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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
The Greater Manchester high street that now has THREE great wine bars in a 200m stretch
Daisy Jackson
A popular suburb of Greater Manchester seems to be having a bit of a wine bar moment – and for once, we’re not talking about Stockport.
Prestwich has a buzzing little food and drink scene, and just this week has welcomed a brand-new wine bar.
That brings the total number of wine bars in the village to three – and they’re all in just a 200m stretch of the high street.
The latest addition is Cellar Door, headed up by siblings Ben and Sarah and sitting side-by-side with acclaimed neighbourhood restaurant The Pearl.
Cellar Door joins long-standing favourite Whole Bunch Wines (formerly known as Grape to Grain) and the new-ish Chin Chin, which comes from the same team behind Elnecot in Ancoats.
And beyond that, The Pearl has a ‘wine window’ where they’ll pass your drink out to you to drink on their pavement bistro tables.
If you much prefer a decent glass of wine instead of a pint, Prestwich is becoming the new hotspot for a bar crawl.
Read on for more on each of these brilliant independent businesses.
Cellar Door
Cellar Door is the newest wine bar to open in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc Group
The newest wine bar on the Prestwich high street is Cellar Door, opened just this month by brother and sister Ben and Sarah.
It’s their first project together and is stocked with more than 200 different wines, plus plenty of beers (including some local names), selected batched cocktails served ice-cold, and a menu of nibbles too.
Spanning two floors, there’s a sunny balcony upstairs for sunnier days, but in the meantime, get cosy in a booth with a glass of something from their VAST vino collection.
Whole Bunch Wines (formerly Grape to Grain) wine shop in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc GroupWhole Bunch Wines (formerly Grape to Grain) wine shop in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc Group
An ‘off licence with a difference’, Whole Bunch Wines (which used to be known as Grape to Grain) is Prestwich’s original spot for a wine.
Almost a decade old now, Whole Bunch Wines has a proper enomatic wine machine which means you can have a glass of their chosen bottles each week (without committing to a full bottle – though no judgement if you do want to do that too).
They also have a counter stuffed with cheese, meat and fresh bread so you can customise yourself a deli board.
There’s not much better than grabbing a bottle to take away from Whole Bunch, then changing your mind and cracking it open sat on one of the barrel tables outside instead.
Last but definitely not least on this mini wine crawl around Prestwich is Chin Chin.
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This lovely spot comes from the team behind Elnecot, who initially opened it as Dokes Pizzeria (but then Rudy’s opened up opposite and honestly, who can be arsed) before pivoting it to be a wine bar.
There’s jazz vinyls playing, an enormous selection of rotating wines, a smart interior of tiled tabletops and moody red paint, and – a weekly highlight for locals – Sunday Sessions with roast dinner-inspired sandwiches and £4 pints.
Manchester City hit with backlash from season ticket holders after ‘divisive’ North Stand update
Danny Jones
Manchester City have shared a new update on the impending North Stand expansion and concourse upgrade, but the most recent reveal has been met with plenty of backlash from supporters set to suffer the consequences.
The Etihad is currently undergoing a major transformation that will see numerous new facilities added to the wider campus experience – most notably the increased capacity of the North Stand, which will make room for a further 7,000 or so fans.
Back in March, the club revealed the official brand partners for their upcoming on-site hotel, which will also accompany a new sky bar and rooftop stadium walk experience as part of the wider plans, but while adding more seats and things for matchgoers to do sounds good on paper, it’s come at a cost for many.
Reacting to the news of social media, many regular fans are now set to be forced out of their seats to make way for more hospitality sections at the end of the stadium, meaning the post has proved ‘divisive’ to say the least.
Are you joking? I’ve sat in the same seat for almost 20 years and this is how I find out I’m ‘relocating’. It’s an absolute disgrace the way you’re treating loyal fans in favour of tourists. I was there when we were shit, do you think they will be here if we go to shit again?
As you can see, both Blues, neutrals, and even rivals alike are expressing their shock and disappointment in not only the decision but the manner in which the announcement was made.
One person said on X: “You turfed me and hundreds of others out of our seats four seasons ago when you dug them up for digital signage. We were all split up and had to scrape around for new seats. Had enough of all the new rules and digital tickets/transfers. I sit on my sofa now and save £3k.
Reply in the comments underneath the response, a Manchester United fan added: “I don’t like City, but this is something I can stand with [fans] on.”
Even well-known online commentators like ‘HLTCO’ (Hopkin Looking To Curl One), a.k.a. Dan Cook – a notable Crystal Palace die-hard – shared his two cents online.
“Man City season ticket holders are being told that they’re being permanently moved from the seats they’ve had for years to accommodate a new corporate seating area”, he wrote, adding: “This is the sort of thing that fans everywhere have to push back against; these clubs see us as a nuisance.”
In terms of what the stadium overhaul looks like, the latest CGIs show the first proper glimpse of the new ‘Cross Bar’ that will “offer a relaxed, social atmosphere” for around 300 fans, as well as the new ‘City Hall’ concourse area, which will cater to around 500 punters both on game-days and beyond.
As detailed in the full statement on the club website, they have insisted that they will be supporting those “may need to move seats ahead of the commencement of the 2026/27”, clarifying that no one will need to be relocated to accommodate the Cross Bar, specifically.
They go on to add: “We understand that relocating seats may be unsettling, and we are here to support these fans”. They have promised things like a “priority relocation window” and, most crucially, a guarantee that they won’t have to pay more to sit in what is typically a more expensive stadium block.
However, while they have also assured that people will be able to move groups of seats so as to stay around their friends, as explained by a user above, this is easier said than done and ticket uncertainty remains a big concern among the fan base.
What do you make of the latest Etihad Stadium news, City fans?
Georgina Pellant -
22nd October 2021 
