And Chapel Street Park – nestled in the Manchester suburb of Levenshulme, surrounded by terraced housing and flats, most of which don’t have gardens of their own – is one of the oldest green spaces the city can boast, and while there’s no denying it serves the community well, the local group Friends of Chapel Street Park have some grand plans for the former bowling green that’s in desperate need of some restoration.
They aim to transform the space into a sunshine-inspired community garden, with areas dedicated to vegetable growing, wildlife and wellbeing.
But they need our help to win a £5,000 grant that will aid in making their dreams a reality.
The grant they’re looking to get their hands on comes courtesy of family food company Higgidy Pies, which is pledging three figures of £5,000 to “add some life to unloved spaces somewhere in the UK by creating veg gardens and awarding them to the local community”, and Chapel Street Park has made the shortlist – the only space in the North West to do so.
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As well as community growing spaces for vegetables and herbs, there are also plans for an orchard, edible hedgerows, and habitats for wildlife and pondlife at Chapel Street Park.
Detailing the transformation they’re hoping to pull off if they manage to secure the grant, Lizzie Meade – chair of Friends of Chapel Street Park – said: “The Old Bowling Green in Chapel Street Park has been derelict for several years,”
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“Local residents have taken it on and are planning to transform it back into a really active community space that will also be a huge benefit to wildlife.
“The COVID lockdowns have made many of us appreciate local green spaces all the more, and this is the perfect opportunity to restore the space and enjoy it for years to come.
“The grant would really help to make these plans a reality.
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“We are especially keen to get some kind of shelter so that volunteers can enjoy the space all year round and have a place to socialise, as this is one of the many ways the project can benefit wellbeing, which is something we all need.”
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The winners will be announced on 25th January.
You can cast your vote for Chapel Street Park in the Seeds of Joy competition via the Higgidy website here, and you can keep up to date with the park and community via its Facebook group.
Chapel Street Park, Chapel Street, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 3GH.
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Greater Manchester cinemas to screen family-favourite films for just £2.50 this spring
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester cinemas will be screening family-favourite films, and some new releases, all throughout this upcoming spring holidays.
The best bit? Prices start from a massively-affordable £2.50 a ticket.
With Easter right around the corner, and schools across Greater Manchester set to be on their spring holidays in a couple of weeks time, parents and carers will likely be looking for ways to keep the kids entertained while schools are out.
But now it’s time to take care of those film lovers… and also those keen to plan budget-friendly events that also take into account the classic Manchester April showers.
Cinema chain Vue has announced its lineup of family blockbusters showing at venues across Greater Manchester this spring – including Printworks, Lowry, Bolton, Altrincham, and Bury.
Arriving in time for the school holidays, A Minecraft Movie welcomes fans to their favourite cubic wonderland, while the whole family can instead transport themselves into Disney’s reimagining of the 1937 classic Snow White if they’d prefer.
Also returning to the big screen are childhood classics like Wallace & Gromit: Curse of The Were-Rabbit, 20 years after its original release, and the beloved Babe, to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary.
Greater Manchester cinemas will be screening family-favourite films for just £2.50 this spring / Credit: Disney | Aardman Animations
And as part of Vue’s ‘Mighty Mornings’ offering, film fans can enjoy pre-releases of family-friendly flicks like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Moana 2 every day throughout half term, all from just £2.49 per ticket when booked online.
“A trip to Vue this Easter break is the perfect opportunity for families to immerse themselves in the magic of their favourite big screen characters,” commented Rob Lea, who is the Head of Screen Content at Vue UK & Ireland.
“More than just entertainment, it’s a chance for children and parents to switch off, connect, and create lasting memories together.”
Featured Image – Krists Luhaers (via Unsplash)
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Pep Guardiola delivers gutting news as Man City are hit with Erling Haaland injury blow
Danny Jones
Pep Guardiola has passed on some gutting fitness news for Manchester City fans as star striker Erling Haaland is confirmed to be injured for several weeks and could even miss the rest of the Premier League season.
The title might be out of reach this year, and the Champions League knockout against Real Madrid was definitely hard for Blues to take, but with Man City into the semi-finals of the FA Cup, there’s still a very strong chance they could end 2024/25 with a piece of silverware.
However, they’ll have to make it through another two massive rounds at Wembley and seemingly the remainder of the season without Haaland and his goals, as the Catalan coach revealed that the club expects him to be out injured for “six to seven weeks.”
Not exactly how City fans would have wanted to see the rest of an already frustrating season play out.
🗣️ "We don't have another player with his skills."
Relaying diagnosis from the medical team, Pep said the hope is that the big Norwegian number nine could be back for the very tail end of the campaign, but at the very least, he “will be ready for the [FIFA Club] World Cup.”
He went on to add that “these kinds of things happen” and that he feels “sorry” for all of the other injuries that have befell his squad up till now, adding that they can only hope for a speedy recovery and for him to return as soon as possible.
The 24-year-old hasn’t had too many big injury problems in his career thus far, although his longest spell on the sidelines did come at the end of 2023 when a stress fracture kept him out until the new year.
This time around, Haaland suffered an injury to his ankle during the City’s FA Cup win over Bournemouth on Sunday following a challenge from defensive midfielder Lewis Cook.
He was forced in the second half and was seen leaving the Vitality Stadium on crutches after the game.
Erling Haaland seen leaving Bournemouth in a protective boot and crutches. 🤕
Having led the golden boot race for a good chunk of the season – as he’s become accustomed too since he arrived in England – City‘s sub-optimal season has seen him slink into second behind high-flying Mo Salah on 27, but he still has a couple dozen goals and a trio of assists to show for it.
Speaking of Salah, the soon-to-leave ‘Egyptian King’ has been the talisman for Liverpool this season, and his contributions could see them lift the trophy in Arne Slot’s first season as early as 13 April, depending on how fellow title rivals Arsenal fare in their next two matches.
As for how City round out their domestic campaign, reclaiming the FA Cup after last year’s derby disappointment looks like the main goal.
You can watch Pep Guardiola’s press conference ahead of the game against Leicester City at 19:45pm tomorrow (Wednesday, 2 April) in full HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
12th January 2021 
