Manchester’s restaurants will be doing their bit to help vulnerable people in need this Christmas by partnering up with the national StreetSmart campaign.
The campaign, which launches on November 1, will see Manchester diners given the option to add £1 donation to their bill – with all funds raised going directly to local charitable organisations who help Mancs living on the streets and in unsuitable temporary accommodation.
Restaurants confirmed to take part this year so far include Ramona, Street Urchin, Evuna, Batard, Tampopo, 20 Stories, Banyan, Firehouse, Solita and Bottega by. San Carlo at Selfridges.
Across previous years, the campaign has raised over £10million in total – with ALL monies going directly to local organisations, thanks to the generosity of sponsors Land Aid.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham speaking to a homeless man / Credit: GMCA
Whilst StreetSmart works with restaurants across the country, this year it has partnered with the Greater Manchester Mayor’s charity to ensure that donations made in Manchester restaurants not only stay in the local area but make the greatest impact possible.
This year’s campaign will run throughout the Christmas period, a time when many of us are out indulging ourselves in bars and restaurants.
Funds will go towards essential services like the creation of beds, housing, mental health advice and training and job support.
It’s the busiest time of the year for the hospitality scene, with diners tending to spend much more in venues over this period than they do throughout the rest of the year.
Tim Heatley from Capital & Centric, Chair of Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, launched the scheme at partner restaurant The Firehouse on Swan Street last night.
Speaking to a selection of businesses from Manchester’s hospitality scene, he said: “In the Greater Manchester Mayors charity we believe that homelessness has no place in our city, and so we push innovative ideas and ways in which we can reduce homelessness.
Inside The Firehouse at Ramona, one of the restaurant’s that has partnered with StreetSmart this year / Image: Ramona
“COVID has been particularly hard for the hospitality sector hasn’t it, it’s been pretty tough on all of you, which is even more heartwarming that so many of you are prepared to support this streetsmart initiative.
“But it’s been particularly hard of course for people who are at risk of being homeless or who are already homeless’s well so it’s even more important right now that we do whatever we can to support homelessness initiatives.”
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on people already living in poverty and the homeless community in Greater Manchester, with an increase in the number of people being made homeless sadly set to rise as the pandemic continues
The funds raised by StreetSmart partners in Manchester will go towards the critical work of organisations including The Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity tackling rough sleeping in the city, as well as other local homegrown charities helping to improve the lives of homeless young people.
These organisations are focused on helping individuals break the cycle, regain their dignity and rebuild their lives via positive action, as well as providing crisis and emergency shelter and food during the pandemic.
In previous years, Manchester restaurants have raised more than £37,000 for the campaign as a result of generous locals dipping into their pockets.
Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, commented: “I have been so encouraged by the number of Greater Manchester businesses who have stepped forward to help with our efforts to reduce rough sleeping and homelessness.
“We are lucky to be home to many brilliant hospitality businesses which aren’t just great places to go, but which also are prepared to use their success for the benefit of others.
“That’s the Greater Manchester way and long may it be the case. StreetSmart takes this work to the next level and I hope our businesses and the generous Greater Manchester public will get on board with it. We have a huge challenge ahead in preventing a rise in homelessness.”
Castlefield Viaduct ‘sky park’ receives £2.75m funding towards major extension
Emily Sergeant
The National Trust has today announced an exciting development in the transformation of Manchester’s Castlefield Viaduct.
The New York-inspired elevated urban park on the giant Grade II-listed Victorian viaduct in the heart of the city centre officially opened to the public back in July 2022, and has been an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life ever since… but now, it’s time for the next phase of the journey, and a significant proportion of the funding needed for this project has been secured.
National Highway’s Historical Railways Estate Team, working in partnership with the National Trust has committed £2.4 million to fund a significant part of the structural and foundation work for ‘Phase 2’ of the project.
The funding will go towards increasing the scale of the current ‘sky park’ experience and turning it into a nature-rich through route, including the addition of The WaterAid Garden – a gold medal-winning garden from last year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Other supporters and funders are now being urged to donate to cover the remaining amount needed to ‘green up’ the extension.
As it stands, current visitors to the viaduct can walk through a series of spaces and gardens before coming to an untouched and overgrown section of the structure beyond a glass wall, and it’s this untouched section where the Phase 2 transformation will take place to extend the viaduct experience for visitors from 150-metres to more than 350-metres.
The current state of the site at Castlefield Viaduct that’s set to be transformed as part of Phase 2 / Credit: Paul Harris (via National Trust)
Plans include winding paths through planted areas to encourage people to take time out from the busy city below and connect with nature.
A second entry and exit point will also be added to the west side of Mancunian Way via a lift and stairway, turning it into a through route for the very-first time, and making it more accessible for people with limited mobility.
A longer-term masterplan could see the viaduct join up to other areas of the city, increasing access towards Salford and Trafford, and taking the benefits way beyond the physical structure of the viaduct in Castlefield.
The CGIs of how the space on the viaduct will look once it has been transformed / Credit: Twelve Architects (via National Trust)
“This funding is brilliant news for Castlefield – a hugely inspiring project to bring nature and green space to communities across Manchester,” commented Hilary McGrady, who is the Director-General of the National Trust.
“Its popularity over the past few years demonstrates how residents and visitors to the city value access to the outdoors and experiencing nature up-close in an innovative industrial heritage setting.
“This is something we want to continue and do more and more of in the years to come, and that is why this funding is so important.
“Our aim over the next 10 years is to ensure more people have access to nature particularly in our towns and cities, and to bring nature to people’s doorsteps wherever they live.”
Featured Image – Paul Harris (via National Trust)
News
‘Eyesore’ Northern Quarter car park to be redeveloped as ambitious new neighbourhood
Emily Sergeant
An underused multi-storey car park in the heart of the city centre is set to be sold and redeveloped as an ‘ambitious’ new neighbourhood.
The ‘eyesore’ car park situated in Manchester’s iconic Northern Quarter will be transformed into what Manchester City Council is hoping will become a green and sustainable neighbourhood set to complement the ‘unique and independent’ ethos of the area.
It comes after developers CBRE were appointed by the Council last year to market the Church Street site for disposal, ahead of seeking formal planning permission.
The new scheme will deliver more than 300 new homes – including 60 affordable homes – alongside new commercial opportunities and high-quality public spaces.
A before and proposed after of Church Street Car Park / Credit: Manchester City Council
It’s expected that the development will respect the heritage and architecture of the historic city centre neighbourhood and help to enhance the wider area, all while improving a car park site that has long fallen out of favour.
The new neighbourhood will also feature four new public squares and green spaces, along with opportunities for pedestrianising the surrounding streets as part of the public realm.
As mentioned, commercial space is also part of the plans, as the ground floor of the building will offer a mix of smaller, more affordable units to ensure local independent businesses can access the neighbourhood, alongside units for food and beverage outlets.
“For too long, the Church Street car park has been an eyesore and a barrier to the ongoing success of the Northern Quarter,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council.
“We want to bring forward a world-class development that has the potential to completely transform this part of the neighbourhood, together with the newest city centre public squares and green spaces.”
The final legal negotiations will conclude over the summer, and it’s expected that a public consultation will then take place to inform a future planning application.
Georgina Pellant -
22nd October 2021 
