A new pop-up shop that “promotes positivity” has arrived a Cheshire Oaks as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.
Mental Health Awareness Week – which is this year being marked from Monday 9 – Sunday 15 May – was started by the Mental Health Foundation 21 years ago now, and it has grown to become one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK and globally, with the charity continuing to set the theme, organise, and host the week each year.
This year, the chosen theme is loneliness.
The Mental Health Foundation says that one in four adults feel lonely some or all of the time, which is why it’s looking to raise awareness of the impact of loneliness on our mental health, and look at the practical steps we can take to address it.
To help shine a worthy light on Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 and to mark its importance, visitors to Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet this week will be able to spot the return of local business pop-up, Be+Positive (BEPO), at the centre for a limited time only.
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It’s the second time Cheshire Oaks has invited BEPO to trade within the centre, and following the success of last year’s pop-up, the designer outlet says it is “thrilled” to lend platform to the growing local business once again and offer visitors the opportunity to shop sustainable and low carbon footprint clothing, as well as find out more about the mental health awareness mission behind the brand.
If you’re unfamiliar with BEPO, it was launched by a collective of artists across the North West region and strives to publicly fight the stigma surrounding mental health.
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It does this all while promoting a positive attitude to those interacting with its creations.
The BEPO pop-up shop has opened at Cheshire Oaks for Mental Health Awareness Week / Credit: Cheshire Oaks
BEPO will be open to visitors at Cheshire Oaks on Monday 9 – Friday 13 May from 9am-8pm, Saturday 14 May from 9am-9pm, and Sunday 15 May from 10am-6pm.
“Last year’s pop-up was an incredible opportunity for us to meet guests to the centre face to face and show them what our brand is all about,” explained Ben Taylor, an NHS Maintenance Support worker who founded BEPO.
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“It’s given us the opportunity to grow our business, and we are so happy to be able to come to the centre once again and welcome guests into our new pop-up location.”
BEPO strives to publicly fight the stigma surrounding mental health / Credit: Cheshire Oaks
BEPO is not the only partnership Cheshire Oaks will be working with to mark Mental Health Awareness Week this year either, as Flynn’s Port in the Storm – the designer outlet’s resident charity partner for 2022 – will also be present at the pop-up store until Tuesday 10 May to meet the public and raise awareness about its mental health support services, specifically highlighting its specialised referral and counselling sessions and working alongside BEPO to help combat negative attitudes towards asking for help when it comes to your mental and emotional wellbeing.
The BEPO pop-up shop is also working together other efforts made by Cheshire Oaks to promote good mental health, including the newly-installed ‘friendship bench’, which the centre hopes will offer those needing someone to talk to the opportunity to connect with others in their community, and also a number of ‘positivity posters’ across the leisure village.
These posters feature some inspiring and empowering quotes, which Cheshire Oaks says encourages people to adopt “a more optimistic mindset” while walking around the centre.
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The newly-installed ‘friendship bench’ hopes to offer those needing someone to talk to the opportunity to connect / Credit: Cheshire Oaks
Speaking on the centre’s efforts to mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2022, Kenny Murray – General Manager at Cheshire Oaks – said: “Making sure our centre is a safe space that encourages our guests to look after their mental wellbeing is a top priority for us, which is why we felt compelled to partner with BEPO and our 2022 charity partners, Flynn’s Port in the Storm, to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week.
“By hosting this pop-up store in our centre, we are hoping more guests are going to feel empowered to open up about their wellbeing, and seek those resources that could help with their situation.”
You can find out more about the BEPO pop-up and Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 on the Cheshire Oaks website here.
Featured Image – Cheshire Oaks
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The charming Manchester Italian restaurant ready to serve a Christmas Day feast
Harry Quick
Italiana Fifty-Five is opening its doors on Christmas Day, helping you indulge in three courses of great food and festive spirit – the Italian way.
Formerly known as the foodie favourite Cibo, diners can step into little Italy rejuvenated with a modern touch.
Its two locations across the city centre, found on Liverpool Road and Great Northern, as well as its restaurant in Didsbury, serve up a tantalising selection of hearty dishes in a sleek and trendy setting.
As well as offering an authentic Italian Christmas Day feast, Italiana 55 will be open a Christmas Party Menu in the lead-up to the big day for all your earlier celebrations.
To begin your Christmas Day feast choose between Zuppa Di Barbavietole E Carote (roasted parsnips and carrot soup); Burrata E Fig (burrata with fresh figs, parma ham and honey); Melanzane Parmigiana (an oven-baked dish made from aubergine, scamorza, tomato, basil and parmesan cheese); Carpaccio Di Manzo (fillet of beef thinly sliced with rocket, parmesan and a homemade dressing); and Arancini V (Sicilian rice balls stuffed with mozzarella and butternut squash).
Antipasti platter at Italiana 55. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Italiana 55 in Manchester, which is open on Christmas Day. Credit: The Manc GroupSteak and risotto feature on Italiana 55’s Christmas menu
Italiana 55’s festive dining experience combines a British-Italian fusion with their selection of traditional mains using locally sourced ingredients with a Sicilian touch.
For your main, you can tuck in to a Tacchino Arrosto – British turkey with potatoes, carrots, sage stuffed sausage served with gravy and cranberry sauce).
Or for a more Italian twist on your celebrations, you can go for Risotto Con Butternut (roasted butternut squash risotto with thyme and parmesan shavings); Capesante Gratinate (seared king scallops topped with grated Parmigiano and a tomato sauce finished under the grill); Filleto Al Ferri (200g 28-day aged Aberdeen Angus fillet served with fries and garlic butter sauce); Ravioli Di Spinaci (egg ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach in a butter and sage sauce); and Rollata Di Pollo (chicken fillet filled with spinach mascarpone and goat cheese in a cream and mushroom sauce).
Rollata Di Pollo on Manchester restaurant Italiana 55’s Christmas menuTiramisu at Italiana 55. Credit: The Manc Group
There is always room for dessert at Christmas, and nobody does it like the Italians.
Nothing screams tradition like a Tiramisu (classic homemade savoiardi biscuits soaked in coffee liqueur and layered with a mascarpone mousse); Vanilla Cheesecake (homemade with fresh vanilla pods, topped with a berry compote); Sticky Toffee Pudding (sponge mixed with dates and raisins, topped with sugar-coated walnuts and drizzled with warm toffee sauce); Gelato (homemade gelato serving vanilla, chocolate strawberry and pistachio); or Profiteroles (buns of choux pastry filled with chantilly cream and topped with a rich chocolate sauce).
If you’ve got a sweet tooth they’ve covered all bases.
You can get all this at Italiana 55 on Christmas Day for £65 per person (adult) and children eat for £30.
So if you’re looking to book a restaurant for Christmas day in Manchester, find out more about Italiana 55 and book here.
You can see the Northern Lights as part of a ‘mesmerising’ science show in Manchester this winter
Emily Sergeant
Mancs will get a glimpse of the Northern Lights as part of a “mesmerising” science show happening in our city this winter.
As the nights draw in, the air gets colder by the day, and the festive season nears closer and closer, Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum is an ideal place shelter from the harsh winter conditions outside.
And luckily, there’s a packed lineup of events for everyone to get stuck into over the next few weeks.
The massively-popular cultural destination – which has recently celebrated 40 years since opening on its original site in the heart of the city centre – is inviting families to head on down and discover “the secrets of light and colour” through a series of illuminating activities, special shows, and immersive experiences.
Opening on Saturday 16 December, and running for a limited time only, ‘Light Lab’ promises to “brighten up the winter holidays with an adventure though light and colour”.
Visitors will get the chance to make light perform jaw-dropping tricks, create colours, and spark creativity as they experiment with reflections, before getting to “journey from the Sun back to the Earth” during a series of special science shows led by the museum’s team of expert Explainers.
They’ll also be able to discover how light travels through our atmosphere, find out why the sky is blue, and explore the science of solar flares too.
During the special science shows, you’ll even get to “marvel at a mesmerising display” of the Northern Lights too – with real NASA footage of the Aurora Borealis to be shown up close.
You can see the Northern Lights as part of a ‘mesmerising’ science show in Manchester this winter / Credit: Science Museum Group | Pexels
For those after something a little different, and fancy learning a thing or two this festive season, then on Tuesday 12 December, visitors can take a front row seat for the live recording of the CHRISTMAS LECTURES from the Royal Institution ahead of its broadcast on the BBC.
Aside from that, the Museum’s currently-ongoing resident and guest exhibitions are remaining open to visit throughout the winter too.
This means visitors can also discover the inner workings of the digestive system in world-premiere exhibition, Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You, be whisked away to new worlds with ultimate gaming experience, Power Up, or see science and “mighty machines” in action in the Museum’s interactive gallery, Experiment, and in the Textiles Gallery too.
The Museum’s currently-ongoing exhibitions are remaining open to visit throughout the winter too / Credit: Drew Forsyth (via Science Museum Group)
On top of that, they can also “discover world changing ideas” in Revolution Manchester, and get up close and personal with incredible objects from Professor Stephen Hawking’s office, which are also on display.
Find out more about everything happening down at the Science and Industry Museum this winter up until Sunday 7 January, and grab tickets to any events here.
Emily Sergeant -
9th May 2022 
