A freshly-painted Akse P19 mural has appeared on the side of new sleeping pods created for the homeless in Salford.
The new energy-efficient pods feature a hyperrealistic mural of Abbe Pierre, a catholic priest, former member of the French resistance, and founder of the homeless charity Emmaus which first began in Paris after the Second World War.
Pierre is pictured, mouth agape, on the side of the new insulated pods alongside a quote that reads: “A smile costs less than electricity but gives as much light.”
Created to offer some comfort for rough sleepers with nowhere warm or dry to lay their head at night, The People’s Pods at Emmaus Salford form part of Salford City Council’s A Bed Every Night provision.
All referrals to the pods are managed by Salford Housing Options, providing a safe temporary place to stay for people who are street homeless.
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The brainchild of one of the charity’s community members, the pods were borne out of the lived experience of those seeing so many homeless people coming into Emmaus shops to request emergency support.
Located within the grounds of Emmaus Salford’s community home in Pendleton, the fully-furnished pods have beds, storage, access to an en-suite toilet and mains electricity.
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A prototype of the new pods has undergone extensive testing at the University of Salford Energy House 2.0 to measure energy efficiency. It has now been refurbished to the highest thermal standards. / Image: Emmaus
The pod was originally used as a portacabin and was donated to Emmaus by Casey Construction. / Image: Emmaus
The site also has facilities to support people who want to bring their dogs with them, which is huge as many homeless accommodations to not allow residents to bring their pets.
The pods have been designed to enable people sleeping rough to be able to access support from the charity’s outreach workers, complimenting Emmaus Salford’s residential on-site community.
When rooms then become available inside, they are offered to people using the pods first as the next step to getting people off the streets and back into permanent housing.
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Sharing an image of the new mural with his Instagram followers, artist Akse P19 said: “Portrait of Abbé Pierre painted on a new energy efficient sleeping pod at @emmaus_salford which was developed in collaboration with the University of Salford and construction firm Casey for people who are street homeless.
“Abbé Pierre was a French catholic priest and former member of the French Resistance who founded the Emmaus movement after the Second World War, focusing on helping homeless people in Paris.
“‘Emmaüs’ comes from the name of a village in Palestine where despair was transformed into hope. The Emmaus movement has since grown in over 40 countries around the World, including 30 communities spread across the UK, which is the largest Emmaus community outside France.
“Emmaus Salford supports formerly homeless people by providing them with a stable home, meaningful work and support for as long as they need it. As well as a residential community, Emmaus Salford also has on-site pods to provide a safe and comfortable night’s sleep for people who are street homeless.”
If you are homeless or at risk of homelessness and need advice or support please call 0161 793 2020 or visit the Salford City Council website.
Featured image – Emmaus Salford
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2024 Manchester Marathon raises £29 million for local economy and over £3.7m for charity
Danny Jones
Just under a fortnight on from the 2024 Manchester Marathon and the numbers are finally, with the annual race generating nearly £30 million for the local economy and raising over £3.7m for charity.
This year’s Adidas Manchester Marathon saw record numbers of runners and spectators as over 30,000 took part in the popular race, up by roughly 6,000 from 2023, and more than 125k turned up to line the streets of Greater Manchester.
As a result, these huge crowds spent upwards of £29.2 million at business around the city centre and around the 10 boroughs last weekend, serving as one of the most significant contributions to the local economy on the annual calendar.
Not only was this an approximately £8m increase on last year’s tally but, most importantly, a sizeable chunk of that went straight into both regional and national charities.
The 2024 adidas Manchester Marathon was a spectacular day for the city and its economy.
Beyond the boost to local vendors, the hospitality sector and retail businesses, over £3.7 million were allocated to charities such as Alzheimer’s Charity, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation and The Christie.
Over £32,000 was also raised for the Trafford Active Fund, with £1 from every paid entry to the Adidas Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half donated directly to the initiative that benefits local sports clubs and organisations through Trafford Council.
Better still, with City of Trees selected as the chosen ‘Green Runner’ charity, the eco-friendly drive saw roughly 7% of participants opt out of receiving either a finisher t-shirt, medal or both.
The money saved in production goes towards maintaining woodlands and wildlife across Greater Manchester.
Together you have raised over £3.7 million for charitable causes, adding even more meaning to those 26.2 miles 💕 Well done and thank you to all those who fundraised and donated! 🌟Tag us in those charity top pictures from last weekend 😍😍#ManchesterMarathonpic.twitter.com/5gsi6NtFzB
This year’s Manchester Marathon also helped produce some of the highest number of passengers on public transport in the city’s history, with a over 175,000 journeys made on Metrolink alone – the highest number of journeys ever recorded on a single day.
This was a 20% increaseon 2023’s race day (145k), spotlighting how the event continues to be more environmentally conscious as years go by.
With the 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon confirmed to be taking place on Sunday, 27 April next year – and over 12,000 places already sold – the city can already look forward to reaping the economic and social benefits of hosting one of Europe’s largest, flattest, friendliest and most-loved marathons.
Featured Images — Adidas Manchester Marathon/The Manc Group
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Manchester firefighter surprises partner with proposal during new recruits parade
Danny Jones
We’re a sucker for a wholesome little video as we know you are, which is exactly why we thought of you lot when we came across this video of a newly graduated Manchester firefighter surprising his partner with a heartwarming proposal.
Just the kind of heartwarming that usually sets us off after a long week at work.
The clip shared by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) on Thursday, 25 April, shows Manc fireman James popping the question to his girlfriend sat unassumingly in the audience at a recent passing out ceremony.
Pass out ceremonies are when trainees go from recruits to fully qualified firefighters after completing their intensive operational training. It’s a long-standing tradition in the emergency services where friends and family gather to celebrate their achievements – it’s almost like it’s the perfect opportunity…
Watch as a Manc firefighter turns his passing out ceremony into a surprise proposal.
As you can see, since the graduates are usually the centre of attention, James couldn’t help but size his moment and instead of walking and lining up normally like everyone else, he decided to head straight over to his wife-to-be and get down on one knee.
You already know the rest.
Welling up immediately and barely able to remove her hands from her face, Melissa nods and says yes as the crowd cheers and the pair share a smooch.
Writing on social media, the GMFRS said: “We managed to capture a VERY special moment at our new recruits pass out parade today… Congratulations to James and Melissa!”, adding, “Certainly one way to start your new career”.
If we don’t see all the groomsmen dressed as firefighters on a random viral video sometime soon we’re going to be gutted.
All the best to the happy couple and if you’ve got any more lovely clips like this to send in so we can make ourselves cry (in a good way), you know what to do.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd July 2023 
