One of the Gay Village’s most beloved nighttime hotspots has just launched a fundraising raffle and the lucky winner could secure an impressive prize.
How does a £1,000 bar tab to spend once the venue reopens sound?
TriBeCa – Manchester’s only New York loft-style bar situated on the edge of the Gay Village on Sackville Street – has delighted fans of the city’s nightlife scene by announcing the launch of this unmissable competition as a way of raising vital funds it lost as a result of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
There are a whopping 2,500 raffle tickets currently up for grabs at this 550-cap venue, which comes with reserved seating for you and your friends to host the ultimate post-lockdown party.
Tickets will set you back £5 a piece, and the raffle will end on Sunday 28th February at 3pm.
TriBeCa Manchester is an independently-owned community venue was established in the heart of the city centre back in 1999, and has since gone on to foster a truly cooperative feel.
It was founded by Hazel O’Keefe, who is also the brainchild behind Dulcet Sounds, Laughing Cows Comedy, Club Feminista, The UK Women in Comedy Festival, and is the catalyst for many other projects, which saw her work recognised by Manchester City Council in 2014 by presenting her with a prestigious ‘Women of Arts and Culture’ award.
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But despite its cultural significance to the city, TriBeCa has received little to no funding as a result of its business closure due to continuous restrictions, which saw the doors to the venue close to the public back in March 2020 and no reopen since.
It’s said that the unoccupied costs of the building are £10,000 a month, and with the business being closed, these debts are piling up, so in an effort to cut costs, Ms O’Keefe did the unthinkable.
She made the difficult decision to move out of her flat and plough her savings into keeping her business afloat.
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TriBeCa Manchester
Despite these amounting difficulties however, Ms O’Keefe has continued to her best to try and support the community of Manchester.
In November 2020, she launched her Sunday Roasts – which included an option to buy “a hot drink and roast dinner for one of Manchester’s homeless” – and in December 2020, she also supported the local charity Baubles 4 Beds, which partners with local school children to create baubles to sell, with all the money raised going towards some of the most vulnerable and homeless people across the region.
Promoting “arts, culture and diversity” are all at the heart of TriBeCa Manchester’s ethos, which is why supporting this raffle is such a worthy cause – and the prize is undoubtedly pretty great too.
Manchester’s Cat Cafe issues lengthy response to anti-industry statement
Danny Jones
Manchester’s soon-to-return Cat Cafe has shared a lengthy statement responding to the recent suggestion made by leading animal charities that their particular line of business should become a thing of the past.
Cat Cafe Manchester (CCM) closed its city centre premises back in January 2021 like so many others suffering from the post-pandemic struggle, but there are still several other feline-focused coffee shops and similar set-ups located up and down the country.
With that in mind and after the Manchester location announced a comeback later this year – in a prime location on Deansgate, no less – the discussion surrounding the niche industry has turned to issues regarding animal rights, welfare and overall quality of life.
However, rather than simply firing back at the likes of the RSPCA and Cats Protection over their concerns and belief that these venues should be “phased out”, the company has come out to agree with their overarching point whilst still assuring that their sites “are different”.
As you can see in an extensive reply, the brand begins by writing: “We are in strong agreement that there needs to be more regulation in the industry, as we believe many cafes are operating in manners that are harmful to cats.”
They detail how they don’t support ventures that operate by simply piggybacking on vital animal rescue procedures, citing that around 90% of the UK’s cat cafes simply ship prospective pets in and out, creating a stressful environment for its furry residents.
In contrast, Cat Cafe MCR go on to insist that “cats in our cafes are pedigree, as they are best suited to an indoor-only environment [as opposed to rescues who often benefit from outdoor time], and they are bred for temperament, meaning our cats need a lot of attention from people, and also enjoy the company of other cats.
“Our cafes have windows for natural light and there is plenty of space off the cafe floor for cats to get away from customers. They are provided with enough resources spread out throughout a very large building to reduce any competitive behaviour. Our cats are never ever kept in cages – as is the case in some Cat Cafes.”
CCM also explained how the behaviour of their in-house cats is analysed weekly, adding that “if we feel any cat in our cafe is not happy and is showing signs of stress, we would immediately remove them from the environment.”
Besides the obvious soothing quality of the experience for regular customers, cafes like theirs and the canine equivalent CuppaPug in Salford are extremely helpful in providing animal-assisted therapy for people struggling with mental health conditions and those categorised as neurodiverse.
Cat Cafe drew their response to a close by inviting both of the charities in question to work with them in creating new guidelines and strict rules when it comes to animal welfare in these spaces.
They concluded by declaring that not only are they “incredibly difficult to run responsibly” when done properly but that “Cat Cafes are not all the same, and they should not be opened without serious thought and consideration for the cats’ welfare.”
We are still unclear as to when exactly Cat Cafe Manchester will reopen but all we know is that the team will be as dedicated to providing an enjoyable experience for both the animals and visitors when it does.
Shoppers fume as Lipton Ice Tea axes ‘best’ flavour
Daisy Jackson
Another day, another heartbreaking discontinued brand – and this time it’s Lipton Ice Tea letting us down.
The popular soft drink company announced yesterday that one of its best-selling flavours, which many fans argue is its best flavour full stop, will soon cease to exist.
There are a lot of unhappy ice tea fans out there today…
Lipton Ice Tea broke the news yesterday that its Peach flavoured drink is being discontinued, and gave absolutely no logical reasoning for it.
The summer staple, perfect poolside drink, hangover cure, sweet and fruity fix in a bottle, is leaving our fridges.
They wrote in a post titled ‘Rest in Peach’: “You may have heard that our iconic Peach Lipton Ice Tea flavour is getting discontinued. We know – it hurts (sorry if we’ve ruined your go-to afternoon chill bev).”
Lipton Ice Tea then continued: “But don’t worry, the rest of your faves are still here to keep you refreshed.
“And who knows? Maybe one day, Peach will make a legendary comeback. We appreciate your understanding during this period of adjustment and apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
One gutted fan commented: “how tf does a company discontinue arguably it’s best seller.”
Another said: “This is like Coca Cola discontinuing Coke.”
Someone else wrote: “PLEASE tell me this is a joke don’t play with my emotions like this xxx”
And one person said: “Please rethink this decision im going to throw up.”
On TikTok, someone said: “With Lipton Peach Iced Tea gone, a part of me feels lost. It was a comforting escape in this hectic world, and now every empty shelf reminds me of the void it’s left behind.”
Emily Sergeant -
7th January 2021 
