Akse P-19 paints a mural of Rashford in Withington
Marcus Rashford scored two huge victories over the weekend.
The first was an impressive 3-1 triumph at Goodison Park; where the striker helped his club grab three precious Premier League points.
But an even bigger win was waiting for the Manchester United striker when he got off the pitch.
As he dusted himself down after the match in Merseyside, Rashford’s phone rang – and the Prime Minister was on the other end of the line.
He told the footballer that his campaign to help children and families was now being considered – with over £400 million provided to low-income households as part of a winter grant scheme.
During the crucial phone call, Boris Johnson explained to Rashford that the government would be providing funding from the start of December until the end of March.
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£170m will be distributed through councils, with 80% put aside for help with food and bills. The holiday food and activities programme will receive £220m investment, with £16m given to food banks.
Initially, the government had voted against Rashford’s new campaign – which asked for a further expansion of free school meals; food and activities during all holidays; and to increase the value of Healthy Start vouchers to at least £4.25 per week.
But for the second time, Rashford has gotten ministers to change their tune.
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The footballer convinced parliament to provide free school meals throughout the summer, and now he’s encouraged ministers to climb down from their commitment to Universal Credit – which they’d previously insisted was the best approach to help low-income families.
☔️ The Covid Winter Grant Scheme is a new £170m #Coronavirus scheme to support children and families this winter.
? The money will reach the hardest hit during the pandemic, helping families put food on the table, heat homes and pay bills.
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
The Manc -
9th November 2020 
