Unrest and anger is still growing within Greater Manchester and throughout the North at increasing claims that placing these areas into Tier Three without sufficient financial help from Government would not only leave thousands in poverty, but also would not substantially stop the spread of Coronavirus. With conversations between Northern Leaders and the Government consistently being described as ‘furious’, these tensions clearly came to the forefront in Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham’s, statement yesterday afternoon. He said: “ That was our conclusion from the No10 meeting this morning: they are willing to sacrifice jobs and businesses here to try and save them elsewhere. “Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City-Region and Lancashire are being set up as the canaries in the coalmine for an experimental regional lockdown strategy as an attempt to prevent the expense of what is truly needed.” “We aren’t going to be pushed around any more.” He also stated that he has been told by Chief Medical Advisor Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, that this Tier Three action would not bring the cases of infection down. Sir Richard Leese, Manchester City Council Leader said: "Tier 3 - being asked to do something that even the government's own advisors say are unlikely to work, increased restrictions with inadequate support - feels like the worst of all worlds." The most recent statement from the Northern Leaders issued this morning states clearly that the northern Mayors of Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and North Tyne are united in their demand for an 80 percent furlough scheme before they will accept the Tier Three status. It says: “This is a fight for what is right.” Andy Burnham has also threatened legal action action on the grounds of discrimination against the government, but Health Secretary Matt Hancock has stated very clearly this morning that the government are legally able and willing to enforce Tier Three across the North if support cannot be achieved. In an interview with BBC News, Hancock asked Northern leaders to set aside party politics. He added: “This is a time for people to come together so we can control this virus.” But this statement does little to inspire unity with Westminster from Northern Leaders, many of whom are criticising the Government for confusing the nation by releasing key information to the media, before announcing it officially or even telling Northern MP’s. The initial leak to the press regarding Greater Manchester being placed into Tier Three was on the evening of Thursday last week, with still no clarity on the situation from the Government as of now. This morning, it has been reported that Lancashire have come to an agreement with Government, to be placed into the Tier Three category, without any clear indication of increased financial support. Included in this agreement are Blackpool, Blackburn and Fleetwood, meaning pubs and restaurants will close across these areas as they succumb to the highest level of restrictions. In an interview this morning regarding Greater Manchester, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We do need to see action. “I would much rather not impose things, I’d much rather that we were able to work out something together with local authorities, with the Mayor in Manchester, but it’s up to local leaders to show the kind of leadership that we have seen in Liverpool, in Lancashire, and in London.” In his statement to the nation today at 4pm, the Prime Minister reiterated that an agreement has still not been reached with Greater Manchester, and stated that he will enforce the measures if necessary. He said: “I urge the Mayor to reconsider and engage constructively. “Of course, if agreement cannot be reached, I will need to intervene.” It seems that this row between The North and Westminster will continue until a final decision is made, and quite possibly continue long after. The PM’s new system places various areas of the country in either medium, high, or very high, with Manchester falling into the high category. Northern leaders had previously criticised the government for lack of clarity regarding restrictions in the north. Manchester has been placed in ‘tier 2’ of the system, meaning pubs, restaurants and takeaways will stay open, but must close by 10pm, after it has been widely disputed that there was sufficient evidence that pubs and restaurants were responsible for spreading the virus. Gyms, sports centres, hairdressers and cinemas can also carry on as normal, however the ban on home visits and gatherings of over 6 will stay in place, unless they are taking place in private gardens, as meet- ing indoors with those outside your bubble are banned. Much to the disappointment of many readers, this year’s Christmas mar- kets have been cancelled, after it was deemed they would be a public health risk. Many have argued that it’s totally unfair to treat Manchester and the north like a testing ground for the north, with one local politician adding the government could not ‘just switch the economy on and off like a light switch’. Areas in tier 2 of the lockdown system will be reviewed every 14 days, and new restrictions are to be reviewed every 28 days. Businesses and venues have been instructed to remain closed between 10pm and 5am, and to ensure those meeting on the premis- es adhere to social distancing guidelines and do not mix households or support bubbles. People can still attend places of worship, as long as people do not mingle with others from outside of their support bubble or house- hold, while weddings and funerals can still take place, but are limited to 15 people respectively. The Prime Minister said if the new rules are not implemented, there would be an unbearable strain on the NHS:“Doctors and nurses would be simply unable to devote themselves to other treatments - cancer, heart disease and countless more.” Discussions have already taken place as to whether Manchester should be placed in tier 3, So far, Merseyside and Lancashire are the only areas to be placed in tier 3 - very high alert - meaning betting shops, casinos, gyms and leisure centres have closed, however pubs and restaurants have closed unless they serve ‘substantial meals’, with affected staff being placed on fur- lough, and Greater Manchester is expected to follow. This comes after intensive care units in Liverpool have reportedly almost reached full capacity, with Liverpool’s leaders have also criticised the government’s measures, claiming they were not consulted or informed, before they were put in place, and that their local economy would suffer. Reportedly, the government’s Joint Biosecurity Team’s Gold Command is considering Manchester, as well as much of the North East and North West, large sections of Yorkshire, the Midlands and London in tier 3 - very high alert, although no final decision has been made. Andy Burnham has said he is ‘considering legal action’ if the govern- ment chose to go ahead with the tier 3 lockdown. The Prime Minister, as well as from advisors from Sage, has been under pressure from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to call for a short ‘circuit breaker’ national lockdown, citing the recent spike in infections and hospital admissions, with cases having reached 100 per 100,000 over seven days. Infections have been rising at such an alarming rate that Chief Medi- cal Officer Chris Whitty warned the tier 3 system would be ‘not sufficient’ to fully curb the spread of the virus. However, Johnson resisted these, wanting to ‘seize this moment now to avoid the misery of another lockdown.’ Mr Burnham has claimed that the government must give more financial support before placing Manchester into full lockdown. Yesterday, he spoke out against the government, saying they were ignoring the advice of their own experts and that a tier 3 lockdown would have a severe impact on the local economy, saying ‘people are fed up of being treated in this way.’ STAND OFF! What would tier 3 mean for residents of Greater Manchester? By Gemma Bradley LOCAL LEGEND TO NATIONAL HERO Rashford has week to remember... www.mancunianmatters.co.uk @MM_newsonline By Ted Stirzaker Region’s leaders refuse to bow to pressure from Gov’t as tier 3 looms for Greater Manchester Manchester Metropolitan Uni- versity students have been thrown into disarray in the past few weeks as lockdown has been imposed on two halls of residence. On Friday September 25, the residents of Birley Campus and Cambridge Halls were told firmly that they needed to self-isolate for 14 days, leaving 1,700 stu- dents shocked, confused and many without enough basic ne- cessities. The lockdown is seen to have been very ‘last-minute’, with some students claiming they only found out that they were under lockdown as they at- tempted to walk out of their front gate. However, the lockdown has since been confirmed to be op- tional on Sunday October 2 by MMU and Manchester Council, despite initial reports of it being compulsory. The University has also stated that they will be giving these stu- dents a two-week rent rebate to make up for any losses they may experience due to lockdown, but many claim the lockdown has been handled poorly. In a tough statement made on October 1, the University and College Union called for Profes- sor Malcolm Press to resign im- mediately. In a statement, it said: “Threats and blame culture had no part to play in a responsible approach to public health, especially in the middle of a pandemic.” UCU Regional Official Martyn Moss said: “We need a serious response to this crisis and threatening and blaming stu- dents is not the right approach. “If the university refuses to work with us then we will be left with little alternative than to ask mem- bers if they are prepared to take industrial action to protect their health and safety, and that of students and the local commu- nity.” This follows reports made that the University sent emails out telling students to take posters in their accommodation windows down, which has since been called an infringement on stu- dents’ rights. The Vice-Chancellor Professor Malcolm Press is showing no signs of resigning. However, the UCU has since welcomed the decision by both the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan Univer- sity to move all learning online until at least the October 30. On the weekend of September 30, a mass testing took place at two sets of Manchester Metropolitan Halls, with over 42 percent of the 640 tests coming back positive. The University of Manchester have also issued a warning after a large gathering of students was dispersed by police outside Owens Park halls in Fallowfield during freshers’ week. Although this specific lockdown of Birley Campus and Cam- bridge Halls is now over, many students feel concerned that there are more restrictions to come. www.mancunianmatters.co.uk October 2020 2 NEWS Students to face further lockdowns? CREATIVE: Manchester Metropolitan University halls, taken by @dobraszczyk via Twitter. Greater Manchester narrowly avoided the clo- sure of hospitality venues earlier this week following fierce opposition from local leaders and trade bodies. Bars in the area were allowed to stay open after being argued down from Tier 3, with the highest restrictions, to Tier 2. Crucial to the success of local resistance was the Night Time Industries Association’s threat to take legal action against the closure of the sector again, as part of their ‘save nightlife’ campaign. NTIA boss Michael Kill said: “This next round of restrictions is hugely disproportionate and unjust, with no scientific rationale or correlation to Public Health England transmission rates, when compared to other key environments." Industry figure heads such as Night Time Economy Advisor Sacha Lord and The British Beer and Pub Association are sup- porting the NTIA’s campaign, as well as large pub organisations including Joseph Holt and JW Lees. But even without being forced to close, restaurants and pubs under Tier 2 restrictions are struggling financially at reduced capacity as a result of the ongoing 10pm curfew. Independent, family-run Atlas Bar in Manchester city centre has been vocal in their opposition, hash- tagging ‘cancel the curfew’ and ‘keep the lights on’ on their Facebook page, and have signed up in support of the NTIA legal action. Co-owner Mark Wrigley said: “The 10pm curfew completely annihilated the city centre bars such as ours; it means that people now have no incentive to come into town.” Concerning the financial impact such measures have had he said: “It’s like limping along with both hands tied behind our backs and blind folded, making 20% of normal takings.” The business has been forced to lay off some staff and cancel a delivery of beer worth up to £3000 to cuts costs and prevent waste. Chief Executive of UK hospitality Kate Nicholls said about businesses in Tier 2: “They have the worst of both worlds, operating under significant restrictions without the financial support on offer to Tier 3 busi- nesses.” With a rising case rate and many officials calling for further restric- tions there is no guarantee that Manchester bars will remain open much longer. If forced to close the Atlas Bar would be in a similarly difficult financial position since it has fixed costs of around £3000 per week, so the Government’s offer of £3000 per month would only cover 25% of their expenses. Mr Wrigley said: “The reality of what the Government is offering is just an insult to business and business owners – we’re just being hung out to dry. “Andy Burnham is doing a fantastic job standing up, trying to push the Government to do the right thing.” The Mayor of Manchester teamed up with other Northern leaders in an open letter slamming the Government for treating hospitality workers as ‘second-class citizens’ and demanding a more sub- stantial financial support package for the many businesses on a ‘knife-edge’. Mr Wrigley added: “This is not about making money this is about how do I lose money at the slowest rate.” Bar owners fear worse as city survives Tier 3... for now A University of Manchester student has been found dead in his halls of residence, at the age of 19. This tragic death is not being treated as suspicious, and is not coronavirus related. The young man was pronounced dead at the scene, a ft er emergency services had been called to the Fal low fi eld halls at 5pm Thursday. The student has not been named, and no further informa ti on has been released. The family is asking the public to re spect their privacy during this di ffi cult ti me, and the University has ensured that they are suppor ti ng the family as much as they can. In a statement from the University on behalf of the students family, Di rector for the Student Experience Simon Merrywest said: "The family have asked us to make it clear that this incident is not Covid 19 related and that they would wish to see their privacy respected at this di ffi cult ti me.” An inquest is expected, with more details to follow at a later date. Manchester University student found dead in halls By Gemma Bradley By Rebecca Cooley FEARS: Atlas Bar owner Mark Wrigley By Gemma Bradley wwww.mancunianmatters.co.uk October 2020 NEWS 3 Calls for tougher fire sprinkler laws in region’s schools The revela ti on that fi re fi ghters have been called to Greater Manchester schools more than 200 ti mes since 2015 is prompt ing calls for tougher laws on sprinkler installa ti ons. A Freedom of Informa ti on request made to the Greater Manch ester Combined Authority revealed that the fi re service has at tended 224 blazes over the last fi ve years – an average of almost one a week. Three of the fi res destroyed the en ti re school building while ten resulted in injuries. And analysis from school insurers Zurich Municipal shows schools are twice as likely as other buildings to be hit by a fi re – promp ti ng them to launch a campaign for a law change on sprinklers in schools. Of the school blazes Greater Manchester fi re services were called out to, sprinkler systems were fi tt ed at just six of the incidents. Sprinklers are proven to signi fi cantly reduce the damage caused by fi re and are compulsory in all new or major refurbished school buildings in Scotland and Wales, but this is not the case in Eng land. According to Zurich, they are fi tt ed in fewer than one in six new English schools. The company is now urging MPs to review the law and has started a parliamentary pe titi on which it is encouraging the public to sign to get the issue debated in Parliament. Despite being far riskier than average when it comes to fi res, many schools also lack measures to prevent small fi res becoming major disasters. Of more than 1000 school in spec ti ons carried out by Zurich, 66% were rated as having ‘poor’ fi xed fi re protec ti on systems, such as sprinklers. A further quarter were judged ‘poor’ for fi re detec ti on mea sures, such as smoke detectors and fi re alarms. Na ti onally, fi re fi ghters have been called to nearly 2,000 school blazes in the last three years. Malfunc ti oning appliances or equipment, faulty electrics and kitchen blazes are among the leading causes of fi re and in Greater Manchester, 43 fi res were logged as having been started deliber ately. Larger fi res in schools cost on average £2.8million to repair and in some cases more than £20million. In June, Boris Johnson pledged £1billion to fund a decade long school rebuilding and repair programme and a further £560million in early August. Zurich wants the government to ring fence some of this promised investment to improve the resilience of schools at high risk of fi re. Tilden Watson, Zurich Municipal’s head of educa ti on, said: “An alarming number of school buildings pose a high fi re risk yet many are poorly protected against a poten ti al blaze. “Unless Ministers bring England into line with other parts of the UK, large fi res will con ti nue to blight schools and put lives at risk. “The Government’s COVID 19 investment is a cri ti cal opportunity to ensure schools are more resilient to fi re.” Nick Coombe, building safety programme lead for the Na ti onal Fire Chiefs Council, added: “The case for sprinklers is compelling. “Of almost 1000 fi res over fi ve years in buildings where sprinklers were fi tt ed, our research found they controlled or ex ti nguished blazes in 99% of cases. “Sprinklers can drama ti cally reduce fi re damage, making the re opening of a school much easier.” In response, the Government said it was commi tt ed to revising Building Bulle ti n 100, the Department for Educa ti on's (DfE) guid ance on fi re safety design for new schools and is expec ti ng to launch a public consulta ti on shortly. A spokesman said: “All schools are required to have an up to date Fire Risk Assessment and to conduct regular fi re drills. All new school buildings must be signed o ff by an inspector to cer ti fy that they meet the requirements of building regula ti ons. "Where sprinklers are considered necessary to protect pupils and sta ff , they must be installed.” An out of work actor from Italy has de fi ed the economic downturn to launch an Ital ian desserts business a ft er a successful crowdfunding campaign. Ma tti a Paradiso started fundraising a ft er an overwhelming number of ti ramisu orders forced him to fi nd a permanent kitchen. He raised over £8,000 in 50 days from over 100 supporters, enabling him to upscale the business out of his home kitchen. He said: “People have been so suppor ti ve. It’s so ful fi lling, you know.” Ma tti a had the idea for the business over a year ago, no ti cing a gap in the market: he couldn’t fi nd takeaway ti ramisu anywhere. “I thought it’d be nice to start something so people can enjoy ti ramisu at home, or wher ever. “The actual transla ti on of ti ramisu is cheer me up or pick me up,” he said. It was only a ft er the lockdown kicked in and all of his ac ti ng and hospitality work was cancelled that he fi nally had the ti me to work on the idea. “Suddenly, I was like: ‘I’m going to make some Tiramisu for my neighbours and see what happens.’ That’s how I started in Castle fi eld.” Word spread and demand for the co ff ee fl avoured dessert escalated. Once the na ti onal lockdown was li ft ed, Par adiso Authen ti c Italian became a regular fi x ture at food markets, including GRUB, Great Northern Makers Market and the Lowry Outlet square. Thanks to his supporters, Ma tti a has now got his hands on a dedicated kitchen unit in Ancoats. He is keen to keep his treats open for all, whatever their dietary requirements—and they are alcohol free: “At this stage in the world, you have to be inclusive, you can’t just s ti ck to one recipe.” His most recent menu includes the classico fl avour, alongside Bisco ff , pistachio Nutella and a vegan version—plus cannoli. Ma tti a trained and worked in musical the atre in Rome, before moving to Manchester over three years ago to learn English and act. He did a range of jobs alongside his bur geoning ac ti ng career, including hospitality at the E ti had Stadium, various work in bars, restaurants and warehouses—as well as teaching Italian. Now he’s in charge of his own ti me. He admits it’s been very hard work, but says he has learned so many new things in the process, from business to marke ti ng and so cial media. Ma tti a’s advice to anyone who wants to start their own business: just give it a go. He said: “If it doesn’t go well, there’s a lot of other opportuni ti es, I de fi nitely do believe that.” Visit Paradiso Authen ti c Italian’s Facebook page fi nd out how to get your hands on a ti ramisu: www.facebook.com/Paradisoau then ti citalian/ By Sam Ormiston By Harri Thomas Tiramisu proves a hit as out of work actor cooks up second career Fighting Fit, a Manchester based specialist martial arts gym, has recently launched a post -ockdown program fo- cusing on improving health and metabolic fitness. The ‘Take Control’ initiative comes after Boris Johnson's an- nouncement of a crackdown on obesity in the United Kingdom, in an attempt to tackle the Coro- navirus pandemic. Fighting Fit are aiming to assist in the wider ‘Better Health’ gov- ernment scheme, which aims to help 35 million people to lose weight and live healthier across the country. A July 2020 Public Health Eng- land study states: “people with COVID-19 who are living with obesity, are at notably in- creased risk of serious COVID- 19 complications and death.” These findings support Boris Johnson’s recent statements that the country is overweight, but those at Fighting Fit believe this is too simplistic a response. Taking a more holistic approach to exercise, the gym aims to show people that health is not just about your weight or BMI, it is about your metabolic health as well. Jay Cahill, the owner, said: “Metabolic health is around hav- ing the right nutrition, both micro and macro nutrients, the right amount of sleep...” She also highlighted the impor- tance of drinking enough water and getting any type of activity or exercise in every day. Cahill also does not believe the government campaign goes far enough, and has said: “Why not put some money behind subsi- dizing exercise programs, gym memberships, doing more to make sure sports were safe so that we can continue exercising and training through this.” With the combination of weight loss and an increase in metabolic health, it is believed by those at Fighting Fit that the effects of the coronavirus can be significantly curbed. “According to research from the CGA BrandTrack April and June 2020; the pandemic has led to an overall shift in behaviours with 74 percent of consumers worrying about the impact of Covid-19 on their health.” This has led to an increase in gym attendance and in-home workouts, and Fighting Fit are hoping to help keep this trend in increased fitness going. More information on the pro- gram can be found at www.fightingfitmanchester.com www.mancunianmatters.co.uk October 2020 4 NEWS Gym fighting fit to help beat Covid-19 New wildlife champion for Salford Lewis Nelson was appointed the first Wildlife Champion for Sal- ford last week. The newly-created position is responsible for looking after Sal- ford’s green spaces and developing initiatives to re- engage people with nature. Councillor Nelson plans to pro- mote awareness about the abundance of wildlife in Salford, and to educate people about the plants and animals that can be found. He said: “It’s really important to bring people with us on the jour- ney in terms of re-engaging the city with its wildlife and improv- ing the biodiversity.” The news was welcomed by environmental groups across Salford. Shaun Hargreaves of the Greater Manchester Birding City Region Project said: “Salford is starting to break free from its’ “Dirty Old Town” image. “More people are learning just how great the environment is, from the Salford docklands to the River Irwell to the interna- tionally important mosslands, known locally as the ‘Serengeti of the North’.” Some wards in Salford have less than 5% green cover, but the council has historically done a lot to promote green space in the city, most of which is on old mining land. Now, the city has eight award- winning parks, along with nature reserves and wetlands. Councillor Nelson said: “I think we’re quite lucky in a lot of ways to have so much wildlife.” Fears for future of cinema after Cineworld axe THE SHOW’S OVER: Cineworld have an- nounced plans to close 127 cinemas across the UK with thousands of jobs gone. STRENGTH WORK: Fighting Fit has a new post-lockdown programme to help improve fitness. By Gemma Bradley After the delay of the upcoming James Bond picture, No Time to Die, Cineworld have decided to close their doors indefinitely, leaving thousands out of work. The closure will impact 127 cinemas in the UK, putting over 5,000 employees out of work. The 15th Bond film, No Time to Die, which cinemas were relying on to drive up ticket sales this November, was delayed once again until 2 April 2021, so it is expected Cineworld will remain closed at least until this date. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, many studios have decided to delay their upcoming blockbusters, or to release them via streaming services. Other movies that have been delayed include Wonder Woman 2, which will be released in December, after being moved from June, Black Widow, which was originally to be released in May of this year but will be released next May and Jurassic World: Dominion, which won’t be released until June 2022. Cineworld lost £1.3 billion in revenue over the last three months alone, meaning they will likely have to make many staff redundant and might be forced to make permanent cutbacks. Many in the film industry, including Patty Jenkins, director of Wonder Woman, as well as Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese are concerned about the long-term survival of cinemas due to the lack of income. Even if cinemas that have remained open will run into trouble as due to social distancing guidelines, they cannot fit as many people into the cinema as they once could, so their only option for the foreseeable future could be to close their doors until more films are released. The government have unveiled a £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to provide financial support to cinemas throughout the country, however there are fears that this simply will not be enough as cinemas employees are still ‘incredibly worried and scared’ about their jobs. By Ted Stirzaker By Chris Pickles wwww.mancunianmatters.co.uk October 2020 NEWS 5 Lucie’s Pantry provides food packs for vulnerable HELP: Lucie’s Pantry, which is run by home- lessness charity Em- maus Bolton has provided more than 20,000 food packs in the four months from April to July. City’s journo school success GOLD STADARD: News Associates in Manchester Police hit streets in Trafford for knife crime operation Police recently hit the streets of Traf- ford in a campaign to tackle knife crime. Operation Sycamore was a week of action coordinated by The Safer Trafford Partner- ship, which aimed to combat serious vio- lent crime through a multi-agency approach. Actions involved weapon sweeps and the deployment of knife amnesty bins, which have already proven to be effective with 554 knives deposited across Greater Manchester since February. GMP Superintendent Caroline Hemingway said: “Police cannot tackle violent crime alone - it requires a joined up public health approach which includes working closely with local authorities and our communi- ties.” Trafford Council educated young people in both parks and schools to increase aware- ness of the consequences of getting in- volved in violent crime. Trafford Trading Standards also reached out to retailers to ensure the responsible sale of knives with adherence to Challenge 25 regulations which require proof of ID when buying a prohibited item. Young people were the target of this oper- ation because, according to Chief Inspec- tor Nasim: “Knife crime and carrying a knife remains a national issue amongst young people.” Common reasons young people have given to police for carrying knives include peer pressure, being a victim of robbery or crime, acceptance within some social groups, and adverse childhood experi- ences. However, research has shown that those carrying a knife to protect themselves were more likely to be a victim of violent crime. The operation was publicised by the social media accounts of the police authorities in the Trafford area, with a spot-the-knife string of images showing knives hidden in public places. GMP Trafford acknowledged in related Facebook posts that knife-crime is a worry for communities across Manchester since knives are being hidden across the region and used for crime. However Superintendent Hemingway said: “I want to assure residents that Trafford continues to experience low levels of vio- lent crime compared to other areas but we will not be complacent, as any incident is one too many.” This week of action was a repeat of Jan- uary’s Operation Sycamore which saw the arrest of 31 people for a variety of of- fences. Superintendent Hemingway said: “We were delighted with the results of Jan- uary's week of action; it had a real positive impact in the community.” #OpSycamore is part of the broader efforts of The Greater Manchester Violence Re- duction Unit, which was set up in 2019 to bring together police, local authorities, youth services, and schools to tackle seri- ous violence. If you have concerns about someone you know or care about who is carrying or hid- ing a knife, or if you are aware that knives are being concealed in your community, call the Police on 101 or use LiveChat at www.gmp.police.uk. By Rebecca Cooley Volunteers at a homelessness charity in Bolton have provided more than 20,000 food packs to vulnerable households in the four months from April to July. Lucie’s Pantry, run by Emmaus Bolton out of its Derby Barracks base, is run by 12 local volunteers and formerly homeless people. The volunteer team worked together through- out the lockdown to ensure the service con- tinued and demand was met. One of the volunteers, Martin Sweeney, said: “The pantry is a vital resource for some of the most impoverished members of the Bolton community – for many it is a lifeline.” Lucie’s Pantry opened in 2018 to support local households in need. The pantry supplies a wide range of food in- cluding fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled and frozen goods, tinned food, cereals, pasta and dairy items. Members of the pantry usually pay a weekly membership of £2.50 and receive £25 worth of food. At the start of the lockdown, the community decided to waive the membership fees as an act of solidarity. Tony Stephenson, Director of Emmaus Bolton, said it’s been a busy few months, but he’s extremely proud of the efforts of volun- teers. He said: “I would like to give huge thanks to our dedicated team of volunteers and all the organisations and individuals who support Lucie’s Pantry.” All stock is sourced from FareShare Greater Manchester and donated by local supermar- kets and individuals. Food poverty has shot up on the global agenda since the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Last week, the World Food Programme was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger worldwide. England and Manchester United football Mar- cus Rashford has spearheaded a campaign to tackle child food poverty in the UK. For more information about Emmaus Bolton and Lucie’s Pantry, head to www.emmaus.org.uk/bolton. For more infor- mation on FareShare, visit www.fareshare.org.uk By Harri Thomas A Manchester journalism training centre has recorded a full house of students making the NCTJ’s ‘gold standard’ grade in what is be- lieved to be a record-breaking achievement. News Associates has announced 100pc of its first-ever undergraduate class achieved a gold- standard NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. It is the first time since the NCTJ started publish- ing results that an entire cohort has achieved the industry-standard qualification. In the years on record, 2013 to 2019, the gold- standard NCTJ pass rate for the number one- ranked accredited undergraduate courses were 50pc, 48.78pc, 55.56pc, 59.46pc, 38.46pc, 50pc and 38.46pc. James Toney, managing editor of News Associ- ates owner Beat Media Group, said: “This is a re- markable achievement, the first undergraduate course to see 100pc of those enrolled achieve their gold-standard diploma since the NCTJ started publishing results across all accredited courses. “This group were remarkable from the moment they walked through our door to start their degree studies and they’ve consistently produced top- quality journalism to go with their amazing results. “And while exam grades tell you something, they do not tell you everything and I have no doubt their excellence in the classroom will translate to the newsrom.” www.mancunianmatters.co.uk October 2020 6 NEWS Clean Air Zone on cards for region New arts space to bring £1bn boost to city Brand new arts venue The Factory has been identified as a key project to help power Manchester’s eco- nomic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Work has been able to contin- ue throughout the crisis, but restrictions have limited num- bers on site and as a result progress has slowed meaning that The Factory will now be completed in December 2022. Predicted to bring a £1.1 bil- lion boost over its first decade alone, it will be one of the largest purpose built arts spaces in the world. As well as hosting some of the world’s most exciting artists, The Factory, built on the old Granada Studios site, will create and support 1,500 new jobs in the city and help the next generation of local talent to flourish. It will usher in a new and excit- ing chapter for the struggling arts industry by offering a pro- gramme of backstage training and skills for people across the city. Its Factory Futures pro- gramme will also benefit up to 10,000 unemployed young people. Tony Bloxham MBE, Manch- ester International Festival Chair, said: “The Factory will have a major impact on the lives of people living across Manchester.” Protesters arrested at HS2 site PROTESTS: Campaign- ers have said that they won’t stop their action until HS2 is halted. KICKER: Caption to fill as much of this box as you can A consultation on a Clean Air Zone for Greater Manchester is underway to ensure the legal limits on nitrogen dioxide are met and are fully compliant by 2024. The proposed ‘Category C’ Clean Air Zone (CAZ) would come into force in Spring 2022, and would enforce a charge on the most polluting commercial vehicles whilst ensuring the vehicles that do meet emission standards are exempt from payments. However, the CAZ excludes private vehicles which make up just shy of 70 percent of the vehicles in Greater Manchester. Although welcomed by many, there are claims that this scheme will not effectively reduce air pollution and needs to go further. Manchester Friends of the Earth said: “There is little recognition from national Government of the scale or urgency of Greater Manchester’s air pollution crisis. “We are calling for urgent action by both local and national governments to quickly and drastically improve air quality.” According to the Institute for Public Policy Research North, Greater Manchester is number one in the country for rates of emergency admissions to hospital for asthma, with Central and North Manchester NHS trusts admitting over double the national average. Andy Burnham recently highlighted the impact of air pollution on St Ambrose primary school in Hale, with claims they cannot even open some of their school windows or play football on the playground. Lorenza Casini, and member of local parents’ group Levenshulme Clean Air, said: “Dirty air affects nearly every organ of the body and is linked to asthma, heart and lung disease, dementia and now to worsening coronavirus symptoms. “Our health cannot afford to wait another four years.” Parents and environmental campaigners are keen to emphasize that the law states that the climate limits should be met “in the shortest time possible”, but the exclusion of private cars from the CAZ makes this much more difficult. Catherine Thomson from Manchester Friends of the Earth said: “We need more ambitious action on our dirty air crisis including an end to road-building schemes and new measures to help people out of their cars and onto cleaner forms of transport.” Manchester Friends of the Earth have proposed further measures to be taken by the government, with more information available at: www.manchesterfoe.org.uk By Gemma Bradley Ac ti vists around the UK staged ac ti ons against the construc ti on of High Speed 2 on Octo ber 9. Phase 2b of the planned high speed railway will see the con struc ti on of a new sta ti on near Manchester Airport and the ex pansion of Manchester Pic cadilly, as well as the construc ti on of a new railway. Ac ti vists blocked the Chiltern Tunnel compound at West Hyde Her tf ordshire, the largest HS2 work site, from seven am un ti l dusk with high bamboo structures placed in front of the entrance. Twenty one ac ti vists were ar rested at the site. One Ex ti nc ti on Rebellion ac ti vist said arrested people were charged with willfully stopping lawful workers. This charge in accordance with Sec ti on 241 of the Trade Union and Labour Rela ti ons Act. This law has historically been used against fracking protestors, workers striking in their workplace and various types of environmental protestors. Ac ti vists argue that if the con struc ti on HS2 is completed, it will cause widespread damage to the environment. Woodland Trust, UK’s largest conservatory charity, reports that HS2 is a direct threat to an cient woods, with 108 woods at risk of loss or damage. HS2 also puts some animal species under threat of local ex ti nc ti on, including the Willow Tit bird, White Clawed Cray fi sh and the Dingy Skipper Bu tt er fl y. On top of being a threat to the environment, HS2 also has im pacts on social life. According to HS2 Ltd., the com pany behind the project, around 888 homes and 985 businesses are being demol ished to make way for the pro ject. Some people were thrown out of their historic family homes and communi ti es. Ac ti vists pledge that they will not stop staging ac ti ons un ti l HS2 is halted. By Deniz Köse www.mancunianmatters.co.uk October 2020 NEWS 7 Online mental health tools prove popular across Greater Manchester APP-Y LIFE: The new online tools have been popular across the region A family-owned Salford brewery is busier than ever before, thanks to a surge in craft beer sales during lock- down. While businesses across Manchester are struggling to stay afloat during the pandem- ic, Seven Bro7hers Brewing Company is looking to expand after a successful lock- down period. The brewing house, based in Salford Quays, was established in 2014 after the seven McAvoy brothers decided to pursu