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Andy Burnham calls for two-week school closure to ensure ‘some kind of Christmas’ for Greater Manchester

The Mayor of Greater Manchester suggested that sending children home during the final two weeks of November could help Christmas go ahead.

The Manc The Manc - 2nd November 2020

Andy Burnham has joined calls to shut schools in England as part of the second national lockdown – claiming that a temporary closure could bring cases down enough for Greater Manchester to enjoy “some kind of Christmas.”

The Mayor of Greater Manchester suggested that sending children home during the final two weeks of November may help prevent lockdown being dragged on into the festive holidays.

Over the weekend, Prime Minister Boris Johnsons announced that England would re-enter lockdown for a four-week period beginning on November 5.

A key difference between this ‘stay at home’ order and the one enforced in March is that education facilities remain open this time around.

Schools, colleges and universities have all been encouraged to operate as normal, whilst many other premises close.

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But Mayor Burnham said he wanted to see schools shut for a “period” in order to “create the conditions” for Christmas.

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“I remain of the view a circuit break needs to be a true circuit break if it’s to have the effect it needs to have to re-set things,” Burnham said at a press conference on Sunday,

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“It’s my view we do need to have a period of closure in our schools if we are to get those cases right down and avoid a scenario where large parts of the North West are simply put back into Tier 3.”

The Mayor added: “I would suggest a period of two weeks’ closure towards the second half of November so that schools have time to prepare online learning, but that would create the conditions for the biggest drop in cases that we could achieve and it would then create the conditions for some kind of Christmas for more families because they need it right now.”

The National Education Union (NEU), the biggest teaching union in the UK, has also called for the nationwide closure of schools (with exceptions for the “vulnerable” pupils with key workers parents).

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NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said: “We are worried this will just lead to another lockdown later. We think it will not work if schools are not included.”

The new lockdown rules for England, which come into effect on Thursday and will be in place until at least December 2, state that:

  • There will be no mixing of households anywhere in the country, except for in cases where childcare and other forms of support are necessary.
  • Pubs, bars and restaurants must close
  • Non-essential shops must also close
  • All outbound international travel is banned, except for work
  • Gyms must close
  • Travel within the UK is discouraged

Schools, however, are set to remain open until the Christmas holidays.

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Liam Fray is playing a one-off charity gig to raise money for Manchester’s homeless community

Danny Jones Danny Jones Liam Fray charity gig homeless Manchester

Liam Fray is playing a one-off charity gig to raise money for Greater Manchester’s homeless population early next year.

The Courteeners frontman will be playing an acoustic set at the O2 Apollo on Friday, 13 January 2023 to raise money for the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme run by the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity.

Hosting just the second ‘Raise the Roof’ fundraising concert in over three years – the pandemic having put a pause on the initiative – the money generated will go towards providing a safe place to sleep to thousands in around the Manchester area.

The Middleton-born musician confirmed the date on Tuesday.

The Courteeners played at the first Raise the Roof gig back in 2019 alongside the likes of Bugzy Malone, Blossoms and Lisa Stansfield, raising over £100,000 for the homeless charity.

While Fray is currently the only name confirmed to be playing this year’s gig, his popularity in the city alone is sure to drive thousands to iconic Manchester venue for this great cause.

Most importantly, not only will all ticket sales go towards the A Bed Every Night drive, but so too will the proceeds from the re-release of the band’s debut album, St Jude, dropping on the same day as the gig.

The Mayor’s Charity has held a number of hugely successful campaigns already this year, including their annual 24 Run Against Homelessness as well as Mayor Andy Burnham‘s second night DJing at the one and only Warehouse Project.

Speaking in an official press release, Burnham spoke about the spoke about “the power of music to get people together and raise vital funds” for causes like combatting homelessness.

He went on to say that despite all the money already raised this year, “there’s more still to do and we know the cost of living crisis has started to impact on people’s housing”, adding: “We’re a musical city, so what better way to help those who need it but with a night with the incredible Liam Fray.”

Responding to Burnham’s thanks on Twitter, Fray had a simple message:

Over 4,000 unique individuals have been supported by A Bed Every Night since 2019, with more than 600 people now supplied with accommodation across the region who would otherwise be at risk of sleeping rough.

The Mayor’s campaign works with 21 different organisations across Greater Manchester helping provide a safe place to sleep to the homeless and those in needs on a regular basis. Wonderful stuff.

Tickets go on sale Friday, 9 December at 9am. You can grab yours HERE.

Read more:

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

Featured Image — Liam Fray (via Instagram)

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How to help in Manchester if you see someone homeless in the freezing cold

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

Whilst much has been done over the past few years to improve options for people who find themselves homeless in Greater Manchester, it’s still a huge problem – felt especially hard when the temperature drops.

The Met Office has forecast lows of -3 that will last across the weekend into early next week, whilst health officials have told people to put their heating on, despite rising costs. But some don’t even have the option to do that.

In the UK last year, 1,286 people died while homeless according to the Museum of Homelessness (MoH) Dying Homeless Project.

As a general rule, there are no legal protections for people sleeping rough in England. Most councils offer extra beds when temperatures are forecast to drop below 0ºC for three consecutive nights.

Fortunately here in Manchester, there is more support at hand.

Credit: Giving Compass

What support does Manchester offer homeless people in freezing weather?

Manchester is the first major metropolitan area in the country to promise help as soon as the temperature drops below 0ºC.

Shelters are opened up in and around the city centre as soon as one night of freezing temperatures is forecast, and stay open until temperatures rise back up above zero, giving everyone a warm place to rest.

Accommodation varies from hostel ‘sit up’ spaces to an emergency shelter run by local charity Coffee4Craig for the council, where people are provided with sleeping bags, mats, armchairs and even a TV. And when space runs out in the hostels, people are given a hotel room for the night.

There is also the Mayor’s flagship A Bed Every Night scheme, which looks to offer a bed, hot meal and support for anyone sleeping rough in Greater Manchester at any time of year – regardless of the weather.

Credit: Giving Compass

What can I do to help someone?

If you’re concerned about someone, you can contact your local authority via one of the numbers below.

Alternatively, you can use this tool to view the services on offer in your area.

Read more: Here’s six ways you can help homeless people in Greater Manchester this winter

Manchester city council

Referrals during the day can be made through the Council Rough Sleeper team (0161 234 5339). For referrals out of hours, call 0161 234 5001.

Salford council

Salford Housing Options can be contacted on 0161 607 1620 during office hours. Beyond this, the number to dial is 0161 794 8888.

Trafford council

Contact Housing Options Service Trafford on 0161 793 3252, or 0800 218 2000 out of hours.

Bolton council

During the day, ring Bolton Town Hall on 01204 333333. Out of hours, you can refer via the duty social worker on 01204 337777.

Bury council

In the day, refer through the Housing Assessment Service on 0161 253 5537. For out of hours referrals, call 0161 253 6606.

Wigan council

The Housing Options Team can be contacted on 01942 487 732 during the day. Out of hours referrals can be made via the duty social worker on 01942 828 777.

Tameside council

Call Tameside Housing Advice on 0161 331 2700 during the day, or contact out of hours support services on 0161 331 2700 or 0161 331 2888.

Oldham council

The number to call during the day is 0161 770 4605. For out of hours referrals, ring 0800 988 7061.

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Rochdale council

Rochdale’s cold weather service hotline can be reached on 01706 923 511 for information on accommodation.

Stockport council

In Stockport, residents are advised to call 0161 474 4237 with details of any vulnerable people they might be concerned about.

Featured Image – Flickr

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