A school uniform recycling hub has been launched by local homelessness charity Emmaus Salford with support from Guinness Partnership and Sal’s Shoes.
The Emmaus Salford School Uniform Hub will collect and redistribute school uniforms and shoes to children living in Salford.
The hub aims to reduce the number of good quality clothes and shoes going to landfill, whilst providing items to families in need free of charge, and has been launched with initial funding from Guinness Partnership and support from local and national partners including Sal’s Shoes, SOCKSHOP and Tesco.
Emmaus Salford supports 22 formerly homeless people by providing a stable home, meaningful work and individual support for as long as they need it, and the new School Uniform Hub will be run by beneficiaries of the charity.
It will enable them to gain skills and experience whilst supporting local families in need.
ADVERTISEMENT
Speaking on the launch of the new hub, Rachel Richardson – Community Director at Emmaus Salford – said: “We are delighted to be launching our new School Uniform Hub in the summer holidays, ready for the new school year starting in September.”
“There are so many local families struggling to make ends meet and as kids outgrow their uniforms and shoes.”
ADVERTISEMENT
“Replacing these items can be expensive [but] our new hub will offer a range of new and used good quality items to families referred to us by Salford Citizen’s Advice Bureau and local schools.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2wis6hAZuR/
Catriona Simons – Group Chief Executive of The Guinness Partnership – added: “So many families struggle to buy essentials such as children’s shoes and school uniforms, so we welcome the chance to partner with Sal’s Shoes and Emmaus to ensure that children don’t go without, and don’t feel self-conscious about not having the things that some of their classmates will be able to take for granted.”
“The hub will stock shirts, sweatshirts, skirts, trousers, socks, pumps, shoes and PE tops.”
ADVERTISEMENT
“Most of the items will be sourced from collection points and lost property at local schools and individual donations. Tesco Extra in Swinton has donated sets of new school uniforms and legwear retailer, SOCKSHOP, has donated a brand-new batch of children’s socks.”
“Footwear will be supplied by Sal’s Shoes – a charity that redistributes outgrown but not outworn shoes to children in desperate need [and] since 2013, Sal’s Shoes has provided over two million pairs of pre-loved children’s shoes in 46 countries around the world.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDnlvK3lNvt/
CJ Bowry – Founder of Sal’s Shoes – said: “There are 4.2 million children living in poverty in the U.K. That’s nine children in a classroom of 30 [and] with one in 10 families going further into debt to pay for children’s school clothes, we’re delighted to be able to help foot the bill for children in need in Salford.”
In addition to the new School Uniform Hub, Emmaus Salford also operates three charity stores in the city as well as Lucie’s Pantry social supermarket.
The charity’s social enterprise activities provide valuable work and training opportunities to formerly homeless people, whilst offering essential products and services to housed individuals and families at risk of homelessness.
For more information and to find out how you can offer your support, visit the Emmaus Salford website here.
News
‘Prolific’ South Manchester burglar jailed for thefts which included peanuts…
Daisy Jackson
A ‘prolific’ burglar has been jailed for just over two years, for numerous thefts including sunglasses, airpods, and peanuts…
The man was caught red-handed inside someone’s property, where he claimed he was just wanting a glass of water – but was found by police officers to have the resident’s car keys in his pocket.
Fazal Alnesi, 26, from Moss Side, was then linked to a number of other burglaries, attempted burglaries, and thefts across South Manchester.
Fazal was sentenced to 27 months at Manchester Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to offences including six counts of burglary in June of this year.
He was arrested on 12 June, when a man returned to his home in Fallowfield in the early hours of the morning and discovered Fazal inside his address.
He claimed he was there because he wanted a glass of water but subsequently refused to leave, which led to police being called.
Officers placed Alnensi in handcuffs and found the resident’s car keys in his pocket, as well as indications that he’d been rummaging through the man’s drawers.
He was later linked to other thefts include a wrench set from a car, a pedal cycle worth £350, airpods, sunglasses – and even peanuts from one address.
He additionally took an electric bike charger from one address worth hundreds of pounds.
PC Jon Holden, from GMP’s City of Manchester district, said: “Alnensi took various items from several homes and cars across a two-week period earlier this year, making off with hundreds of pounds worth of goods.
“Ultimately, Alnensi left people feeling unsafe in his own home, and I am glad he is now behind bars.
“Our team will investigate all burglaries, and I would encourage people to get in touch with us – all intelligence helps us lock up criminals and bring them to justice.”
The top 10 ‘happiest’ places to live in the North West in 2026 have been named
Emily Sergeant
The top 10 happiest places to live in the North West have been named for 2026.
It comes as Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index this week, just as it has done for the last 14 years now, exploring exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlighting the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year – with thousands of residents across more than 200 locations providing feedback.
The residents told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community, from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlined the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, when it comes to the North West as a whole then, where do we have in the top 10?
Well, to kick things off, you may have already seen that one Lancashire market town has earned its place in the top 10 nationwide, not just for the North West region – and that’s Chorley.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley – which is is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
But aside from the national top 10, when it comes to the regional top 10, the next two towns following Chorley in second and third are both in Greater Manchester.
The North West’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Chorley
Stockport
Altrincham
Chester
Macclesfield
Southport
Kendal
Wirral
Northwich
Carlisle
Altrincham has been named one of the North West’s happiest places to live / Credit: The Manc Group
The ever-thriving Stockport comes in at number two, followed by Trafford favourite Altrincham directly behind it at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
Featured Image – Roger Kidd (via Wikimedia Commons)
Emily Sergeant -
10th August 2020 
