A group of young talented mini journalists in Manchester are attempting to get their voices heard in the ‘Raise Your Hand’ campaign.
The journalists involved are looking to ask Boris Johnson and the Government questions about a variety of issues, including the ongoing pandemic.
The campaign is all about giving children and young people the opportunity to influence how things will look for them post lockdown. They have felt ignored and silenced by the Government and their aim is to challenge the misconception that children lack the knowledge to be involved in politics.
They want to show how passionate they are about their education, climate change and other pressing social issues.
Those taking part have been inspired by fellow young people taking charge, especially activists like Greta Thunberg, someone who has proven just how influential a young person can be.
Sam, Aisya, and Jack are the mini reporters leading the campaign and have already virtually interviewed Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham. He listened to their queries and attempted to understand why now is such a crucial time to be taking into consideration the perspectives of young people. The group also had the opportunity to speak with the Child Commissioner of England.
‘Raise Your Hand’ was an idea born in Manchester, but it has gained national attention with children submitting their questions for Boris Johnson to answer from around the country.
They have over a hundred queries ready to send to Downing Street, with the hope that Boris will acknowledge them.
The group of youngsters have been offered the opportunity to take the place of supportive journalists who want to give the children a chance, but they were turned down by the regulators.
In countries like New Zealand and Norway, children have been afforded the opportunity to speak about their experiences during the pandemic and about what changes they want to see going forward.
The children leading the campaign are all part of the after school group Media Cubs. This Mancunian team is led by former journalist Kirsty Day, who is trying to fight for more diversity in the newsroom.
Media Cubs
Speaking to The Manc, Kirsty expressed her happiness of this campaign being led by Manchester children.
“I am really chuffed that this campaign has started in Manchester – a city I am proud and passionate about – we are always the leaders of change,” she said.
“I am constantly blown away by the range of views and opinions our mini reporters have.”
Kirsty began Media Cubs after recognising the lack of after-school clubs which celebrated the views, creativity and individuality of her own children, whilst also acknowledging the prestige of those already working in the newsroom.
As it stands, 51% of journalists are privately educated.
Kirsty hopes that by working with children from all different demographics and backgrounds she can change the face of the newsroom.
Already the club has had an impact on some of the 7 – 11 year olds taking part. Even at this early stage in life, some have expressed aspirations to be the next news anchor, write comics or be in charge of filming interviews or significant events.
Aisya is one of these people who was inspired when she met BBC camera woman Emma Bentley at this year’s Women In Media Conference. Whilst running the campaign, Aisya has also started her own blog!
Media Cubs meeting Emma Bentley at WIM20
Even those that don’t fancy a career in the media have gained valuable skills by being part of the group. Kirsty believes that learning the skills of journalism can give children more confidence to speak their mind and have the belief that they can talk to anybody.
Kirsty hasn’t stopped there, however.
She is also at the helm of ‘‘Talking About My Generation’, where she works with a group of journalists aged over 50. Together, they write about topics they find pressing or fascinating in order to break age stereotypes and diversify the media at the other end of the scale.
Yellow Jigsaw is the social enterprise run by Kirsty and her team. They are all striving for systematic change within the media where more voices from a larger variety of lifestyles are heard and they hope that this change can start in Manchester.
News
More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham
Daisy Jackson
More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.
The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.
The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.
The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).
Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.
Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.
What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.
Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.
“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.
“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”
Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer
Emily Sergeant
A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.
Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.
Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.
Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.
First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.
The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)
Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.
The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times.
Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road.
Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained.
As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)
These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.
The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.
“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”
You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.
Jess Walmsley -
23rd July 2020 
