A campaign has been launched by some of Manchester’s leading business owners and public figures to drive footfall back into the city centre post-lockdown.
Bury-born ex Manchester United star and pundit/commentator Gary Neville has joined forces with other prominent figures – with the backing of Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese, and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham – to create United City.
The collective of business leaders want to encourage people to return safely to towns and the city centre.
United City says increasing footfall is “critical to the success” of the entire region, and will campaign to get Greater Manchester on the road to economic recovery, fix its “broken ecosystem”, and also commission independent research to back up its messages, with hard data and use findings to negotiate with central government.
The founders of United City are Gary Neville of Relentless Group, Chris Oglesby of Bruntwood, Lisa Morton of Roland Dransfield PR, Will Lewis of OBI and Frank McKenna of Downtown in Business.
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The group hopes to get the region “back on its feet” and back to supporting retail, leisure, culture, and sports businesses, as well as provide support and advice for business owners to make sure workforces are welcomed back safely.
Raising funds for vulnerable citizens is also included in the plans.
United City‘s strategy plans – which looks to creating COVID-secure environments – include input from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Manchester City Council, and its privately-funded research will help to bridge the gap by providing clear data to manage safety in workplaces, hospitality venues and on transport.
The research will also allow Greater Manchester leaders to negotiate with the government on local lockdown restrictions and navigate their own way out of them.
Gary Neville – Founder and Director of Relentless Group – said: “Manchester is built on community and entrepreneurial spirit [and] it’s imperative that this crisis doesn’t remove that from our DNA [so] United City will create a clear path forward for the region and will help to effect genuine change for the people and businesses that are based here.
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“To make this happen, we need as much support from the business community as possible.
“We are looking for business leaders to step up and lead the change to our working habits, to get our teams back into the office, and back together again.”
I’m delighted to be part of the launch of @UnitedCity. We are a collection of businesses coming together to get GM going again. We will fund independent research to support our messages with data to encourage people to return safely to our towns and cities in a Covid secure way
Chris Oglesby – CEO at Bruntwood – commented: “It goes without saying that the region’s ecosystem is broken without a confident and collective return to a more normal life, and that an economic recovery for the city – and millions of people who rely on that ecosystem – is impossible without a shared impetus to get things moving again.
“Within the UnitedCity steering group, we have professionals who can support and advise business leaders to ensure that they are able to practically and emotionally support their returning workforces.
“The city centre in particular needs life breathed back into it; it’s nothing without its people, and the culture, hospitality, retail and leisure businesses within it have helped create Manchester’s reputation as a hotbed of innovation and dynamism.
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“We’ll be looking to build a broad coalition with other business organisations and political leaders, with the long-term aim of ensuring Greater Manchester can recover in a way which is sustainable and healthy.”
'What we need is a balanced approach… Rather than the ups and downs that've existed and create anxiety.'
Will Lewis of OBI added: “A lot of people still haven’t even been back to the city centre since March.
“We’re so concerned for all sorts of different sectors, so we hope that this organisation will encourage and help Manchester and encourage people to get back to the city – not in a cavalier way, in a COVID-secure way.
“It’s got to be done safely.”
You can find out more about the United City campaign and objectives here.
Business
A brand-new shipping container village is opening in Manchester, with 250 new studios for local business
Daisy Jackson
A new shipping container village that will be home to 250 affordable studio spaces is coming to Manchester.
The concept may be familiar to you if you already know Pollard Yard, a maze of local business over in New Islington.
And now the team behind that, Meanwhile Creative, have announced plans for a major new site just north of the city centre.
When it opens, Bromley Yard will provide a whopping 250 studio spaces that can be transformed into studios, workshops, retail units, dark kitchens, salons, gyms, and just about anything else you can fit inside their walls.
Set to be one of the largest container communities in Europe, this is going to really foster all those amazing independent makers and creators that Manchester is so proud to be home to.
Pollard Yard itself won’t be going anywhere – it’s a vibrant home to more than 160 independent studios and a network of creatives spanning art, music, food, fashion and more, with a waiting list that can stretch for years.
Bromley Yard will just be building on that, unlocking even more space for the city’s creative sector and building on a clear demand for low-cost studio spaces – and building on underused urban space.
Palms Coffee at Pollard YardBromley Yard will build on the success of Pollard YardBromley Yard comes from the same team as Pollard YardHow Bromley Yard will look. Credit: Meanwhile Creative
Phase One of the new shipping container village will open this year, with more phases to follow.
There’ll also be dedicated music units, food and beverage spaces, and customer facing studios, much like there is over at Pollard Yard.
Bromley Yard is set to be within walking distance of the city centre, just off Rochdale Road.
Expressions of interest are now open, with early access opportunities, open days, and previews set to be announced in the coming months.
Stockport County CEO to step down at the end of the season
Danny Jones
Stockport County Football Club’s chief executive officer, Simon Wilson, has revealed that he will be leaving his post as CEO and the club at the end of the season.
Having joined the organisation around the time of the first Covid-19 lockdown, Simon Wilson has already spent more than half a decade as part of the Greater Manchester team.
Now, though, having just surpassed his sixth year with Stockport, the County CEO has announced he will step down from his role and depart at the conclusion of the 2025/26 campaign.
Confirming the decision online and across multiple social media posts, he has just a few weeks left before bidding farewell to the Hatters.
Sharing a lengthy statement to the supporters, Wilson wrote: “When I joined, we set out on a clear long-term plan, and I’m proud that we’ve delivered on what we said we would and put the club in a strong position.
“This has been the best thing I’ve ever done in my career. The last 18 months, stepping into both CEO and Director of Football roles, have been particularly intense but hugely rewarding as I’ve seen the club mature further and sit on the cusp of the Championship.
“We always said we’d take stock around this point, and I feel now is the right moment for me to step back and allow the club to move into its next phase.” As mentioned, before being appointed as CEO, Wilson previously served as County‘s Sporting Director and was Director of Football at Sunderland prior to that.
He goes on to say: “The most important thing is that the club is now in a position of real strength. The structures are in place, there’s a clear way of working, and there are talented people throughout the organisation who will drive things forward.
“This isn’t the end of my connection—I’ll continue to support Mark through Stott Capital’s sports investments and by working with some of the emerging leaders within the group.
“There are so many people to thank for their support over my journey here at County. It’s been a truly special ride. To all the players, staff and supporters – from me and my family – thank you for the last six years; you have been a huge part of our lives, and we will never forget how you have made us feel”
It’s fair to say that during Wilson’s tenure, he and the wider board of executives have helped draw more eyes to the aspiring League One side and promotion hopefuls – even the best of the best.
Being one of the main figures responsible for having appointed a fan favourite club face and increasingly successful manager, Dave Challinor, as long-term head coach, it’s fair to say he’ll leave a legacy.
The club’s owner, Mark Stott, added: “It’s on record that I would not have bought the club if I hadn’t met Simon, and it’s clear how much progress has been made over the past six years. When we wrote the plan, we said we would see where we are after the sixth season.
“We both feel the major work has been done in setting the club up, and the next decade will be about capitalising on that. Simon felt that it might be the right time to step back from his day-to-day role to allow others to step up, and while I did ask him to consider staying, I’m happy with where we have got to.
“He’s played a huge role in getting the club to where it is today, and I’m pleased he will continue to support me through Stott Capital and by mentoring key people within my investments.”
As for who will take his place ahead of next term, the club are yet to make any decisions (at least not publicly) but has assured that they will update fans accordingly.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd November 2020 
