Are you sitting comfortably?... then I'll begin..

I have been reading about bands, solo singers and poets doing one off, intimate gigs in fan's houses, as a warm up to playing bigger shows, a superb idea in my opinion, up close and personal, indeed.

Now you can share in one of these shows as the Manchester Irish Language Group kick off this years Arts Festival with an intimate, bi-lingual, all ages living room show from Róisín Seoighe x IMLÉ.

IMLÉ are a musical collective founded by producer & musician Cian Mac Cárthaigh in 2016, the goal is to combine different musical styles with various musicians and singers, similar to acts such as Gorillaz and Massive Attack. 

The main difference is that IMLÉ sing and rap in Irish – producing a sound and style that has never been heard before in the Irish language... curious? then read on it gets better,

Róisín Seoighe is a musician and singer from Conamara in Galway whose music mixes different genres from pop & folk to traditional music and cover many different topics from language rights, our relationship with the world around us and finding hope in despair.

This promises to be a great evening, bring your own booze, kick your shoes off at the door, sit back and watch the show your in for a treat I promise you.

How much for this one off musical extravaganza I hear you scream... it's a tenner, that's correct £10 the price of a couple of pints in nearby soulless, trendy bars.

The date is Friday 29th September with guests (you) arriving at 7.30pm and the bands performing at 8.30pm until 23.00pm... far be it from me to suggest an impromptu whip round with a hat... just saying.

Tickets are available but going quick, so get booking.

Book Tickets Here

Salford CVS are delighted to announce that the Heart of Salford Awards are back and are now open for nominations. Join them in celebrating 20 years of the Heart of Salford! 

The Heart of Salford Awards are Salford CVS and Volunteer Centre Salford's annual event to celebrate volunteering and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in Salford.

They have been celebrating the awards since 2003. They are one of the highlights of their year and recognise the achievements of inspiring volunteers, dedicated community groups and brilliant VCSE organisations. 

This year the awards will be held on the afternoon of Thursday 14th December 2023, at Buile Hill Park Hall, so please save the date!

This year Heart of Salford Award categories are:

?Volunteer of the Year Award
?Young Volunteer of the Year Award (under25)
?Volunteering Team of the Year Award
?Community Group of the Year
?Organisation of the Year

Don't miss this opportunity to recognise all the brilliant work and impact your organisation, community group or volunteers have in Salford. All nominees will receive a certificate. 

Fill in the short nomination form now!

Deadline: 13th October

Three men were arrested after the driver of a stolen Lexus vehicle rammed into police vehicles after it was stolen from Worsley, last night.

The vehicle was spotted being driven along the M60 after being reported stolen from an address in Worsley.

It was pursued by police but the driver failed to stop, forcing police to deploy a stinger to bring the vehicle to a halt.

An desperate attempt to escape capture was made by ramming into the police vehicles, but this was ultimately unsuccessful and all three men were arrested and detained into police custody.

In a posting to social media, a spokesperson for GMP, said:

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"This Lexus was stolen overnight in a burglary from Worsley. It was seen by RPU on the M60 and stinger deployed as it exited the motorway.

"The driver attempt to flee by ramming into our vehicles.

"All three occupants of the vehicle were arrested and remain in custody."

 

The mum of an autistic boy with an anxiety disorder has received an apology and £1,100 in compensation from Salford city council for its failure to provide alternative provision for his education while not attending school for eight weeks.

A report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has now rapped the authority on the knuckles. 

Councils have a legal duty to make arrangements for the ‘suitable education’ of children who, because of illness or other reasons, cannot go to school.

‘Miss X’ complained that her son ‘Y’ missed out on his education between January and March 2022, a period of eight weeks, taking into account the half-term break.

In January 2021, the council issued Y’s education, health care plan (EHCP) in line with an education tribunal order. Named in Y’s EHCP was School A, which Y was registered in the same month.

From that time to September 2021, discussions were held between Miss X and the council about provision. 

The council secured and arranged the provision as set out in Y’s EHCP. The report said:

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“It is noted that it was accepted by all parties that the transition to school attendance would be a lengthy process for Y.”

It said that from September 2021 to December 2021, ‘collaborative conversations’ were held between Miss X and the council for reasonable adjustments to provision to support Y to access learning. 

The report continued: “I note having discussed the case with Miss X, that her complaint relates to an absence of alternative provision provided between the period January 2022 to March 2022.”

 

In December 2021, a review of Y’s EHCP took place and in January 2022, the council issued its decision letter.

Prior to December 2021, Y attended introductory sessions via a mentoring programme offering emotional support and guidance for children. In December 2021, the council discussed with School A about funding two hours per week via the school placement funding provided by it.

In January 2022, Miss X wrote to the council saying that whilst the mentoring sessions were progressing well, she was unhappy with a lack of sufficient alternative provision in place whilst Y was capable of more and not attending School A.

The report went on:

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“During the period from January 2022 to March 2022, Y was not attending School A, and the only evidence I have seen of education/alternative provision is that provided by the mentoring programme that Y attended. 

“The council has acknowledged that Y was not attending School A from January 2022 to March 2022.

“Although Miss X reported that Y was enjoying and engaging in the mentoring sessions, this was not sufficient to meet the needs of Y as per his EHCP.

“I have not seen any evidence of additional alternative provision that was provided to Y. The council has acknowledged that it should have provided more suitable education for Y than was offered and delivered by School A. The absence of sufficient alternative provision is fault, and this caused an injustice to Y.”

 

The Ombudsman ordered the council to pay Miss Y £1,100 ‘to be used for the benefit of Y’.

It must also provide a written apology to Miss X, acknowledging the impact its action had on Y.

The report concluded:

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“The council will also explain what it will do to prevent similar occurrences detailed in this complaint. 

“The Ombudsman would like to see evidence of service improvement which specifically addresses occurrences where children are without sufficient educational provision.”

 

A Salford city council spokesperson said:

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“We are unable to comment on individual cases, but the council can confirm a new Access to Education Policy and protocol came into force in September 2022.

“We accept the Ombudsman’s final decision and will follow the agreed action.”

 

A care home for people living with dementia has been found in breach of regulations for the second time in a year.

Holly Court Care Home in Salford was subject to an unannounced follow-up inspection in June after it was deemed ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission in November 2022 when it was found to have contravened the Health and Social Care Act over its administration of medicines, staff training and good governance.

However, at the most recent visit during the summer, the home was found to have breached only one of the regulations by failing to identify failings and shortfalls, ‘impacting on the quality and safety of service provision and outcomes for people’.

And inspectors have commended the home – which has capacity for 25 people – for how ‘responsive’ it is to meeting people’s needs, marking it as ‘good’ in that category.

But overall and in categories of safety, effectiveness and leadership, the service remains with a ‘requires improvement’ assessment.

The CQC report says:

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“We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress.

“We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.”

 

Holly Court, on Priory Grove, Salford is run by Belz Care Ltd. Its director is Robert Baillie, who told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

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“We of course were disappointed by the overall outcome from this inspection, as are our staff team who have and continue to work tirelessly to deliver good quality person-centred care and support. 

“Throughout the report there is a clear acknowledgement of a number of significant improvements that we have made since our last inspection in November with fewer areas of the service requiring improvement and now only one breach in regulation. (Regulation 17 Good Governance)

“We have an action plan in place shared with the CQC to resolve the existing difficulties within our governance systems and processes which have largely impacted upon the outcome of this inspection. 

“This is largely due to the service audit and governance procedures now becoming digitised and our new systems will take time to become more firmly embedded in practice. 

“It is important to note that the report does reflect the delivery of good and responsive care, which is always at the forefront of everything we do.”

 

Many in Salford have awoken to find their cars and garden furniture covered in what appears to be a light covering of dust this morning, meaning the local car washes will be doing a fair bit of business in the next few days.

So what was the cause? 

Was it those pesky aliens again? Maybe a plot by a dark sinister government to use jet planes to seed some mystery substance for nefarious purposes? Was Tony Flynn burning tyres at the back of Lidl again?

Well, despite what some may claim, the signs were evident off in the distance the evening before, as Salford enjoyed yet another spectacular red sunset the usually yellow orb sank towards the horizon, a result of the suns light being bent by dust particles being trapped in the upper atmosphere. 

The source of the dust was not local, far from it, in fact it came from as far afield as the vast Saharan Desert which covers most of North Africa. A common and well known phenomenon which occurs to varying degrees a number of times each year.

The area has seen strong winds in recent weeks and those gusts can blow dust and sand grains high into the atmosphere where they travel north with the heated air from the equator, this time as far as the UK.

As the dust inevitably mixes with moisture in the atmosphere it makes the droplets large enough to fall as rain, carrying the dust along with it.

Sadly as the grains are sharp and course, it can cause damage to paintwork if left on the vehicle as it acts as an abrasive. So best to clean it off as soon as possible.

In what is destined to be a memorable debut, Salford's first interactive trail that celebrates the incredible legacy of the city's music and cultural footprint is set for release, with special appearances from some regional royalty.

Made possible through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, Echo Salford is an exciting new augmented reality (AR) experience that takes users across the places and spaces of Salford's iconic musical and cultural history.

Starting at MediaCity and taking in Salford Lads Club, Islington Mill, Maxwell Hall and ending at the infamous Kings Arms, the trail will take people on a mind-opening visual and audio journey that aims to inspire and educate.

Accessed via the Echo Salford app, the trail enables users to launch an AR experience at each location, view never-before-seen images, create musical content and other digital takeaways, and downloadable memorabilia.

From exploring the Edwardian elegance and Smith's room at the Salford Lads Club, with history spanning over 100 years, to immersing yourself in the artistic epicentre of Islington Mill which is creating a new wave of artists and creators, to getting lyrical and submitting a poem in the style of the wondrous John Cooper Clarke at The Lowry – which he'll also personally review and award prizes to – Echo Salford is also a celebration of the diversity and inclusion that runs through the city.

And if that's not enough to get you hooked, you'll even be able to enjoy the dulcet tones and supporting commentary of some local and national treasures, including Peter Hook, Maxine Peake, and John Cooper Clarke, as well as the next generation of incredible talent from the city such as Priya Matharu and Cheddar Gorgeous.

The trail includes the following locations, experiences, and celebrity commentators:

MediaCity with Mark Radcliffe and Priya Matharu

Place the AR in the middle of Media City Piazza. Mix a track from some famous Salford instruments in the immersive musical playground of music boxes located on the Piazza.

The Lowry with John Cooper Clarke

Meet one of Salford's creative giants and make your own poem in his style to submit for prizes.

Salford Lads Club with legendary Salford Lad DJ Mike Sweeney

Get introduced to the building's history and recreate an iconic picture with The Smiths as your own keepsake.

Islington Mill with the fabulous Cheddar Gorgeous

Experience the interactive graffiti that will help tell the tale of the Mill's musical and LGBTQ+ community.

Working Class Movement Library with actress Maxine Peake

Learn about the library's heritage and musical giants including Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger who were all inspired by the working-class struggle.

Maxwell Hall with one of Salford's finest, Peter Hook

Get a glimpse of gigs from the past and catch a cascade of tickets from seminal concerts with tickets and memorabilia from MDMArchive.

Chapel Street / Bexley Square with sarcastic fortune teller Miss Krystal

She'll introduce you to some of Sounds From The Other City's finest moments. As you wander down the square, performance excerpts appearing in front of you.

Kings Arms with Bez

Meet the infamous Kings Arms cat and jukebox for some musical shenanigans and takeaway a living piece of the Kings Arms history.

Working alongside cultural partners, the University of Salford, and other city stakeholders, Echo Salford is sharing, uncovering, and restoring heritage content, supporting new and future music in Salford, and providing career opportunities for both students and early-stage professionals as they start their media production careers.

Echo Salford is a collaboration between Dig Media and Toasted Productions, who are both based at MediaCity and came together through the destination's innovation community. For the history-fanatics, Dig Media is also the owner of a vast archive of video and visual art created by the prolific filmmaker and social documenter Jack Henry Moore across the 60s, 70s and 80s, which can be viewed on the Dig Media website.

Simon Marsland from Toasted Productions and one of the founders of Echo Salford, said:

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"This is a great experience for both city visitors to explore unknown cultural hotspots and city residents who can gain a new appreciation for their neighbourhood and community. Heritage sites can be lost to regeneration so by using non-invasive augmented reality, physical places can be celebrated for everyone to experience the impact they had and are still having."

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said:

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"The Echo Salford app is another superb 'Salford First', a perfect example of the world class innovation produced here in Salford – right in the heart of our city's immersive technologies and innovation hub in Media City. This wonderful immersive trail shows off Salford's vibrant cultural and musical past, present and future - bringing buildings and people to life in front of our eyes.

"It's also fantastic to see punk-poet and Salford son, John Cooper Clarke, who was recently awarded Freedom of the City making an appearance in the trail. There are many Salford greats to spot along the route. I would encourage residents and visitors interested in music, culture or local history to download the app – it really is a fun way to explore Salford at your own pace."

 

To download the app and for more information visit https://echosalford.co.uk. 

The development of eight one-bedroom flats has been built at Milton Avenue in the Irlam area of Salford by ForHousing.

New tenants will be offered ‘wrap-around support’ from ForHousing in partnership with Salford city council, to give them the best chance of rebuilding their lives and sustaining their tenancy.  

This includes high-level support with setting up bills, paying rent, drug and alcohol support, employment, volunteering, and training. 

Tenancies for the homes are for a maximum of three years so that support continues to be available for other rough sleepers for many years to come. 

In addition to the eight flats ForHousing has also built a three-bedroom house on the site, 

The eight apartments are part of the Government’s Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) and supported by more than £550,000 of Homes England funding.

The Government’s £433m RSAP was launched in 2020 with the aim of delivering up to 6,000 homes for rough sleepers and bringing forward accommodation to help tackle rough sleeping in the long term.

Salford’s deputy city mayor and lead member for housing, property and regeneration Coun Tracy Kelly said:

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“It is great news to see these eight new homes for people at risk of rough sleeping are now ready. The cost-of-living crisis is making it very difficult for lots of people and families in this city, but nobody should be forced to sleep on the streets. 

“The home will make such a difference to the lives of the people who move into them, and the wrap-around care provided should give the residents the vital care, support and opportunities they need. I wish them all the very best for the future.”

 

ForHousing chief executive Mike Parkin added:

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“In the wake of the current economic crisis, homelessness is sadly on the rise. 

“We believe everyone deserves a safe place to call home. That’s why we’re really pleased to see people who were homeless making a fresh start in these new homes on Milton Avenue.”

 

ForHousing and its contractor PLP Construction Ltd, which delivered the Milton Avenue scheme, have already broken ground on its next site with a second scheme going through planning. 

A further eight one-bedroom homes through RSAP have started on-site in Pendlebury, Swinton and a further six homes in Eccles are currently going through the planning process. ForHousing has invested close to £2m in these developments. 

To date, the landlord has developed eight new homes and refurbished 16 flats in Salford thanks to RSAP and Next Steps Accommodation Programme (NSAP) funding, and in total, ForHousing has invested £3.6m into these homes. 

NSAP is a government funding initiative, separate to RSAP, for schemes focused on preventing people who were sleeping rough and given temporary accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic, from returning to the streets.

All this week we have been posting photographs taken by Bernard Doyle in the 1960s and 1970s which had lain in a bag for many, many years before Phil Rawnley contacted us to see if they were of any use, obviously we were delighted and Carl using his technical magic managed to restore many of the slides.

Amongst them was one of two Nursing Sisters outside the long, demolished Maternity Unit they have been identified as being Sister Annie Norton an Sister Mary Cherry at Hope Hospital, but the burning question was, what has happened to the sculpture of the Mother and Child?

The photograph sparked a huge debate about both, the Nursing Sisters and the location of the sculpture with it has to be said, very wild guesses ranging from it has been stolen, it's in a Museum and it's in storage at the hospital. All wrong I am happy to say.

My good friend John Bolton knew the exact location in the hospital and kindly sent me several photographs, and told me that:

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"The sculpture is in the Memorial Garden the garden is still wonderfully maintained.. anyone wishing to visit it is situated adjacent to the entrance near the Christie building at the far end of the Ladywell building car park."

Great to see that is has been saved and is in a fitting location, a garden where you can contemplate on loved and lost one's.

I was told that the sculpture may be the work of Arthur Dooley a Liverpudlian artist and I am inclined to agree, can anybody confirm this?

Many thanks for all your contributions and especially to John Bolton for taking the time to photograph and name the location.

A group of nine campaigners from Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) has released a music single today.

GO WASPI WOMEN!
 
The song is an original written by Robert Laughlin who also plays the music on the single.

It was written for the North Derbyshire WASPI group who performed it in a play about their campaign written by Lynn Ludditt and directed by Carole Copeland.

Angela Madden, Chair of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign and also local group coordinator for North Derbyshire WASPI, who features in the song said: 

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“This song is not just a ‘bit of fun’.  It is – sadly – deadly serious, since 250,000 women have already lost their lives while government – and the Ombudsman – continues to prevaricate. 
 
“It is perfectly clear that there was maladministration in DWP, as the testimony of thousands of women every day on our social media bears out.  Women did not know about the state pension age changes and have lost massive opportunities to plan properly for their retirement as a result.“

You can support the Campaign and the NE Derbyshire WASPI women by purchasing the song here: https://ndwaspi.bandcamp.com/track/waspi-women-weve-been-stung

All proceeds from the sale of the song will go into campaign funds to continue publicising the aims of the WASPI Campaign in ever more innovative ways.

Meanwhile Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey spoke of her support from WASPI on Salford City Radio, a link to the interview can be found here

Award-winning play 2:22 A Ghost Story that comes to The Lowry, Salford for Halloween as part of its first ever tour on Tuesday 31st October to Saturday 4th November 2023.

All new production images have been released for the first UK tour of Danny Robins’ edge-of-your-seat, supernatural thriller 2:22 - A Ghost Story.

The tour opened at Bath Theatre Royal this week and comes to The Lowry, Salford from Tuesday 31st October to Saturday 4th November 2023.

Joe Absolom (A Confession, Doc Martin) will play Ben, Charlene Boyd (Mayflies, River City) will play Lauren, Nathaniel Curtis (It’s a Sin, The Witcher) will play Sam and Louisa Lytton (EastEnders, The Bill) will play Jenny.

Photo ©: Charlene Boyd as Lauren and Joe Absolom as Ben. Photo by Johan Persson

“THERE’S SOMETHING IN OUR HOUSE. I HEAR IT EVERY NIGHT, AT THE SAME TIME" Jenny believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn’t having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and that something is getting closer, so they’re going to stay up... until 2:22... and then they’ll know.

Written by award-winning writer Danny Robins, creator of the hit BBC podcast The Battersea Poltergeist, and directed by Matthew Dunster and Isabel Marr; 2:22 is an adrenaline-filled night where secrets emerge and ghosts may, or may not, appear…

What do you believe? And do you dare discover the truth?

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“A slick, chilling, romp of a play” The Guardian

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‘A modern classic’ Sunday Times

2:22 - A Ghost Story is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Isobel David and Kater Gordon.

 

A Cannabis farm was uncovered by police officers who executed a Section 23 warrant at an address in the Claremont area following recent reports of intelligence.

During a search of the property on Friday 1st September 2023, a number of plants were found along with equipment used in their cultivation. The plants have been removed to be destroyed and the equipment has been confiscated. 

Two individuals were arrested at the scene and taken to a nearby police station to be questioned.

Members of the public can provide information to your local policing team via 101 and on the GMP Website.

Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Photo ©: Stock Image

It seems that the Eccles branch of the beleaguered retailer will not be saved as it is scheduled for permanent closure on Thursday 14th September 2023. 

The news comes a day after rival retailer B&M bought up to 51 other Wilko stores in a deal worth up to £13 million, the name was not part of the deal so the stores will rebrand once the sale is completed.

The list of stores purchased by B&M has not been released as yet, although it is expected that the Pendleton store will soon meet with the same fate, although a closure date has yet to be confirmed.

The raft of store closures in the coming week will lead to to 1,016 redundancies, with further job losses affecting warehouse and service centre staff.

Administrators at PwC took over Wilko last month, after attempts to sell the entire business failed. They have aimed to sell as many stores as possible in order to realise value for the retailer’s creditors.

An award-winning technology group has delivered £14.3 million of social and economic impact in 2023, demonstrating the importance of balancing commercial business success with social responsibility. 

IN4 Group, headquartered in MediaCity, Salford, has experienced rapid growth of 1000 per cent in revenue from half a million pounds in 2020, and a 2000 per cent increase in profitability as it has expanded operations across the North West, the Midlands and internationally. 

According to the Social Impact Report produced by Social Value Business in partnership with the Social Value Quality Mark CIC (SVQM), for every £1 invested in the Group's programmes, there is a social return on investment (SROI) of £5.42 with a total of £14,271,197 generated on behalf of its stakeholders. This is a significant increase of more than three times the value of social impact compared to the previous year of £4.6 million. 

The value IN4 offers is broken down into five key areas: employment and volunteering (£7,358,076), education and skills (£3,734,552), social and community (£2,179,341), health and wellbeing (£875,069), and economic added value (£124,157). 

This social impact has been created through Skills City, one of the country's largest digital Skills Bootcamps operations, and CyberFirst North West, which is an initiative delivered on behalf of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of GCHQ. 

It was found that out of the total participants across all activities in 2022-2023, 80 per cent were female and 65 per cent were from ethnic minorities, showcasing the diversity in backgrounds of the individuals who have been supported with access to the tech sector. 

Figures from the report also revealed:

• Skills City's Skills Bootcamps generated £12.7 million of social impact in 2023 and out of the 623 interns, 60 per cent secured new tech jobs.
• There has been an investment of over £600,000 and a contribution of more than 2,200 hours dedicated to the CyberFirst North West programme from across the public and private sector, including its Apex partners: IBM, Northrop Grumman, KPMG UK, QinetiQ, Roke, and BT.
• CyberFirst North West achieved £1.57 million of social impact in less than 12 months, establishing 13 local schools and colleges from Lancashire and Greater Manchester as among the best in the UK for cyber and STEM education. 

IN4 has created a unique innovation blueprint that unlocks the potential of highly skilled local talent through technology, delivering sustainable prosperity in communities. It has designed and established several programmes to empower people, particularly young girls, and women, and those from disadvantaged and underrepresented communities in launching successful tech careers. 

The Group has successfully secured several government contracts worth over £3.5m through its Skills City operation, enabling more than 600 people to access skills and career development opportunities every year. 

IN4 also operates innovation hub HOST, the Home of Skills & Technology in MediaCity, where it recently launched the Manchester Esports Academy (MEA), a first-of-its-kind, junior professional esports education and skills programme for young people aged 8-16 in Greater Manchester. 

Mo Isap, CEO of IN4 Group, said:

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"We established IN4 Group with a mission that was profit with a purpose. Uniquely operating two balance sheets, one commercial and one social, equally successful and operating in unison. Four years into this journey, we are well on track with this mission. Sharing this success with our clients, partners, and stakeholders, and achieving over £14 million in social impact further drives our ambition to continue changing lives for the better through technology. 

"I believe this is the new order of business. The balance sheet of your business should be as strong as your social impact, and a company must be viewed through the lens of being both commercially successful and sustainable, but also making a significant social impact on our communities." 

Richard Dickins, MD Social Value Business, said: "We congratulate IN4 Group on the significant social value they are driving through Skills City and CyberFirst North West. These programmes are outstanding examples of how the tech industry can support young and underrepresented people into digital careers. IN4 Group show a consistent passion and commitment to driving prosperity at a community level. It has been a pleasure to map and measure their impact." 

 

The Social Impact Report can be viewed here.

The boss of a housing trust for vulnerable people says she is powerless to prevent ‘rogue occupants’ of a 10-flat ‘den of iniquity’ from making life hell for neighbouring residents. 

Sensory Housing Trust specialises in accommodating people exiting homelessness, dealing with abusive family circumstances and struggling with mental health problems.

But its director Susan Kaur says that despite her ‘best efforts’ she has been unable to tackle the issues facing people living in Glendale Road in the leafy Ellesmere Park area of Eccles. 

Neighbouring residents say they are at their ‘wit’s end’ over the problems they claim are caused by tenants at the house of multiple occupation (HMO).

Complaints include prostitution, drug dealing, fighting, verbal abuse and intimidation, dog attacks, cannabis use, filth strewn around the property, including human waste, homeless people living in derelict garages, knife crime, and loud music being played through the night into the small hours of the morning.

Neighbours – and one resident living in the HMO itself – told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) of multiple visits to the property by police, often at night.

Ms Kaur, who is also a psychotherapist, said: “The system [of housing vulnerable people in communities] is totally broken.

“I didn’t realise when I got into the business of housing these people how bad the legal system is. I have been powerless to prevent this from happening and have had little to no help from the other agencies involved, including the police and the [Salford] council.”

Ms Kaur said that eight of the tenants in the large Victorian property have been housed at the request of Salford’s neighbouring councils, Manchester and Trafford.

“But the responsibility for what’s happening there lies with Salford city council,” she said.

A Salford city council spokesperson said: “A community protection notice was served on the flat in April 2023.  We are aware of complaints from residents and continuing to work with the agency which manages the tenancies of the building. 

“We are also working with our partners which includes Greater Manchester Police, the local MP [Rebecca Long-Bailey] and local councillors, to listen to the concerns of residents to find a solution that suits all parties.”

Meanwhile, one neighbour who did not wish to be named said airgun shots had been fired at her home and showed the LDRS the pellet marks in the rendering on the wall.

“The HMO is a den of iniquity that no one seems to be taking responsibility for,” she said. “We live in beautiful harmony round here [with other neighbours].

“But people have been put here with special needs with no supervision. They’ve put people in there with drug problems and all sorts of other issues, but no one is checking on them. There seems to be a rogue element there.”

One of the residents of the HMO is a 25-year-old woman who was housed there after suffering family abuse. She says she has been the victim of an assault by one of the other tenants with court proceedings pending.

Another resident of the HMO is said to have a pit bull-type dog which has attacked another dog and several people.

One person said: “The police are here four or five times a week, but nothing seems to be getting done to solve this problem. It’s unbelievable that this allowed to carry on.”

Sergeant Paul Mottram, from Greater Manchester Police’s Salford district, said: “The Neighbourhood Team at Eccles has been investigating a number of reports of anti-social behaviour at a property in Eccles. At least one person has been arrested under suspicion in relation to these matters.

“We fully investigated reports of an air gun being fired, but no evidence has linked it to the incidents raised regarding the anti-social behaviour.

“We have been working closely with Salford city council and the housing provider, Sensory Housing, to address the matter and prevent further incidents from occurring. In addition, we are meeting with the residents, councillors and the council this month to discuss their concerns, and provide advice and solutions to any queries they may have.

“If any residents have information they wish to make us aware of, then they can call 101 directly to report information. Alternatively, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”

Trafford Centre is marking its 25th birthday with a FREE one-hour show, headlined by 90s stars B*Witched – well-known for their iconic double denim looks and also celebrating their 25thanniversary this year.

This feel-good, family-friendly show will take place in The Orient on Friday 29 September at 7pm.

Journey through the decades and take a look back at the very best of fashion, pop culture and music over the last 25 years and beyond, delving into what the future of fashion might hold.

Featuring incredible dance acts, archive video footage, iconic fashion and music from across the decades, this promises to be an unforgettable show. Local cheerleading group Electric Athletes will also be entertaining the crowds with their dynamic and energetic cheer routines.

This one-hour show, hosted by radio presenter Chelsea Norris, is totally free – but people are advised to arrive early to secure a guaranteed spot in the audience.

Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, said:

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“As Trafford Centre marks its 25th birthday, we are embracing our heritage, relishing in our present and looking excitedly ahead to our future. For 25 years, we’ve been a beacon of fashion excellence and style, with people flocking from far and wide to shop the biggest fashion brands, using the Trafford Centre as their own catwalk. As we celebrate this milestone, we want to continue that legacy of inspiring future generations to embrace their individual style – whatever the future of fashion may hold!”

Fashion fans can also enjoy fashion displays from the past, present and future across the centre throughout the month of September, featuring shoppable looks from the centre’s biggest brands.

Find out more here: traffordcentre.co.uk/endlessfashionevent.

Taurus Investment Holdings have now achieved completion at ‘Eda’, Erie Dock Apartments, the landmark 290-bedroom Build-to-Rent (BTR) scheme at Salford Quays.

At 29-storeys the BTR building is the highest residential tower on the Salford Quays skyline and has been completed on budget and three months ahead of schedule by contractor Domis Construction.

Last month the team secured the first letting for the building with numerous units also now under offer having received over 500 enquiries in the first four days of marketing.

Designed by Chapman Taylor architects, Eda is a 250,640 sq ft, L-shaped residential building comprising one, two and three-bedroom apartments which are now available to let. Three show apartments, designed and furnished by Project FF&E, are open for walk-in viewings throughout September. A series of curated events for residents and prospective occupiers is also planned through the autumn with partnerships from local retail and leisure operators.

Commenting on the partnership with Taurus and achieving early completion of Eda, Simon Gallanders, Managing Director of Cole Waterhouse Residential, said:

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“We’ve worked in close partnership with our joint venture partner Taurus and our contractor Domis to achieve this milestone, taking a highly collaborative approach from start to finish which has had a significant impact on the speed and quality of delivery. We have some exciting collaborations planned with local food and drink establishments, leisure, retail and transport operators to provide discounts and exclusive deals for our new residents who are looking forward to moving into the building this month.”

“The delivery of Eda really has been a great example of a best-in-class partnership working together to achieve a superb sustainable project,” stated Nick Jacobs, Managing Director of Taurus UK. “We started this programme in Covid and despite the continued economic turbulence and the associated supply and skills issues Domis has completed a remarkable job to be able to achieve such an early handover of the building.”

“I am grateful for the incredible efforts and execution of all our partners who have helped to bring to life our unique and distinctive vision for Eda.”

 

He added:

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“We are already working on our second joint venture partnership with Cole Waterhouse at Upper Trinity Street in Digbeth, Birmingham and look forward to bringing the first phase forwards in 2024.”

Lee McCarren, Managing Director of Domis Construction, added:

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“We’re proud to have completed the tallest tower in Salford Quays well ahead of time and that achievement is down to the dedication and commitment of our superb team working in close collaboration with Cole Waterhouse and Taurus.

“The team developed an incredible bond during the delivery of this prestigious scheme, taking a real partnership approach, with flexibility and trust shown on all sides. This is our second highly successful project with Cole Waterhouse and Eda will be a fantastic addition to the residential offer in Salford.”

 

Eda is Cole Waterhouse and Taurus’ first joint BTR targeted development in the UK. The entire project team celebrated the delivery and handover of the building with an on-site event on 31st August which saw the unveiling of a specially commissioned plaque to celebrate the roles of all the project partners.

Eda residents will benefit from access to biodiverse green spaces, including two landscaped terrace gardens on the mezzanine and level 19, plus private terraces for each rooftop penthouse apartment.

Built with integrated energy-efficient design principles in mind, Eda uses high grade insulation for a thermally efficient construction with low air permeability, energy-efficient appliances, LED lighting to minimise energy consumption and reduce utility costs for residents, as well as MVHR systems to reduce heating loads.

The development is close to Anchorage Metrolink station and local bus routes to encourage public transport use. Bicycle storage and EV chargers are also available to residents.

At ground level there is 4,000 sq ft of commercial space already pre-let to Co-op Food, as well as extensive areas of internal amenity including a co-working space, residents’ lounges, cinema room, bookable private dining and entertaining facilities along with a fully equipped gym and a dedicated on-site concierge and management team.

Police appeal for information following the theft of a motorbike which is used to transport vitally important blood supplies to those in desperate need.

The vehicle was stolen,  between the hours of 0100 and 1000 this morning (02/09/2023) and was found damaged and abandoned in the wasteland behind Cumberland Avenue in Cadishead.

Police say that they believe the offenders may have used Allenby Road and the surrounding estate to wheel it through to the Allotments. If anyone has ring camera or CCTV footage, police would appreciate if you came forward.

The vehicle is currently now off the road, meaning it can not fulfil its purpose, which puts lives in danger.

Police can be contacted on 101 or online quoting reference 1115-02092023.

Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously.

Police say that they are following other lines of inquiry at this time.

Police in Salford are appealing for the help of the public in tracing Khaja Nadeemuddin (18/04/1997).

He is wanted in connection to a serious sexual assault which took place in Salford in 2020.

Police say that he also has links to the Preston and Ulster area.

If you have any info on his whereabouts please call 0161 856 5351 or @CrimestoppersUK

Housing association Salix Homes has announced the finalists in its annual Springboard Heroes Awards, but voting closes this Friday, September 8.

For the past year, Salix Homes has been awarding grants to groups and projects across Salford that are making a difference in communities, donating more than £49,000 to dozens of local groups and initiatives as part of its Springboard community grant programme.

Now the landlord has picked four fantastic finalists from the projects it has supported over the past year, who are all in with a chance of winning an extra £1,000, and it’s up to the public to vote for their favourite.

Hundreds of votes have been cast so far, but it’s not too late to vote for your favourite and help them win the cash boost.

Sian Grant, Executive Director of Customers and Communities at Salix Homes, said:

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“The Springboard Heroes Awards are our way of recognising some of the amazing work that’s being done in Salford to boost community spirit, promote health and wellbeing, reduce isolation and improve the environment.

“Every single one of our finalists has gone to extraordinary lengths to improve lives and increase opportunities for people and communities, and our Springboard grant programme exists to help them continue the wonderful work they do.

“While they are all worthy winners in our eyes, it’s up to the public to decide who should be crowned this year’s Springboard Heroes winner, and as we enter the final days of voting, we know it’s going to be a very close call, so I’d urge people to cast their vote now and choose their community heroes before it’s too late.”

 

The finalists for the Springboard Heroes Awards 2023 are:

Chandos Bowling Club: 

For more than 50 years, Chandos Bowling Club, based in Weaste, has been at the heart of the community, providing a welcoming sporting and social activity that is open to all. Its members describe it as an “oasis in the middle of Salford” and for many it’s been a lifeline for helping to overcome isolation or mental health issues, offering a safe and inclusive place to exercise, meet with friends and get some fresh air, providing lasting benefits to people’s health and wellbeing.

Ordsall Community Arts Centre: 

This community arts group provides arts and education opportunities for people of all ages, running a wide range of art-based activities including woodwork workshops, sewing and craft, creative writing and knit and natter sessions. The group’s volunteers are real advocates for using art to improve health and wellbeing.

Salford Forum for Refugees and People Seeking Asylum: 

The forum is made up of representatives from local community groups to provide help and support to refugees and people seeking asylum in Salford. Together they organise events and initiatives to help promote community cohesion and create opportunities to bring together people from different backgrounds.

Visit from the Stork: 

This family support organisation provides low-cost access to essential equipment for families experiencing poverty, including nappies, formula and toys, and they also run groups and activities including breastfeeding support and parent and baby classes. They work closely with last year’s Springboard Heroes winner – Manchester City Mission, providing baby and childcare essentials for families on low incomes.

Visit www.salixhomes.co.uk/heroes2023 to watch a short video of each of the finalists and cast your vote online. The deadline for voting closes on Friday, September 8 and the winners will be announced the following week.