England could fit Covid air filters in all school classrooms for half the price of the new royal yacht, in a move that scientists have said would greatly help in the fight against the spread of Covid-19.
According to calculations submitted by the Liberal Democrats, the move would cost taxpayers about £140m – far less than the planned yacht upgrade, which is expected to be kept in service for around 30 years according to the BBC.
Currently, headteachers are expected to pay for their school’s own air filters – with many having criticised the department for education’s preferred suppliers as being too expensive.
One such unit recommended by the government, made by Camfil City M, costs £1,170 whilst the other recommended product, a Dyson model, costs £424.82.
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A multi-academy trust leader told TES: “We were really shocked to see the cost of the two products on the DfE approved framework.
“We have purchased several HEPA filtration units for less than half the cost of the Dyson units on this framework. It is difficult to understand why the DfE would signpost schools to such expensive branded products at a time when school budgets are so tight.”
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Meanwhile, many school heads are warning that whole year groups could be sent home due to Covid-19 – and are already warning of high numbers of staff absences caused by illness and self-isolation.
Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, warned The Telegraph that classroom closures could occur if teachers were left with no alternatives.
He told the paper: “If you have a fixed pool available of those who can teach young people, then the only final resort schools and colleges have is to start thinking about the certain year groups that should be prioritised in the short term,”
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Current government advice to protect teachers and children from the spread of the virus suggests that windows should be opened, as should external doors, in order to help create airflow throughout classrooms.
Students at Grace Christian School in Charlottetown, PE in various locations in the school.
Official advice also states that schools “should balance the need for increased ventilation while maintaining a comfortable temperature”, although this may be difficult to achieve during the cold winter months as classes of children return to in-person lessons in January 2022.
The government has also suggested the use of CO2 monitors in schools as a way to better promote airflow. However, the Lib Dem education spokesperson Munira Wilson has pointed out that these would be much less effective than Covid air filters, as they only give information on where airflow is needed – as opposed to increasing airflow within classrooms.
Wilson told the Guardian: “Failure to act right now will fail our children in the future. The government has a week to solve this, otherwise, pupils will be left out in the cold and missing out on vital learning once again,”
“Nadhim Zahawi gave a cast-iron guarantee that schools would stay open. Unless he gets a grip on this quickly, he will be adding to the countless broken promises from this Government. Worse still, he will be breaking a promise to all our children.”
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The government has assured parents that schools will open as usual for the new term following the Christmas break, despite a huge surge in Omicron cases over Christmas.
Feature image –Coast Community
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Manchester’s libraries will become ‘warm spaces’ with free hot drinks and Wi-Fi again this winter
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s libraries are set to become ‘warm spaces’ offering free hot drinks and internet access to those in need again this winter.
After tens of thousands of local residents visited the “stigma-free safe spaces” to escape and take refuge from the cold back in both 2022 and 2023, Manchester City Council has decided to reintroduce its popular ‘Warm Welcome Spaces’ scheme again this year during the chillier months.
22 libraries across Manchester are, once again, taking part in the scheme this time around.
Designed to “provide support to people who need it” over some of the most challenging months of the year when temperatures drop, the Council’s scheme is offering a range of different services – and they’re all for free of charge.
Manchester’s libraries are becoming ‘warm spaces’ with free hot drinks and Wi-Fi this winter / Credit: Flickr | Geograph
Free hot drinks, Wi-Fi and internet access, data SIM cards, and newspapers are just some of the things people can make the most of inside these ‘warm spaces’, as well as get access to information, advice, and extra signposting to other support services they made need in the city.
There will be age-friendly spaces to connect with others, story times once a week at 11am for children under five, and even weekly digital drop-ins too.
Manchester Central Library, Miles Platting Community Library, Hulme High Street Library, Beswick Library, Longsight Library, and Abraham Moss Library are just some of the libraries taking part this winter.
Winter is a challenging time for households, but your library has something for everyone.
They are warm welcoming spaces to have a chat, get advice and get a data SIM to get online.
All 22 libraries will be free to enter, and the Council says people can stay in them “for as long as you like”.
“Heading towards winter, we are very much aware that the cost of living crisis still continues to affect many families across Manchester,” explained Councillor Bev Craig, who is the leader of Manchester City Council.
“This is why, more so than ever, we as a Council continue to do our utmost to support people who may be struggling.
“Our participation in the Warm Welcome Spaces programme, combined with our Cost of Living support package shows we are committed entirely to helping any many people as possible during this difficult period.”
Find your local free ‘Warm Welcome Space’ in Manchester here.
Featured Image – RawPixel
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Manchester’s 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness returns with its biggest venue host yet for 2024
Danny Jones
November is well underway which means that not only have the likes of the annual Christmas Markets begun but Manchester is once again ramping up for the latest edition of The 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness.
Although the holiday season is a jolly one for many, we’re always reminded that for lots of those less fortunate, the colder months signal an even more difficult time for lots of people all over Greater Manchester, with the region still suffering with the third highest rate of homelessness in the UK.
That being said, each year volunteers from founding organisation, Run Wild MCR (the University of Manchester’s long-standing running society), team up with the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity to help put in the hard yards on their behalf and raise as much money as possible.
Marking the sixth year of the heartwarming and vital fundraising event, the 2024 edition of The 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness is hoping to be the most impactful yet, landing even more support from local clubs and businesses than ever, as well as their biggest host venue yet.
For anyone still unaware of the event, the annual 24-hour relay run sees thousands of runners turn up from all over the 10 boroughs to participate in 5km laps around the city centre to witness the effects of homelessness first-hand.
Those lacing up their trainers – be they from local clubs like Manchester Road Runners, charitable organisation, Northern business or just a Manc who fancies doing their bit for a good cause – can do as little or as few laps as they like, as well as contribute to the fundraising with donations on the night.
Now with national vehicle marketplace AutoTrader named as the principal sponsor for this year’s run and the Together Co. social charity pledging to match public donations up to £20,000, The Manchester 24 Hour Homeless Run is hoping to achieve its biggest goal to date.
There have already been some serious records broken in past iterations, with multiple runners even going for upwards of 100k in total distance covered and staying overnight in sleeping bags to get their laps done over the 24 hours.
Having made upwards of £30,000 since it started, amassing more than £25,000 during its fifth anniversary in 2023, and raising over £1,400 with its first spin-off event in Birmingham earlier this month, this is set to be a hugely impactful year for the team and Manchester’s ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme.
The growth of the event speaks for itself, with Mayor Andy Burnham now a regular attendee on behalf of his namesake charity, an increase in clubs, influencers and national coverage, not to mention the event landing Freight Island as the 2024 host venue.
You can see a quick run-through of the city centre route here:
Having sent a huge message to the previous government regarding comments about the homeless community and directly contributing to approximately 842 rough sleepers being given a bed in Manchester during last year’s run, they’ve done incredible work in just a few short years.
With the profile of the ever-important event bigger than ever, as it looks to continue expanding into different cities – especially following the success of its debut Brummy run – we’re expecting big things and even more wholesome vibes as the crowds gather at the now well-and-truly festive Freight Island.
Members of The Manc will also be taking part and putting in as many miles as we can, so come and say hello if you can or, even better, come join the countless other volunteers going for a jog from 12pm on Wednesday, 13 November until noon the next day.
More importantly, please give even a little bit to this crucial cause HERE if you can; the charity livestream will also be active on our Facebook page throughout the duration and QR codes for direct donations will be available at Freight Island on the night.
You can see a full list of the organisations taking part down below. This really is a time when Manchester shows its best face and we can all be very proud that we’re putting in the graft to combat a global crisis.
Georgina Pellant -
28th December 2021 
