News
Marcus Rashford teams up with chef Tom Kerridge to help get children cooking
The pair will post 52 recipes - accompanied by cook-along instructions - to Instagram every Sunday morning.
Marcus Rashford has teamed up with Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge to launch a new campaign designed to help families cook healthy meals on a budget.
The nationwide scheme – titled Full Time: Get Cooking – will see the Manchester United striker and acclaimed TV foodie shoot cooking videos together and release them weekly via social media.
The pair, who collaborated on the National Food Strategy earlier this year, will post 52 recipes in total – with a new video appearing on Instagram every Sunday morning.
The free recipes will be available on recipe cards in supermarkets, schools and food banks – with a QR code linking through to the Full Time social media page.
Tortilla Pizzas, Chicken Satay Stir Fry, Fish Pie Jackets, Mexican Style Chicken, Broccoli & Cauliflower Cheese, Creamy Chicken Pie and Fish Finger Butties are just some of the items set to appear on the channel.
Each recipe will be easy to create with limited equipment.
Manchester United and England footballer Rashford has led a relentless campaign to end food poverty for over a year – having established a direct line to Downing Street during a successful bid to force a government u-turn on free school meals.
His efforts have earned him numerous accolades including an honorary doctorate from University of Manchester – but his latest mission involves getting families to spend time together in kitchens.
Rashford commented: “This project is for every child and I really hope parents and carers will benefit from having a bit of valuable time together in the kitchen when family activity is heavily restricted by financial restraints.
“We needed to come up with a creative project that really engaged children most in need, preparing them for what adult life has to offer, whilst also attracting all children to break down stigma around usage of [food] vouchers.
He added: “Even though I’m not the best cook, I’ve enjoyed getting in the kitchen and doing my best.
“When my mum was at home I’d always watch her cooking and have a nosey and a laugh. Half an hour of a bit of fun before I went back to sleep and she went back to work. From where I look at it, why not create something similar to that?”
Kerridge – who owns the Bull & Bear restaurant at Manchester’s Stock Exchange Hotel – also remembers the value of learning to cook for himself when he was a teenager.
The chef stated: “Marcus has always been one to encourage life skills and cooking is a valuable skill that everyone can embrace and that will see you through the whole of your life.
“If you can engage with food from the start, you can grow, develop and build your own collection of recipes, and enjoy cooking together.
“This is peeling carrots, peeling potatoes, dicing onions – this isn’t making tagines or braising beef briskets. This is right at the beginning.”
The first Full-Time: Get Cooking video will be released on Sunday 25 April.
Follow Full Time on Instagram.
News
Police officer who sexually assaulted a child while on duty sacked
Daisy Jackson
A ‘morally reprehensible’ police officer who sexually assaulted a child while on duty has been sacked and barred from service.
GMP held an accelerated misconduct hearing with PC Dean Dempster, 35, and he has been dismissed without notice.
The disgraced officer admitted ‘sexually touching’ the six-year-old child in December 2023 and is set to be sentenced at a later date.
He was a response officer in Oldham at the time that the offence was reported, and was arrested by a supervisor when he returned to work the next day.
A senior officer has now said that Dempster ‘has no right to be in police uniform or in a position to serve the public’.
Another said it was ‘among the most distressing cases ever presented’ and a ‘despicable betrayal’ of police duties.
Dempster was convicted of sexually assaulting a young girl while responding to an incident on 29 December 2023.
He was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court in February and remained suspended since being charged at the end of last year.
Presiding over today’s hearing, CC Watson found PC Dempster’s conduct amounted to gross misconduct, saying: “This sexual assault occurred whilst the officer was on duty and where the victim was totally trusting and reliant on him performing his duties professionally, compassionately and with her welfare uppermost in his thoughts.
“It is this most egregious breach of trust of an innocent young child that is most upsetting aspect of this case and something that clearly amounts to an aggravating factor.
“I consider this case to be among the most distressing ever presented to me such is the despicable betrayal of all that is inherent in being a decent police officer.
“I have no hesitation whatsoever in dismissing PC Dempster from the service with immediate effect.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Allen, head of GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: “Dean Dempster is not a police officer, he’s a child sex offender who has no right to be in police uniform or in a position to serve the public.
“We have no time for people like Dempster who should not be in GMP and does not represent us.
“This is why we’re increasingly using accelerated misconduct hearings to root out and boot out officers who are unfit to serve in our uniform, and this work will continue while ever they remain.”
Dempster has been added to the College of Policing Barred List by Chief Constable Stephen Watson, who described Dempster’s actions as ‘morally reprehensible’.
GMP used accelerated proceedings as part of its pledge to ‘root and boot’ officers unfit to serve the public.
The force is now writing to the Deputy Mayor of GM to appeal for Dempster to lose his right to a police pension.
Read more
Featured image: GMP
News
Manchester City reveals details around the first Andy’s Man Club sessions at the Etihad Stadium
Danny Jones
Manchester City have released the first details surrounding their inaugural Andy’s Man Club sessions at the Etihad Campus.
One of the most important charities in the UK when it comes to male mental health and suicide prevention, Andy’s Man Club and even its logo alone have become a recognisable force for good over the past few years, and the significance of bringing it to such a big scale as City cannot be overstated.
The football club first announced the partnership back in February and has already been working closely with the non-profit organisation to promote better wellbeing amongst men, getting first-team stars such as defender John Stones to open up about his own experiences with mental health just last month.
With that in mind, the word is now out that Man City will be providing yet another location for groups to meet and crucially talk through Andy’s Man Club sessions, confirming details around their first meeting from next week onwards.
Set to kick off in the East Stand of the Etihad Stadium from 7-9pm on Monday, 13 May, Man City will not only help deliver a vital outlet for men in the East Manchester area but become just the latest in a long line of teams to back the regular support group.
Joining over 180 clubs nationwide – including the likes of Altrincham FC, Ashton United and Bolton Wanderers, just to name a few in the Greater Manchester area – Andy’s Mans Club is currently helping well over 4,000 men open up and combat their struggles through peer-to-peer sessions.
Founded by a group of nine blokes from Halifax back in 2016 to create positive change in men’s mental health, Andy’s Man Club now helps gather men aged 18 and over across the country every week throughout the year.
In alignment with other partnered clubs Andy’s Man Clubs across the country, attendees will be asked to arrive from 18:30 (UK) ahead of the 19:00 start time.
Read more:
The sessions are free with registration or ID required and, more importantly, there’s no pressure to talk if you don’t want to. The first step is easy: just listen.
Just because it’s being held at City’s ground doesn’t mean you have to be a season ticket holder, have an official Cityzens membership to attend or anything like that, you can simply arrive via the East Stand reception (Door F) and join the session.
Attendees will be greeted on arrival by trained volunteers from Andy’s Man Club who will guide them through the stadium. With the club now on board, group sessions will be running at the same time every week (except bank holiday Mondays) with the first dates scheduled for the following nights this month:
- Monday 13 May
- Monday 20 May
- Monday 3 June
- Monday 10 June
Well done to all those involved in bringing Andy’s Man Club to Manchester City and the East Manchester community. We hope the sessions will help those going along as they have done for thousands of others.
#ItsOkayToTalk
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — Manchester City/Andy’s Man Club