Marcus Rashford presented with honorary doctorate from University of Manchester
He said in his acceptance speech how "bittersweet" it felt to receive an honorary degree for fighting child poverty the day after the Universal Credit uplift was retracted.
And yesterday, he was finally presented with the degree at an Old Trafford ceremony.
Former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson – who also boasts an honorary degree from the university – joined the 23-year-old footballer’s friends and family to witness him collecting the award at Manchester United’s home ground.
Dressed in a red, maroon, and gold graduation gown with a doctorate cap for the ceremony, Rashford was presented his degree by vice-chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell.
It’s not hard to see why the Manchester United and England star made history when he was bestowed with the accolade, as he was rightly-recognised by the city’s largest university for his ongoing battle against child food poverty – including forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the UK government to make a U-turn on free school meals.
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Rashford’s honorary doctorate adds to the numerous other awards and accolades he’s collected over the past 18 months to recognise his extraordinary acts of selflessness off the pitch.
Continuing his philanthropic efforts, Rashford used his acceptance to reveal how “bittersweet” it felt to receive an honorary degree for fighting child poverty the day after the Universal Credit uplift was retracted, adding that millions of families across the UK have now “lost a lifeline”.
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Rashford also called for politicians to get “out into communities” – including his hometown of Wythenshawe in south Manchester.
He said: “To be here in the presence of a great such as Sir Alex, and those who have played a huge role in my journey to be where I am today is special.
“I’m here to receive my honorary doctorate for my work around child poverty [but] yesterday, millions of families across the UK lost a lifeline and a means of staying afloat [in] a move that could see child poverty rise to one in three children.
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“For that reason, today is bittersweet.
“It’s time that representatives got out into communities like mine [and] it’s time they saw first-hand the true measure of struggle [as] COVID-19 can no longer be used as an excuse.”
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell presented @MarcusRashford with the award and spoke at length about what an incredible role model he is. pic.twitter.com/we1sGsKWNU
— The University of Manchester (@OfficialUoM) October 7, 2021
Dame Nancy described the footballer as “an exceptional young man”, whose “sense of community and generosity goes well beyond his years”, adding: “Our university also has social responsibility at its core, and we are extremely proud to share these values with Marcus [so] it really is an honour to finally present him with this well-deserved award on behalf of our institution.”
Government to begin giving millions of UK workers ‘significant’ pay rises from this week
Emily Sergeant
The Government is to begin giving more than three million workers across the UK a ‘significant pay boost’ from this week.
Announced as part of last year’s Budget, and in a bid to ‘put thousands of pounds back in the pockets of working people every year’, the Government confirmed back at the beginning of February that a new National Living Wage of £12.21 per hour, and a new National Minimum Wage of £10 per hour would take effect from April onwards.
Ministers said the 6.7% increase to the National Living Wage – which is now worth £1,400 a year for an eligible full-time worker – is a ‘significant step’ towards delivering the manifesto commitment to deliver a ‘genuine’ living wage.
Today, millions of working people will get a pay rise as the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage increase.
New rates:
🔹 from £11.44 to £12.21 if you’re 21 and over 🔹 from £8.60 to £10.00 if you’re 18-20 🔹 from £6.40 to £7.55 if you’re under 18 or an apprentice
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) April 1, 2025
On top of this, the National Minimum Wage for 18-20-year-olds is also set to go up by a record increase of £1.40 an hour, which means full-time younger workers eligible for the rate will see their pay boosted by £2,500 a year.
The minimum wage pay boot has also been called the first step towards removing the ‘unfair’ age-bands that see a 21-year-old getting paid more than a 20-year-old for doing the same job.
According to the Government, this is also the first time the National Living Wage has taken into account the cost of living and inflation.
Three million UK workers will be getting a ‘significant’ pay rise from this week / Credit: Pexels
“In the last Parliament, living standards were the worst on record and sky-high inflation was crushing working people’s finances,” commented Chancellor Rachel Reeves, explaining why the pay boosts are being introduced.
“Making work pay is good for workers, will strengthen businesses’ workforces, and will grow our economy for years to come.
“It’s a key milestone on my number one mission to get more money in people’s pockets as we deliver our Plan for Change.”
Not only that, but the minimum hourly wage for an apprentice is also set to be boosted later this year too, with an 18-year-old apprentice seeing their minimum hourly pay increase by 18% to £7.55 an hour.
As a result of these particular changes, a further four million workers also could benefit from the positive spill-over impacts of the rate increases.
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Body of woman found in River Mersey last year finally identified after ‘extensive’ investigation
Emily Sergeant
The body of woman who was found in the River Mersey last year has finally been identified.
Following what has been described as an ‘extensive investigation’ by Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team to determine the identity of the body, which was sadly discovered in the river adjacent to Chorlton Water Park on 21 March 2024, the family of the victim has now been informed and supported by specialist officers.
The victim has been formally named as 38-year-old Laura Stanley, who was originally from Derbyshire but was living in Stockport.
After the body was discovered, and ‘exhaustive and determined’ investigation by GMP officers began to identify here, including detailed checks of both national and international databases.
The Major Incident Team (MIT) also closely worked in collaboration with specialist forensic service providers to create an anthropological profile, which eventually culminated in the creation of a facial reconstruction image.
Following several media appeals, a relative of Laura contacted officers and then a DNA match was confirmed through a familial link.
“Laura was a kind and gentle person with a great sense of fun and adventure,” Laura’s family said in a heartbreaking tribute to her.
“She was generous, thoughtful, caring and always keen to volunteer within the community. Laura was a proud and loving mum and she will be greatly missed by her girls and all of her friends and family who loved her dearly.”
The River Mersey, across from Chorlton Water Park, where Laura’s body was discovered / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
While Laura has now been identified, police say further investigations will take place to understand her last movements, the events that led to her death, and her discovery in the river.
Additionally, as is standard practice, GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate is also reviewing a previous missing report relating to Laura in the time before the discovery of her body, which will determine prior contact relating to Laura, and whether the appropriate measures were enacted.
#UPDATE | A woman who was discovered in the River Mersey last year has been identified following an extensive investigation by officers in GMP’s Major Incident Team.
Thank you to those of you who have shared our appeals over the last year.
Anyone who knew Laura and thinks they may be able to assist with the investigation is asked to contact police by calling 101, or by using the Live Chat Service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log number 1191 of 21 March 2024.
Alternatively, you can contact the Major Incident Team Syndicate 3 directly on 0161 856 9479, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The Manc -
8th October 2021 
