Andy Burnham joins forces with Metro Mayors to call for extension of ‘Housing First’ homeless scheme
The Mayor of Greater Manchester is calling on the government to extend funding for the Housing First pilots to ensure people don’t risk returning to rough sleeping.
Andy Burnham has joined forces with fellow Metro Mayors to help end rough sleeping by calling for an extension of the Housing First scheme.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, alongside Mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram and West Midlands’ Mayor Andy Street, say they all share the same ambition to end rough sleeping and believe the local Housing First pilots have been making a significant contribution.
Housing First is a system that prioritises access to stable accommodation over the requirement for an individual to address any other support needs they have.
Figures provided by the Mayors show that 96% of those who benefited from the scheme had come straight off the streets, and 25% were before they were 18 years old.
The three pilot schemes have worked with 1,245 individuals – 812 of which have been housed in secure tenancies (with an 87% tenancy sustainment rate).
🏡 Today Andy is joining with @LCRMayor and @MayorWestMids to call for an extension of the Government's Housing First pilot scheme, which is making a real difference in tackling homelessness.
— Mayor of Greater Manchester (@MayorofGM) July 28, 2021
It’s believed that there are an estimated 1,018 people across the pilot programmes who will need support when the funding ends.
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Calling on the government to extend the pilot scheme, Andy Burnham said: “When I first took office, Greater Manchester was struggling to cope with a growing homelessness crisis [but] since then, a range of local policies I’ve introduced, and national policies have helped turn this around – and Housing First is one of them.
“The success of our pilots speaks for themselves and that’s why I want the government to extend funding for the existing programmes and then provide sustainable funding to roll it out as a national policy as we work together to achieve our ambition to end rough sleeping.”
Steve Rotherham, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, added: “There has been an alarming rise in homelessness over the past decade, as austerity stripped away many of the safety nets that some relied on.
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“Through these Housing First pilots, we have collectively shown that there is a better, more humane way of treating people.”
Andy Burnham is calling on the government to extend funding for the Housing First pilots / Credit: Sky News
Alongside the Metro Mayors’ calls ahead of a stakeholder event being held today with more than 200 delegates from across the pilot areas and Housing and Rough Sleeping Minister, Eddie Hughes MP, a meeting of the cross-party All Party Parliamentary Group on Housing First last week also backed calls for an extension of the pilots.
As well as providing a home, Housing First supports individuals with health issues and disabilities.
Featured Image – CentrePoint
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More Greater Manchester football matches called off as Storm Goretti sets in
Danny Jones
Yet more scheduled football matches in Greater Manchester and the surrounding regions have been postponed and/or cancelled due to Storm Goretti.
The increasingly cold, blustery and icy conditions moving over from France and across more parts of the UK have already caused schools to close, flights to be grounded, and plenty more disruption.
Another such inconvenience has come in the form of live sports, large swathes of which now look like they simply won’t be taking place.
One of the latest to be called off is Salford City‘s upcoming game against Swindon Town in the FA Cup this weekend, with various other games involving teams up and down the footballing pyramid now facing uncertainty over whether their third-round fixtures will go ahead as planned.
Ironically, this is just the tip of the iceberg, if you’ll pardon the very obvious pun.
Another game that was called off late last week, between Chadderton and FC Isle of Man, is yet to be rescheduled; the same is true of Rochdale AFC’s meeting with Brackley Town, Radcliffe v Oxford City, as well as games involving Bury, Stockport Town, Irlam, Cheadle Town, Prestwich Heys and more.
Other nearby outfits, such as Chorley, Warrington Rylands and Ramsbottom United, just to name a few, are also still unsure of when their next game will be.
In many cases, it is simply a matter of the grounds being largely or completely frozen and deemed unfit for use following pitch inspections.
Oldham Athletic – which has already been hit with plenty of snow and frost – yesterday confirmed that their Notts County clash wouldn’t be going ahead due to that very reason.
With winds of up to 90 miles per hour also being reported, yellow and even red weather warnings have been issued across various parts of the country, with people being urged to check their routes home from work by local authorities.
Storm Goretti should start calming down this evening (Fri, 9 January) and into Saturday morning, but the after-effects could still play havoc over the next few days.
For instance, over in Cheshire, Macclesfield FC are going so far as to call on nearby residents to help clear their playing surface from heavy snowfall.
So, if you’re in the area and fancy helping out, they could sure do with your help.
VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED
Macclesfield FC are once again requesting the help of the fanbase and the local community to help clear the remainder of the compacted snow from the surrounding areas of the https://t.co/fL99QEEJ4D Stadium.
Featured Images — Wikimedia Commons/The Manc Group
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Glitzy Spinningfields bar famed for its bottomless deals shuts down
Daisy Jackson
Popular cocktail bar group Banyan has suddenly closed its glitzy bar in the heart of Spinningfields.
The restaurant and bar, which is part of the Arc Inspirations group that also operates Manahatta and Box, has shut down with immediate effect.
A sign has been posted in the window of the Spinningfields site of Banyan confirming its closure.
Banyan opened in 2018 and was the second site for the brand, which has been operating out of the Corn Exchange since 2015.
Inside, the huge 7,000sq ft space was split into spaces for drinking, dining and dancing, including a large mezzanine and a huge white marble bar.
Banyan is famed for its bottomless deals, whether that’s a classic bottomless brunch or their bottomless Sunday roast (endless Yorkshire puddings, gravy, wine, and roast potatoes).
It also offered two-for-one cocktails, all day every day.
The bar stands on the side of Spinningfields, directly opposite The Ivy and alongside The Alchemist.
Banyan in Spinningfields has shut downThe note in the window of Banyan
But now it has permanently closed its doors, thanking people for their custom over its almost-decade in Manchester.
The sign on the door says: “Banyan Spinningfields is now permanently closed.
“Thank you so much for your custom over the years, we’ve loved being part of this wonderful city and have made so many friends.
“Don’t be a stranger, we’d love to continue to welcome you to our Banyan bar in the Corn Exchange. Team Banyan.”
The Manc -
28th July 2021 
