Andy Burnham joins forces with Metro Mayors to call for extension of ‘Housing First’ homeless scheme
The Mayor of Greater Manchester is calling on the government to extend funding for the Housing First pilots to ensure people don’t risk returning to rough sleeping.
Andy Burnham has joined forces with fellow Metro Mayors to help end rough sleeping by calling for an extension of the Housing First scheme.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, alongside Mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram and West Midlands’ Mayor Andy Street, say they all share the same ambition to end rough sleeping and believe the local Housing First pilots have been making a significant contribution.
Housing First is a system that prioritises access to stable accommodation over the requirement for an individual to address any other support needs they have.
Figures provided by the Mayors show that 96% of those who benefited from the scheme had come straight off the streets, and 25% were before they were 18 years old.
The three pilot schemes have worked with 1,245 individuals – 812 of which have been housed in secure tenancies (with an 87% tenancy sustainment rate).
🏡 Today Andy is joining with @LCRMayor and @MayorWestMids to call for an extension of the Government's Housing First pilot scheme, which is making a real difference in tackling homelessness.
— Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham (@MayorofGM) July 28, 2021
It’s believed that there are an estimated 1,018 people across the pilot programmes who will need support when the funding ends.
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Calling on the government to extend the pilot scheme, Andy Burnham said: “When I first took office, Greater Manchester was struggling to cope with a growing homelessness crisis [but] since then, a range of local policies I’ve introduced, and national policies have helped turn this around – and Housing First is one of them.
“The success of our pilots speaks for themselves and that’s why I want the government to extend funding for the existing programmes and then provide sustainable funding to roll it out as a national policy as we work together to achieve our ambition to end rough sleeping.”
Steve Rotherham, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, added: “There has been an alarming rise in homelessness over the past decade, as austerity stripped away many of the safety nets that some relied on.
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“Through these Housing First pilots, we have collectively shown that there is a better, more humane way of treating people.”
Andy Burnham is calling on the government to extend funding for the Housing First pilots / Credit: Sky News
Alongside the Metro Mayors’ calls ahead of a stakeholder event being held today with more than 200 delegates from across the pilot areas and Housing and Rough Sleeping Minister, Eddie Hughes MP, a meeting of the cross-party All Party Parliamentary Group on Housing First last week also backed calls for an extension of the pilots.
As well as providing a home, Housing First supports individuals with health issues and disabilities.
Featured Image – CentrePoint
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Scouting For Girls announce stacked UK tour with Manchester date
Thomas Melia
British boyband Scouting For Girls are heading out on an extensive UK tour with dates up and down the country, including right here in Manchester.
If the first thing that pops into your mind when you read this headline is “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how we’ll make it through this”, then you’re on the right side of history.
Nearly 20 years since their single ‘She’s So Lovely’ reached catastrophic heights and had everyone putting on their best Roy Stride accent, Scouting For Girls are heading back on the road.
This UK tour announcement comes two years after their last project, The Place We Used To Meet, reached our ears and was coined by the band as “Our best work since our debut”.
It’s been 18 years since this Brit trio captivated our hearts with their eponymous debut album, which sold over one million copies and went number one on the UK official charts for two weeks.
Whether you know them for ‘Heartbeat’ or ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, it’s clear to say this band had their fair share of smash hit singles throughout the noughties.
This tour, however, celebrates the sophomore follow-up: Everybody Wants To Be On TV, which went on to continue their legacy and secure them their only number one, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, back in 2010.
Now, the boys are treating UK fans to an array of live performances, and if you can’t make one date, fear not because there are 20 different locations for you to choose from.
The group will also be playing the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and a whole host of other Northern cities, so you have plenty of chances to catch them.
If you can’t wait all the way until March 2026 for your next Scouting For Girls fix, lead singer Stride has his own cameo account where you can get the star to read out a message or even sing you a song: “‘Michaela Strachan’ in full, please?…”
Scouting For Girls are coming to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 21 March 2026, with tickets going on sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am HERE.
Manchester Marathon 2025 guide – all you need to know about the ‘UK’s biggest day of running’
Danny Jones
It’s nearly here… The 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon is just days away, and the mix of pre-race nerves, excitement and general hysteria is palpable, so much so that the only way we can think to calm both us and all you lot down is putting together a helpful guide.
Take no notice of those anticipatory jitters: don’t worry, they’re completely natural, but it’s worth reminding you that the Manchester Marathon is known worldwide not only as one of the flattest and fastest in Europe but also one of the most well-attended and fun to run full stop.
With London’s counterpart taking place simultaneously, the Manchester Marathon this Sunday, 27 April, is set to make up the single biggest day of running in UK history – what a thing to be part of.
All the hard work’s been done, you’re coming towards the end of the taper; supporters, we hope your homemade signs are primed and ready; there’s just one long run left, so with that in mind, here’s all the important info you need to know for this year’s Manchester Marathon.
2025 Manchester Marathon – everything you need to know
How about we start with the start times, eh?
MCR Marathon waves – colours, times and more
By now, those of you taking part should have all received/picked up your event packs, including your bib number and wave colour.
These are essential not only in order for your chip time to be recorded but for you to enter the start process before you actually begin your marathon and, of course, for your loved ones to track your progress throughout the day. Here’s where you need to be at what time, depending on your wave:
You can also find info on your pacers HERE. (Credit: Manchester Marathon)
2025 Manchester Marathon route
Now, the main headline this year is that the Manchester Marathon has a brand-new finish line, with the annual race relocating from the home stretch near the Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground to the iconic Oxford Road.
Wrapping up proceedings in the shadow of one of the city’s most beautiful buildings, we can’t think of a more picturesque place for a box office finish.
You can see a quick run-through of the route down below:
As for the points where you’ll be able to grab extra fluids and even back-up HIGH5 energy gels, there will be a total of eight water stations throughout the marathon, spread out as evenly as possible across the various parts of Greater Manchester that the route runs through.
There will be portable toilets available at every single water stop in case of emergencies too, and there is also a full map of where to find them.
As for bag drop, a new system is in place for the 2025 Manchester Marathon, with belongings from each wave being carefully loaded onto separate lorries and transported from the initial drop point near the starting area over towards the finish line, saving your tired little legs from doing any extra work.
Participants will first drop their bags off near the front of Manchester United’s Old Trafford Stadium, on Wharfside Way – it’s recommended you arrive at least 45 minutes before your actual start time – before being given a wristband and picking them up over at the Oxford Road finish line. More info HERE.
As for this year’s dedicated Manchester Marathon fan zones and cheer points, you’ll find popular spectator hotspots, including the Deansgate Interchange, the Chester Road strip leading up past Stretford Mall and a main section of Chorlton’s high street, just to name a few.
Thankfully, you can find lots more tips on where to cheer on your friends and family via the online Supporter Hub, including help when it comes to tracking them.
In addition to the multiple signposted junctures and atmosphere hubs seen in the virtual route tour above, with more live music and festivities from artists, charities and local organisations than ever, the 2025 equivalent of previous years’ event village comes in the form of an all-new fan zone on Oxford Rd.
Find out more about what those taking part and cheering from the sidelines can enjoy in and around the action.
It’s also worth noting that the new ‘Adizero: For The Fast‘ pop-up will be open all the way from Thursday, 24 April to race day at Impossible Bar on Peters Street in the city centre.
The space is open to all and will host shake-out runs, exclusive product ranges, panel discussions and a variety of other activities; a collaborative adidas and Made Running cheer point will also be located at the one-mile mark on the corner of Deansgate.
If, for whatever reason, you can’t help line the streets yourself on the day, then you’ll be glad to hear that you can watch the whole thing online via a livestream on the Manchester Marathon YouTube channel – including Atherton’s very own Olympian getting the runners underway.
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MCR Marathon road closures
As for the part of the city, Trafford and other sections of Greater Manchester that will be impacted by the Manchester Marathon road closures, here at the key points to know:
Parts of Oxford Road, Hulme Street, Grafton Street and other city centre streets will shut from 8am on Saturday and noon before the race on Sunday. As for the event itself, the route will go on to shut down the likes of Deansgate, Chester Road, and various other sections of road from 4am onwards.
You can find a full guide along with specific timings for each road closure HERE.
Further travel advice and public transport info
Last but not least, if you’re travelling into or across the city region for the action, Transport for Greater Manchester have recommended using our brilliant Bee Network to get around wherever possible.
Not only will this help reduce congestion in and around the city limits, but it also helps contribute to the adidas Manchester Marathon’s commitment to making the event as green as possible.
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There are plenty of park and ride facilities at your disposal, and TfGM have also put together an interactive map for you to consult when planning your journey:
Now, we’re not trying teach you how to suck eggs, but it goes without saying that you should eliminate all panics possible, so get those phones, smart watches earphones and so on charged up, get your safety pins sorted early and so on.
Make sure you take in plenty of carbs for those much-needed energy stores in the days leading up to the race, lots of water too, not to mention as much rest and actual sleep as possible.
As for active preparation, you don’t need to be doing much more than a casual 5k jog or some light exercise in the last few days before the actual race – a steady little shakeout run the day prior at most. Lastly, ensure your race kit is washed and ready because a wardrobe dilemma is the last thing you need.
No matter what happens on the day, we’re already so proud of you all, whether you’re a returning runner, a first-timer, a dedicated fundraiser, or even just walking those magnificent 26.2 miles. Now go and SMASH it and we’ll see you for a refreshing reward at the pub!
The Manc -
28th July 2021 
