benches.

The group is using Crowdfunder, set up by City Mayor Paul Dennett. It enables people, organisations and community groups to test local support for their initiative by raising money to win match funding of up to £10,000 from Mayor Dennett.

Projects must benefit Salford and support one of the council's Great Eight priorities to create a fairer, greener and healthier Salford.

Glenn, who served nine years in the army in the UK, Northern Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong, Canada and Ethiopia, said:

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"We are hoping to raise £5000 and, if we can, Crowdfunder will match that. Ideally we want the benches in place for Remembrance Day in November."

The benches will commemorate Salford's four Victoria Cross holders - Lance Serjeant Joseph Woodall, Sergeant Joseph Lister, Private William Norman and Private Henry George Crandon. The new garden, near Swinton Cenotaph, will also provide a space for people to remember and celebrate the lives of other former armed forces members.

Four new flagpoles have already been put in place and are displaying the armed services flags.

Councillors Margaret Morris and Barry Warner are armed forces champions at Salford City Council.

Councillor Morris said:

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"We are proud to work with the Salford Veterans Association to provide this memorial garden and community space. It will be an important space for our armed forces community and we'd like to thank them for all they do for us."

 

Councillor Warner added:

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"When the memorial garden is opened we will have a fitting ceremony. Our fallen heroes will never be forgotten."

Details of this campaign, other current campaigns and past successes can be found at Salford Crowdfunder https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/funds/salford;

The Veterans Memorial Garden fundraiser can be found at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/salford-veterans-memorial-garden-1

Hit musical returns to Salford from Tuesday 2nd to Sunday 14th August 2022

The multi award-winning musical phenomenon SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, returns to The Lowry, Salford, next month.

The new touring Queens include: Chlöe Hart (Catherine of Aragon), Jennifer Caldwell (Anne Boleyn), Casey Al-Shaqsy (Jane Seymour), Jessica Niles (Anna of Cleves), Jaina Brock-Patel (Katherine Howard) and Alana M Robinson (Catherine Parr). Grace Melville, Leesa Tulley and Natalie Pilkington (Dance Captain) will be joining the cast as Alternates, with Super Swing Harriet Caplan-Dean. The cast are backed by the show’s all-female band, The Ladies in Waiting.

SIX follows the six wives of Henry VIII as they take to the mic to tell their own personal tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power.

Since its early days as a student production in a 100-seat room at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the show has fast become a global musical phenomenon. SIX currently has productions playing on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre and on tour in Australia and New Zealand, with a major US tour coming soon. Meanwhile, back on home turf, the London production is now enjoying its third royal residence in the West End at the Vaudeville Theatre and the UK tour continues its nationwide sold-out reign, now booking through to 2023.

Winner of the 2022 Tony Award for ‘Best Original Score’ on Broadway, the 2022 Whatsonstage Award for ‘Best West End Show’ and the 2020 BBC Radio 2 Audience Award for ‘Best Musical’, SIX was also nominated for five Olivier awards, including ‘Best New Musical’.

Celebrating the global success of its songs with over 300 million streams and over 3 billion views on TikTok, the original studio album of SIX officially turned Gold in March 2022, marking over 100,000 sales in the UK.

Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, SIX is co-directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, featuring choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille.

The design team includes Emma Bailey (Set Design), Gabriella Slade (Costume Design), Tim Deiling (Lighting Design) and Paul Gatehouse (Sound Design).

The score features orchestrations by Tom Curran with music supervision and vocal arrangements by Joe Beighton.

Musical Director Jennifer Deacon and UK Musical Supervisor Katy Richardson. Casting is by Pearson Casting.

SIX is produced by Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes and George Stiles.

The extra resources are being delivered as part of the ongoing three-year programme to recruit additional officers in to roles across Greater Manchester Police, ultimately strengthening our fight against crime to keep our communities safe.

The officers will be based in Salford Quays and will be dedicated to serving those who live and work in the area by focusing on local crime and anti-social behaviour. They'll be supported by officers from across the district as well as specialist colleagues from across the force and will work alongside partner agencies and members of the public.

Chief Superintendent Shaun Donnellan, of GMP's Salford district, said:

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"As part of the force's commitment to strengthen our dedicated neighbourhood policing teams, we are listening to our communities and partner agencies to ensure that their concerns are acted upon. This good news for Salford Quays is just one example of that.

"The population of Salford Quays is continuing to increase, as is the number of businesses moving to the area - attracting both people from across Greater Manchester as well as tourists. With an increase in footfall comes challenges but these extra resources ensure that the local policing team is well equipped to overcome them.   

"This announcement should build the confidence of those who live and work in and around Salford Quays that we are committed to delivering an outstanding service. These officers are there for you and I'd encourage anyone with concerns about their communities to contact their neighbourhood policing teams either in person or online."

 

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett, said:

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"We have worked closely with GMP to look at the growth of Salford Quays and the need for a better resourced policing model.

"We're really pleased that GMP has listened to our concerns in relation to the need for extra dedicated resources at Salford Quays. We look forward to a close community safety partnership in the area and improvements for everyone who lives, works and visits there.  

"Salford Quays has become one of Europe's most successful waterside regeneration schemes for Greater Manchester and we need the infrastructure for it to continue to thrive.

"The wider neighbourhood police team area which includes Ordsall and Pendleton and Charlestown will also benefit from the flexibility provided by additional officers for Salford Quays."

 

Your neighbourhood policing team can be contacted via gmp.police.uk. In an emergency, always dial 999. Information about crime can also be shared anonymously via the independent charity – Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Salford & Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey has confirmed her support for justice for the 5,000 1950s-born women in her constituency by signing the Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI) Campaign 'pledge'. 

It is almost a year since the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman ruled that the Department for Work and Pensions was guilty of maladministration in failing to give proper notice to 3.8 million women born in the 1950s whose State Pension Age was subjected to a series of changes.  

Since then the Ombudsman has been investigating whether this maladministration resulted in injustice - and if so, how the women involved should be compensated.  

Judith Robertson, Co-ordinator of Salford and Eccles WASPI, said:

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"Rebecca has been a consistent WASPI supporter. We are delighted that she has signed the pledge to highlight our campaign for fair and fast compensation. 

"The lack of notice had disastrous results. Women found that their plans for retirement at 60 were suddenly overturned without warning. Some had to sell or re-mortgage their homes, others had to continue working despite ill health, and others had to abandon commitments they had made to their families to provide care for grandchildren or elderly relatives.  All were deprived without proper notice of the pension which they had expected to receive at 60. 

"We are asking for justice in the form of fair and fast compensation before more 1950s women die - and we are not going away!" 

 

Rebecca Long Bailey, said:

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"It is shameful that we are seeing rising pensioner poverty nationally, and how our women born in the 1950s have been impacted by the unfair changes to State Pension Age has almost certainly been a huge factor in that.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found maladministration by the Department of Work and Pensions, (DWP) regarding the lack of notice 1950s women received yet the Government continues to deny these women the justice they deserve. We need to see urgent Government action to end this injustice." 

 

To contact Salford and Eccles WASPI   

Email waspisalfordandeccles@hotmail.com 

Facebook; WASPI Salford and Eccles Supporters Group 

Photo: Judith Robertson, Co-ordinator of Salford & Eccles WASPI with MP Rebecca Long-Bailey who has pledged her support for the WASPI Campaign for fair and fast compensation. 

Around 100 local school children met some of the UK's most popular authors at a long-awaited book award on June 29th.

After a two-year break from the physical award ceremony due to the pandemic, the 19th Salford Children's Book Award took place at the University of Salford's New Adelphi Building.  In 2020 the ceremony was cancelled and the winner announced online, and in 2021 the Award took place entirely online.

Groups of 11-14-year-olds from eight schools across Salford met their literary icons and heard them talk about their work and creative writing processes, along with host, author and comedian, James Campbell.

This year's shortlist was: Tamarind & The Star of Ishta by Jasbinder Bilan, Boy, Everywhere by A.M. Dassu, When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten, Eating Chips With Monkey by Mark Lowery and The Island That Didn't Exist by Joe Wilson.

Pupils representing Salford high schools reviewed and discussed the books with the authors and host during a two-hour event before revealing this year's winner, which is When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten.

Kereen could not attend in person but live linked with the children to give her thanks, saying:

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'When I sat down to write Mangoes, I really just wanted to write a story about my hometown. Sycamore is based on where I was born, and I thought it would make a great backdrop for an adventure story! I wanted to write about my hometown, and also about friendship. I really just wanted to write a story that I would have wanted to read when I was younger, and the fact that Salford pupils enjoyed it so much and voted it as your winner means the absolute world to me. It's the encouragement every writer needs to continue writing. I'm so sorry that I couldn't be there but I'm so, so grateful!'

The Salford Children's Book Award, which is run by Salford Schools' Library Service, is designed to encourage older children across Salford to read a wide range of books and authors, to promote that reading is fun and enhance literacy development.

Five outstanding books were shortlisted by the school libraries team and sent to participating schools to read over the course of a few months. At the end of this period, students voted for their favourite titles from the selection.

Chris Farey, Head of Libraries at Salford Community Leisure, said:

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"We are delighted to be able to run the book award event again. The libraries team have worked tirelessly through the pandemic providing the usual service to schools and young people and we are delighted that the physical award event can finally go ahead. It's a very popular event in the calendar and hugely beneficial to pupils and schools from all around the city. For 19 years, Salford Schools' Library Service has been encouraging pupils in Salford High Schools to love reading through the Salford Children's Book Award, and we are continually looking to inspire and engage Salford's young people by providing in our libraries the most diverse range of reading materials possible, as it is widely understood that reading for pleasure can really enhance learning and well-being, and greatly improve future prospects.'

Since 2003, Salford Community Leisure's Children's Book Award has distributed over 3,000 books to schools across the City, has generated over 2,000 votes and has awarded 19 different authors since the start.

A Salford landlord who repeatedly let out an unsafe house has been fined £20,000 by magistrates.

Housing officers from Salford City Council found fire doors were not up to standard and the fire alarm and detection systems and escape routes were still unsafe three years after the owner was ordered to do the work..

Despite an emergency order banning the landlord Mr Demetirous Georgiou from renting out the property until it had been made safe, housing standards officers found every flat had been let.

Mr Georgiou of George Street South, Salford and Woodlands Avenue, Whitefield, was convicted of two offences: failing to comply with an Improvement Notice and breaching an Emergency Prohibition order.   

He failed to attend Manchester and Salford magistrates court and the case was proved in his absence on Tuesday 28 June. In addition to the fine, magistrates ordered him to pay £4,700 in costs and a £181 victim surcharge.

The court heard that the three-storey building at George Street South, Salford had been converted into five self-contained one-bedroomed flats, each with a kitchen and bathroom and a further ground floor flat without a bathroom. The basement had also been converted into a separate flat with its own entrance.

The property was added to a list of pro-active inspections and a housing standards officer from Salford City Council visited in May 2016. She was concerned about a lack of fire detection equipment in one of the flats and secured a warrant to gain access to all the flats.

That inspection revealed inadequate fire detection and protection and that the gas and electricity meters had been bypassed. British Gas and Electricity North West removed both meters leaving the whole building without power for cooking, hot water and lighting.

Mr Georgiou was served with an emergency prohibition order preventing him from letting the flats until the electricity supply was reinstated and a report submitted to show it was safe. He was also ordered to bring the fire alarm system and fire doors up to standard.

A suspended improvement notice was also served for work to be done once the emergency work was complete. This required Mr Georgiou to provide heating, lighting and hot water in the property, move the gas and electricity meters to a more suitable location and repair the handrail and balustrade on the first floor landing for safety reasons.

The property was checked in August 2016. Mr Georgiou had restored the electricity supply legitimately and was living in the basement flat. The rest of the house was empty, but the gas supply had not been restored.

Another check in March 2017 found Mr Georgiou had relet the flats without carrying out the required work. The new electricity meter had been used to set up private meters to serve the flats. All the meters were removed and the tenants re-housed.

The property was monitored and in December 2019 was inspected again. All the flats had been recently re-let but the fire safety work had not been carried out and none of the work required in the improvement notice had been completed.

Every fire door or door frame was either damaged leaving large gaps or was poorly maintained. Escape routes were hampered by a fridge, chair, paint cans and a cardboard box and the fire alarm panel showed faults in two zones. The electricity meter was now legitimate but Mr Georgiou had not provided the safety certification required. Tenants were unaware of the emergency prohibition order.

Mr Georgiou was twice invited for interview in January 2020 to explain the breach of the emergency order but failed to attend.

Speaking after the case Deputy City Mayor and lead member for housing, Councillor Tracey Kelly said the council will continue to monitor the property and would not hesitate to take further action if it was re-let without the work being completed.

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“Fire safety systems are there to protect tenants’ lives. Landlords cannot ignore that and put people at risk,” she said.

“The vast majority of Salford landlords understand this and work with us to provide good quality and safe homes. We will continue to rigorously inspect private rented properties to make sure they reach the standards tenants deserve. If tenants renting privately have any concerns about their property they can contact us in confidence at landlord.licensing@salford.gov.uk ." 

 

Photo: Google view of George Street South

Friday 24th to Sunday 26th March 2023 - Tickets on Friday 1st July 10am

Hit children’s show HEY DUGGEE is to tour the UK for the first time ever in a vibrant and interactive stage show – coming to The Lowry, Salford, from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th March 2023.

Duggee, The Squirrels and some of their friends will come together for HEY DUGGEE THE LIVE THEATRE SHOW in a brand new play packed with non-stop fun, laughs, singing, dancing and even more fun!

The smash hit CBeebies series is brought to life through innovative puppetry and storytelling in this new live show.

Since bursting onto TV screens in 2014, the BBC and Studio AKA creation has won no fewer than six BAFTAs and is an international Emmy award-winning hit.

HEY DUGGEE THE LIVE THEATRE SHOW is presented by award-winning theatre producer Kenny Wax and theatre and live entertainment promoters Cuffe and Taylor in association with Live Nation.

Producer Kenny Wax said:

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“We are so thrilled to be working with Live Nation, Cuffe & Taylor, Studio AKA and BBC Studios to create a brand new stage show with lots of surprises touring the country with a sit down month in London over Christmas. I can't wait.”

Ben Hatton, director of theatre touring for Cuffe and Taylor, added:

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“This is an incredibly exciting tour. Hey Duggee is quite simply a phenomenon and has taken the world of children’s entertainment by storm.

“We are delighted to be working with Kenny and his team at Kenny Wax Family Entertainment, as well as all the extended Hey Duggee family at Studio AKA and BBC Studios. We look forward to Duggee and his friends filling theatres around the UK.”

 

Mat Way, Global Director of Live Entertainment, Gaming and Interactive at BBC Studios, said:

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“Studio AKA’s Hey Duggee is such a fun and iconic show and we can’t wait to bring the humour and adventures to life for families all around the country. We’re delighted to be working with Kenny Wax and Cuffe and Taylor to introduce young people to the wonders of the theatre.”

For more information go to https://heyduggeelive.com

To book visit https://thelowry.com/whatson

Police have launched an appeal for the public’s help to trace the next of kin of a man from Salford.

Stanley Mayall, 75-years-old, has sadly died at his home address on Tenerife Road, Salford, on the 18th June 2022.

Police say that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Anyone with information about Stanley's next of kin should contact the Police Coroner's Office in Bolton on: 0161 856 4687.

An ambulance and rapid response vehicle were dispatched to reports of a road traffic accident involving a child which happened yesterday morning (28 June) at around 9am close to the corner of Weaste Lane and Edward Avenue.

The child is thought to have been enroute to the local St Luke's CofE Primary school which is situated on the busy cut through between Eccles New and Eccles Old Roads.

There are warning signs adorning the fence of the neighbouring Buile Hill Park as well as speed indicators which tell drivers to slow down as they approach the school crossing.

A parent who did not wish to be identified, told us:

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"Despite the signs, traffic on the road in the morning can be horrible even when traffic speeds are low, it doesn't stop the kids from running out from between parked cars as parents drop their kids off in the morning and again in the afternoon when they pick them back up again.

"Fortunately in this case it seems the injuries are minor but it could have been much worse."

 

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Ambulance Service said:

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"We were called at 9am today to Weaste Lane to reports of an RTC.

"An ambulance and RRV were dispatched to the scene, whereupon arrival we treated a child suffering with minor injuries."

 

The council has been named Planning Authority of the Year by the North West branch of the Royal Town Planning Institute and joint winner of Best in the North West region with planning consultancy Barton Willmore,  now Stantec, for delivering Europe's largest garden project, the RHS Garden Bridgewater.

Judges praised the planning department as 'outstanding' and said it:

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"proactively delivers an all-round excellent and efficient local authority planning service. The sheer range of initiatives they are taking across their teams is phenomenal.

"There is a clear demonstration of team working and going above and beyond, putting in extra time to improve the service for customers. They are at the cutting edge of forward thinking and are beacon of success to inspire other authorities both within and outside the region."

 

The award was assessed on client satisfaction, the ability of planners to manage multi-disciplinary projects, ability to develop imaginative approaches to achieve

high quality planning solutions, commitment to equality, diversity and inclusivity and to staff development and business improvement.

Judges praised how the team:

Coped successfully with the challenges of bringing development management staff back in house from a 15-year private-public joint venture service just as the pandemic sent Britain into lockdown

Managed a 19 per cent increase in workload over the past year to determine 97 per cent of planning applications or enquiries in a timely manner; last year Salford received 75 major applications and approved 2,423 new homes.

Helped Salford City Council be assessed as a  leading value for money planning authority in a benchmarking club led by the Planning Advisory Service in 2021

Used artificial intelligence to automate the validation of some of the 2000 planning applications received each year to speed up the process

Maintained the planning process during the pandemic by using technology to run meetings and enhance the service

Re-launched their pre-application service to offer a more bespoke offering and to work with developers to ensure high quality planning applications are progressed smoothly and quickly; Salford's 12 storey Eden office building will now have Europe's biggest 'living' wall with plants replacing a blank façade and was able to start on site within 13 months of applying for planning permission thanks to joint work between planners and developers

Split the Local Plan in two rather than pause the whole process following delays to the approval of a Greater Manchester development plan

Embedded social value into the Local Plan to make sure that developers demonstrate how local people will benefit from jobs, apprenticeships, work placements and support during their development, commit to using local businesses and suppliers and consider use of space to benefit local communities and projects and cultural activities and events when planning schemes in Salford.

Councillor Mike McCusker, lead member for planning and sustainable development said:

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"Salford has seen huge investment in a wide range of new homes, businesses infrastructure to manage that growth and public spaces over the last decade and has developed a Local Plan to manage more of the same over the next 20 years.

"Over 50 acres of land alone has been transformed in Salford Central and the Crescent, generating more than £900 million of investment and creating economic opportunities for local residents. Salford Quays has continued to expand and will double in size in time and we have brought England's fifth national garden RHS Garden Bridgewater to our city.

"None of this incredible change could have happened without the hard work of our planning department which has to ensure every aspect of the project, from highways to design is considered and meets all required standards before planning permission can even be granted.

"We were absolutely delighted to win the Local Planning Authority of the Year Award but to be awarded the Best in Region amongst great company was truly fantastic. The whole team should be rightly proud of its achievements and clearly shows what can be done when colleagues, council members, communities and partners work together. This gives us a great boost and platform to do things even better for the people of Salford." 

 

A 28-year-old man has been charged with murder after police received a report of concern for welfare at a block of flats on Adelphi Street, which lead to the discovery of a body by emergency services.

An investigation was immediately launched, as a result of which, James Johnson (25/06/93) has now been remanded in custody ahead of a hearing at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday 30 June 2022. 

At around 5.25pm on Saturday 25 June 2022, police received a report of concern for the welfare of an individual at a property on Adelphi Street, Salford.

The deceased has since been formally identified as 40-year-old David Toulson (pictured), who was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. 

David's family have released the following statement, paying tribute to a beloved son, brother and uncle.

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"It's with a heavy heart and disbelief that our beloved son, brother and uncle Dave, tragically lost his life on 25th June 2022.

"As a family we are heartbroken beyond belief to have lost him so young. He will be forever in our hearts and missed by many."

 

At around 5.25pm on Saturday 25 June 2022, we received a report of concern for the welfare of an individual at a property on Adelphi Street, Salford. Emergency services attended and David was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. 

A man has been charged with murder and remanded in custody ahead of a hearing at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday 30 June 2022. 

Officers are appealing for help to trace the next of kin of a man from Walkden.

Richard Kay, aged 70 has sadly passed away at his home address of Warren Road in Walkden on Saturday 18th June.

Police say that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Anyone with information about John's next of kin should contact the Police Coroner's Office in Bolton on 0161 856 4687.

Hit musical returns to Salford - Wednesday 7th to Saturday 17th September 2023

Following a record-breaking three-year West End residency, sold-out UK & Ireland Tour and Amazon studios award-winning film, the smash-hit and critically acclaimed musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie RETURNS to The Lowry, Salford, from Wednesday 7th to Saturday 17th September 2023.

Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in. Jamie is terrified about the future. Jamie is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.

This ‘Funny, outrageous, touching’ (Daily Telegraph), musical sensation is to be experienced by all the family and not to be missed!

With an original score of catchy pop tunes that will ‘blow the roof of the Theatre’ (Mail on Sunday) by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling, Dan Gillespie Sells and writer Tom MacRae (Doctor Who), this ‘Sparking coming-of-age musical’ (The Times) will have everybody talking about Jamie for years to come.

Sixteen: the edge of possibility. Time to make your dreams come true.

Casting to be announced.

Steve Cowton, Head of Theatres at The Lowry, said:

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"Everybody's Talking About Jamie was one of the first shows we presented when we emerged from Lockdown and it was wonderful to see audiences returning and having such a brilliant time. This is very much a story of our time - a show that speaks about diversity, inclusivity and understanding. It’s also a great night out for all ages - and I'm absolutely delighted that following sell out performances, we will be welcoming the show back to The Lowry later this year.”  

For information and to book visit https://thelowry.com/whats-on/everybodys-talking-about-jamie-2/

Performers and producers are gearing up for the 11th The Greater Manchester Fringe Festival in July, with over 100 exciting shows and premieres across multiple venues.

The festival brochure includes all the unique 'happenings' between Friday 1st until Sunday 31st July and is now available online for anyone to download and via the Greater Manchester Fringe website.

View it here: Manchester Listings draft 2 - Flipbook - Page 5 (paperturn-view.com)

Filled with information on all the productions ~ including drama, comedy, music, mime, children's shows, storytelling, puppetry, visual arts, spoken word, walking tours and running tours - the brochure lists all the venues taking part and details on ticket prices.

Greater Manchester Fringe has a reputation for featuring new performers and writers, with many showcasing their work ahead of The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

Fringe performances have taken place in all sorts of unusual spaces over the years, including camper vans, tents, Roman forts and even in a crypt! Weird and wonderful settings are always encouraged, and it is one of the many reasons why people love and support the festival.

Lisa Connor, Director of The Greater Manchester Fringe:

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"We're very proud that the Fringe is an open-access festival for artists and performers. It gives people a great platform to try out material, and it's also accessible and inclusive for the audiences. The ticket prices are not just affordable. Some of the shows are free to encourage a non-traditional theatre-going audience.

"This is our first festival post-Covid, and we can see that everyone is ready to come back and see live shows."

 

There certainly is something for everyone at this year's Fringe. To browse through the listings and/or book tickets, visit: https://www.greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk

Twenty-one tennis courts across Salford are to get a £500,000 facelift in a bid to encourage more people to take up the game.

Use of tennis courts increased during the pandemic and Salford City Council has been working with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), which believes there is huge potential to further expand interest in the game.

The LTA will spend £272, 000 on improving court surfaces, new nets and electronic access gates across the city. Salford City Council will add £272,494 for disabled access and enhanced fencing and adding flood lighting to courts at Parr Fold Park, much of which has come from Section 106 payments made by developers.

Bookings will be managed through a new Ready to rally system. People will be able to hire a court for £4 an hour or £30 per year adult membership (maximum use 10 hours per week), £10 per year (unlimited use) for under 18s and £55 for a family membership (up to two adults and three children living at the same address, maximum use 10 hours per week.) Money generated will be re-invested into the courts.

Salford Community Leisure (SCL) and We Do Tennis will offer a free coaching programme for the public and will also aim to encourage children and young people who would not normally engage in sports to try tennis. SCL will also work closely with local schools to help children develop tennis skills in a familiar setting before introducing them to tennis in the park.

The parks are:

Albert Park (three courts)

Boothsbank Park (1)

Buile Hill Park (3)

Eccles Recreation Ground (2)

Lightoaks Park (2 existing courts and a proposal to build two new courts)

Parr Fold Park (6)

Victoria Park (4).

Councillor Barbara Bentham, lead member for environment, neighbourhoods and community safety, said:

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"This is a game changer for tennis in Salford. Better facilities, free coaching and help for children to learn tennis skills is a real winner."

Work is expected to start in autumn once contractors have been appointed to carry out the work.

Following this decision, Salford City Council will work with the LTA to finalise the delivery plan across the parks  including improving court accessibility, providing local activities and delivering the works on site later this year.

This funding is part of the UK government's and LTA's joint investment of over £30 million, to refurbish public tennis courts across Britain, and support a new generation of players to get into the sport.

The government and LTA investment is designed to open up the sport to people of all backgrounds, support the government's commitment to levelling up sports provision across the nation, and provide greater opportunities for children and adults to be active. This will see thousands of public park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to life for the benefit of local communities.

Salford Prides very own Pink Picnic was in full swing yesterday and although we sadly could not make it due to other commitments, our Community reporter for the day Heather V Flynn did and reports that she had a fantastic time.

The Pink Picnic is Salford’s annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans & Non-binary, plus pride celebration which takes place in Peel Park and is now in its eleventh year.

The Pink Picnic first started in 2011 as The Peel Park Pink Picnic. Many years later the event has grown into both a national and international recognised pride celebration, that attracts thousands of attendees from across Greater Manchester and beyond.

Headlining this years event were boy band 911 and Gabriela and Monica Irimia, better known as 'The Cheeky Girls' who both found fame on Pop Stars - The Rivals back in 2002.

They played alongside British Eurodance band 'Urban Cookie Collective' who many will know having danced along to their classics, 'It Feels Like Heaven' and 'The Key The Secret', back in the glorious era of the 1990's.

Also taking to the stage were drag performer Kitty Scott-Claus who was a contestant on the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race and British Eurovision star Kelly Wilde.

A host of other local performers were also on hand to keep the crowds entertained throughout the day.

Despite a few brief rain showers moving across Salford skies, the sun shone down on the party and much fun was had by all.

Our many thanks to Heather V Flynn for the photos and a huge congratulations to the Pink Picnic organisers and all involved for bringing yet another amazing inclusive event to Salford.

At around 7.40pm on Wednesday 22 June 2022, police received a report of a collision involving a pedestrian and a grey Volkswagen Golf close to the Premier Off Licence on Worsley Road, Eccles.

An 11-year-old girl was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries and is now said to be recovering at home.

Police say that no arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone with information or dash cam footage should contact police as soon as possible on 0161 856 4741 quoting 1014 of 23/06/2022. Information can also be shared anonymously via the independent charity on 0800 555 111.

Salford residents have benefited from kind-hearted gym members raising money for three defibrillators.

Members of Salford-based gym M3 Perform set out to raise £1,000 to buy one defibrillator for the gym – but raised enough to buy two more. The gym decided to donate one to St Philip's Primary School, Barrow Street, Salford. They then asked Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett and Rebecca Long-Bailey, MP for Salford and Eccles, where the defibrillator could best be used and they suggested Age UK Salford.

The defibrillator was presented to Ken Whittick, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Age UK Salford at Critchley Community Hub, Chorley Road, Swinton on Friday 17 June. They were joined by Rebecca Long-Bailey MP and the Swinton ward councillors, Councillors Jim Cammell, Stuart Dickman, and Heather Fletcher.

Mr Whittick, said:

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"Age UK Salford was chosen in part due to the story of Luke Pythian, a volunteer for the charity, who has been campaigning for more defibrillators to be available across the city after his life was saved, by a defibrillator, when he was 16 years old."

Lloyd Gordon, Director of M3 Perform, which will expand into bigger premises in Chapel Street later this year, said: "Our original goal was to raise money for one defibrillator, but with the support of our fantastic members, friends, and family we raised enough for 3. We thought there was no better thing to do than find out where in our local community needed them most."

 

Councillor Jim Cammell, Lead Member for Children's and Young People's Services, said:

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"It's always great to see the community come together and support each other like this. The defibrillator that M3 Perform are providing could be lifesaving for residents in Swinton."

Main Photo, Left to Right:

Ken Whittick, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Age UK Salford; Sue Fletcher, Assistant Chief Executive, Age UK Salford; Mike McLaren, Head Coach, M3 Perform; Lloyd Gordon, Director, M3 Perform; Paul Sherlock, Trustee, Age UK Salford; Rebecca Long-Bailey, MP for Salford and Eccles; Councillor Kim Cammell, Ward Councillor for Swinton Park; Councillor Stuart Dickman, Ward Councillor for Swinton Park; Bernard Lea, Volunteer and Friend of Age UK Salford; Councillor Heather Fletcher, Ward Councillor for Swinton Park; Joy Kershaw, Centre Manager, Critchley Community Hub (standing).  

A former army sniper and a beauty therapist with four young children are among those taking part in a white-collar boxing event next month to raise funds for north west Armed Forces veterans.

The black tie event will feature a three-course dinner, casino, band and raffle as well as a series of bouts.

It is taking place on Saturday, July 2 at the Hilton Deansgate Manchester and all of the money raised will be shared between Armed Forces Community HQ and Broughton House Veteran Care Village in Salford.

Armed Forces Community HQ, based in Wigan, is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2018 to provide a safe space for the Armed Forces community to belong, become socially included and access better life chances. It provides a host of activities and offers advice, guidance and support to veterans, their families and carers.

In partnership with Broughton House, the organisation is developing the North West Armed Forces Wellbeing Network as part of the nationwide Veterans’ Places, Pathways and People Programme to oversee a range of projects to support the Armed Forces community across Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and South Cumbria.

The boxing gala is being staged by the Fighting Chances charity and among those taking part will be Jon Waterhouse, aged 30, who lives in Wilmslow.

Jon served for seven years as a kingsman in the 1st Battalion – The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, including tours of duty as a sniper in Afghanistan. He received counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder in 2020 after leaving the army.

He said:

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“I’ve seen first-hand what help veterans require when either injured or transitioning into civilian life. This is a great opportunity to compete in a sport that I love while supporting a cause that is so close to my heart. There are many veterans across the north west who are in need of help.

“I boxed a bit in the army but am training hard in preparation for the bout and am looking forward to it.”

 

Caitlin Sadri, 31, a holistic and beauty therapist and mum-of-four from Astley, near Leigh, is one of the contestants.

She only took up boxing three months ago for fitness reasons and is currently training up to five times a week.

Caitlin said:

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“My granddad fought in World War Two as a tank driver. I also have family and close friends who have built careers in the Armed Forces. I have the utmost respect for our veterans and members of the Armed Forces, and I’m so proud to be supporting them.”

Student paramedic Lizzy McGlinchey, 21, from Appley Bridge, near Wigan, is also training for the boxing gala.

Lizzy is studying at Edge Hill University, Ormskirk and is a civilian instructor with the 723 (Wigan) squadron of the RAF Air Cadets.

She has taken up boxing specifically for the event and said: “It’s a special opportunity to raise money for two extremely important organisations that support our veterans and their families. I’m looking forward to it.”

All of the boxers are undergoing an intensive eight-week training programme to boost their fitness and resilience and will be matched against their opponent based on height and weight. Each fight will last for three rounds of three minutes.

Others taking part include Harry Harrison, who served in the Royal Corps of Signals for four years.

Harry, 26, who lives in Greasby on the Wirral, served from 2014-2018 and was a lance corporal before returning to Civvy Street. He has since qualified as an audiologist.

He took up boxing after attending Hard Hitters Boxing & Fitness, a veterans’ charity based on Merseyside, and he is looking forward to his first bout at the gala.

He, said.

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“I’m doing it to raise awareness for the tremendous work the organisations do for veterans, in particular for their mental health.”

Organisers are still seeking supporters to buy or sponsor a table and are offering packages for businesses to advertise in the event brochure, promote the event on social media and donate cash or raffle prizes.

Karen Miller, chief executive of Broughton House, said:

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“The event promises to be a spectacular and memorable occasion which will raise vital funds for our charity and to support armed forces veterans and their families living in communities across the region.

“We hope as many individuals and businesses as possible will dig deep, turn out and support the evening as their help will really make a difference.”

 

Laura Ingham, managing director of Armed Forces Community HQ, said:

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“I personally understand the wide range of challenges that veterans, parents, spouses and children of serving and ex-service personnel face from my lived experience.

“Our communities need more focused attention and families need holistic support to overcome barriers to living more fulfilling lives.

“We need to build resilience and positive social networks that offer non-judgmental support at the earliest opportunity.”

 

For more information about how to support the event, contact fightingchanceshq@gmail.com. Donations can be made directly via https://wonderful.org/charities/1155225

A neglected allotment site in Salford will soon be back in bloom thanks to a helping hand from housing association Salix Homes.

The allotment site on Heath Avenue, Lower Broughton – once home to a popular community growing project – had lay untouched for more than two years during the pandemic, becoming overgrown with weeds and brambles.

Now, a team of volunteers from Salix Homes have rolled up their sleeves to clear the site and restore it to its former glory, bringing it back into community use.

Sue Sutton, chief executive at Salix Homes, was part of the team that helped with the clean-up operation. She said:

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“The allotments were once a thriving hub of activity in Lower Broughton and a fantastic community asset, so it’s been a real shame to see them left unused and neglected in recent years.

“Previously, the allotments were a community-led project, but as volunteer support to manage the initiative waned, the site has sadly been neglected. The pandemic has not helped matters, during which time the site lay untouched, becoming wildly overgrown and a bit of an eyesore.

“We’re determined to restore the allotments back to their former glory, providing local people with the opportunity to grow their own produce and provide a sustainable food source – and we can’t wait to see people enjoying this fantastic facility once again.”

 

The allotments were first opened back in 2014, having received funding from Salix Homes, as a community growing scheme providing members with large mobile planters to grow their own produce.

It’s located on a ‘meanwhile site', owned by Salford Council, which is an empty piece of land that can be used for a community project until future development begins.

Salix Homes staff cleared over one tonne of weeds, shrubbery and rubbish from the site during a recent clean-up day, while partner contractors Emanuel Whittaker and Truline Construction donated netting to secure the planters.

Going forward, Salix Homes, which owns more than 8,000 homes across Salford, will now manage the site on behalf of the community.

People will be able to sign-up to adopt one of the 85 mobile planters available, where they’ll be able to grow their own fruit, vegetables and flowers. It’s also hoped to run community activities at the site in the future.

To register your interest in adopting a planter at the allotment site, please contact enquiries@salixhomes.co.uk