News
£40k raised for Rashford mural donated to FareShare Greater Manchester
A five-figure sum will be donated to the food poverty charity that Rashford has worked with since March 2020.
Thousands of pounds raised to fund the repairs of the damaged Marcus Rashford mural are set to be donated to local food charity FareShare Greater Manchester.
The Manchester United footballer announced that almost £40,000 had been contributed to fix the Withington artwork – which was defaced following England’s defeat in the Euro 2020 Final on July 11.
As original artist Akse P19 removed the graffiti, the wall turned into a symbol of unity – with hundreds gathering to write words of support across the illustration.
With these messages now set for preservation and the mural fully repaired, Rashford has confirmed the remainder of donations are being dedicated to the food poverty charity with whom he has worked since March 2020.
Rashord has helped FareShare distribute the equivalent of over 21 million meals for families who might not otherwise eat, as well as launching the Child Food Poverty Taskforce to support the National Food Strategy in a bid to tackle child hunger in the UK.
The footballer’s work with FareShare also led to two successive U-turns from the government who initially rejected the notion of extending the provision of free school meals and vouchers. 1.3 million vulnerable children could continue to access food over the holidays as a result.
Now, Rashford says the mural money will offer another boost for the charity.
Posting on Twitter, the Man Utd star said: “Thank you Withington Walls, Akse P19, to Julie who kicked this all off, and to everyone who pledged a couple of £s for its repair.
“Having raised close to £40k, those funds will now be donated to Fare Share guaranteeing that we reach more children in need this summer.”
The messages added to the Rashford mural were carefully removed by Manchester City Council on Friday (23 July) and transported to Central Library’s archives department.
Despite some experiencing some initial damage during an unexpected downpour, the council has said the majority of messages were successfully saved.
Rashford, who suffered racial abuse online following his penalty miss in the Euros final, said that watching people gather at the mural to show their support “lifted him” at “one of his lowest points”.
The messages will also continue to live on through the digital Wall of Hope – which is available to view on BT.com.
View the Wall of Hope here.
Featured image: Dunk / Flickr
News
Police appeal launched as woman dies after being hit by lorry in Bury
Daisy Jackson
A woman has tragically died after being hit by a lorry in Bury yesterday afternoon.
At around 3.45pm on Tuesday 6 October, emergency services were called to a road traffic collision in Radcliffe.
The collision was between a pedestrian and a lorry on Church Street West.
Tragically, the pedestrian – a woman in her 50s – passed away at the scene despite the efforts of emergency services.
A large cordon was in place yesterday and road has remained closed this morning.
Officers from GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit are now appealing for information.
They said: “At around 3.45pm yesterday (Tuesday 6 October 2026) we were called to reports of a road traffic collision between a pedestrian and a lorry on Church Street West, Radcliffe.
“Emergency services attended but sadly the pedestrian, a woman in her 50s, passed away at the scene.
“No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.
“Anyone with information including CCTV, Ring doorbell or dashcam footage is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 2299 of 06.10.26. Reports can also be made via our website of the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk.
“Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
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Featured image: Google Maps
News
New measures announced to tackle ‘rogue’ landlords across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A cohort of trained enforcement officers are set to hit the streets in all 10 boroughs to help improve the lives of the region’s renters.
Forming part of Greater Manchester‘s commitment to the highest-quality housing standards alongside the Good Landlord Charter, the newly trained enforcement officers will be tasked with protecting tenants, joining Council teams in checking rental properties, bringing enforcement action against bad landlords, and cracking down on illegal practices.
The introduction of the new enforcement officers comes after what has been ‘years of sustained pressure’ on local budgets.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) says it is working with the 10 councils across the region to strengthen local teams, rebuild in-house skills and expertise, and ensure that powers can be applied with consistency in all boroughs.
As mentioned, this all forms part of the Good Landlord Charter – which is GMCA’s ‘bold approach’ to drive up standards for renters across the region.
Landlords of more than half of rented properties in Greater Manchester have now signed up as supporters of the Charter, and as supporters, they have committed to going above and beyond legal minimums to improve the renting experience for hundreds of thousands of people.
“A safe place to call home is the cornerstone of a happy, healthy life,” explained Mayor Bev Craig. “But for years, people have felt trapped in poor-quality housing, and cash-strapped councils were unable to step in to help. I’m putting an end to that.
“We know there are plenty of good landlords in Greater Manchester, and many of them have already signed up to our Good Landlord Charter, but too many are just not good enough.
“That’s why we’re deploying a new generation of expert housing officers onto the streets of our towns and cities.”
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Mayor Bev Craig declared that she ‘won’t stand by and let rogue landlords take advantage of people’.
She continued: “By empowering renters, working with responsible landlords, and using our powers to crack down on the bad ones, I will make sure everyone in Greater Manchester has the foundation for a good life.”
Featured Image – Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
The Manc -
27th July 2021 
