Manchester

Is Manchester a great expat city?

Researchers regularly speak to expats living in destinations across the world to determine which hit the right vibe and which do not.

The Manc The Manc - 30th January 2021

There are many factors that determine whether a city is a good place for an overseas person to come and live.

There are some that apply to all, such as personal safety and how welcoming it is; while other factors, such as the cultural scene and the travel opportunities, will appeal to some more than others. Researchers regularly speak to expats living in destinations across the world to determine which hit the right vibe and which do not.

How does Manchester fare?

Really well, according to Expat Explorer, who chat to expats globally. The food scene is one of the city’s biggest pluses. The Curry Mile and its huge Chinatown are just two of the areas that give Manchester a better rating than London when it comes to cuisine. Culturally, it rates higher than the likes of Prague and Barcelona, and internationally it ranks sixth for affordability when overseas residents are quizzed on the cost of living.

How about the UK’s other major cities?

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Those who live in London really appreciate its thriving job market, and it also scores highly for culture and sightseeing. Likewise, Birmingham does very well for career opportunities and is more affordable than London. North of the border, Edinburgh rates highly for culture and things to see, while Glasgow is regarded as a very friendly and hospitable place.

International hotspots

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When it comes to food, you can’t beat Bangkok apparently, although Sao Paolo and Tokyo run it close. Culturally, Berlin came out top, with Buenos Aires in second place and London third. Istanbul and Paris are inseparable when it comes to sightseeing, each sharing top spot, while San Francisco is the only city to beat London when it comes to job opportunities.

According to an Expat Insider survey, the best countries for expats are Taiwan, Mexico and Costa Rica.

The worst country in the world for expats

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This wooden spoon goes to Kuwait, which performed abysmally in leisure options, career prospects, personal happiness, ease of settling in and transport. Perhaps surprisingly, Italy is next on the list with expats saying their financial situation is poor, as finding a job can be hard for those from overseas. Then third from bottom is South Africa, where personal safety is a real issue (only one in four actually feel safe there), as is job security, and many overseas residents find personal income doesn’t cover their expenses.

Wherever you’re planning to move to, there’s lots to consider – not just whether the place will provide you with a good quality of life, but also the legal issues. How easy will it be to get a work visa? Will you be allowed to live there permanently? Are there lots of hidden hoops you’ll need to jump through? Professional advice removes much of the strain from a life-changing move such as this, so make sure you’re careful with your decisions.

Manchester

Viral sportswear brand Gymshark is holding a huge free fitness event in Manchester this weekend

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

Some of the biggest names in the fitness community are coming together for a huge Gymshark event at Manchester Central this weekend.

The fitness brand’s previous Lift events have had queues stretching down the street as thousands flock to see figures from the worlds of lifting, fitness and bodybuilding.

Gymshark’s first post-pandemic Lift event is taking place right here in Manchester, featuring a programme of athlete seminars, meet and greets, competitions, challenges, and prizes – and it’s free.

It promises to be their biggest event yet, with the huge events space split into four zones.

There’ll also be a pop-up shop selling the brand’s activewear range, loved by fitness influencers across the globe.

A previous Gymshark event with Whitney Simmons. Credit: Supplied
Gymshark Lift in Manchester in a previous year. Credit: Supplied

Famous faces appearing at Lift this weekend will include Whitney Simmons, whose hilariously honest and educational fitness content has pulled in 3.5m Instagram followers (plus another 2.1m on YouTube and 1.4m on TikTok).

Also taking part are Gymshark’s creative director of lifting David Laid, Instagram star Libby Christensen, and power lifter Jamal Browner.

More than 10,000 tickets have already been sold for Lift at Manchester Central.

Gymshark itself was founded by Ben Francis in his garage in 2012. He used YouTube tutorials – and a little help from his grandmother – to learn to sew.

Now, there are more than 18 million Gymshark customers across 180 countries, and it’s achieved ‘unicorn’ status after being valued at more than £1bn.

The brand turned over around £500m in its last financial year and employs around 800 people worldwide.

You can book your spot at Gymshark’s Lift event at Manchester Central, taking place on 1 and 2 April, here.

To see the full programme and what’s on, visit central.gymshark.com/article/liftmanchester-gymshark-manchester.

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Featured image: Supplied

Manchester

Rio Ferdinand is helping change young lives with community programmes in Oldham and Salford

Danny Jones Danny Jones Rio Ferdinand Foundation community programmes Oldham Salford

Ex-Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand and his foundation’s wonderful work is helping better the lives of young people in Oldham, Salford and across Manchester as a whole.

Over the past year, the Rio Ferdinand Foundation and The Guinness Partnership have been putting together a vital social initiative aimed at providing opportunities and resources to young people across Greater Manchester, helping them develop their skills and aspirations for future working life.

Now, after a hugely successful 12-month campaign, their skills and progression community programme, participants are well and truly starting to feel the impact, with 90% of those taking part now stating that they are enjoying a clear idea and focus on what they want to do for a career.

It may have be thriving in Salford and Oldham at the moment, but given the benefit the scheme has already had — not to mention the ambition the Rio Ferdinand Foundation has shown around various areas of the UK since being set up in 2012 — we can only see this spreading further across the region.

Matthew
Credit: Supplied

The skills-based initiative engages young people aged under 25 years old and living in Guinness homes in a six-month skills-based programme which has been up and running in the two Manc boroughs, as well as the London boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth, since March 2022.

Young people from both Oldham and Salford take part in a weekly schedule of activities designed to tackle youth unemployment, including digital media training (photography, product design, filmmaking, podcasting), building and construction, CV workshops, mock interviews and more.

Not only do these shadowing opportunities garner confidence and raise aspirations among other young people in the local community, but they also help directly develop their employability skills via mentoring.

For instance, Matthew, 19 from Royton in Oldham, completed the programme and then was supported to apply to the Guinness Aspire Awards to request funding to purchase camera and lighting equipment to help him start a small local photography business. Quality stuff.

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Matt says that the scheme “has been an amazing opportunity and has given [him] a chance to get back on the right path… I know what I want to do now and can’t wait to start… I would recommend that other people in my position get involved with it in the future.”

As well as markedly increasing participants health and well-being, all 100% of those involved across Salford and Oldham reported feeling more confident, with many now enjoying opportunities with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation’s partners such as Warner Music, Kiss FM, The Jockey Club and the Gym Group.

Speaking on the programme’s success, Rio himself said in a statement: “The Foundation is committed to working with young people at the heart of their communities to offer support, training, and opportunities to those that need it… engaging with the Guinness Partnership has provided a great boost to our reach and our work”.

Well in, Rio. Thankfully, he isn’t the only ex-Manchester-based footballer still trying to make a difference in the local community either:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — Supplied/Rio Ferdinand (via Instagram)

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