The mother of one of the victims of the Manchester Arena attack, and a campaigner for stronger security measures in public places has been presented with an OBE.
60-year-old Figen Murray – whose son Martyn Hett was one of 22 people killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing – was selected in the Queen’s New Year Honours list in December 2021 after being recognised for her continuous work in counter-terrorism, public speaking, and promotion of peace.
She was presented with her OBE by Prince William The Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Place last Friday.
This incredible honour comes just a few months after she gained an MSc degree in Counter Terrorism and graduated with a distinction from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) back in December 2021.
Figen said she completed the degree to try and understand why her son was killed.
ADVERTISEMENT
Originally from Stockport, Figen has tirelessly campaigned for the introduction of ‘Martyn’s Law’ since the attack, and the law was recently confirmed in the Queen’s Speech – which set out the government’s planned legislative programme.
Under the proposals, venues across the UK would have a legal duty to devise, adopt, and provide specific security plans and training for a potential terror attack.
ADVERTISEMENT
Figen’s son, Martyn Hett, was one of 22 people killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing / Credit: Martyn Hett
Now, Figen – who publicly forgave bomber Salman Abedi less than a month after the attack to “break the cycle of hate that existed” – says that “more needs to be done” to keep the public safe.
After proudly accepting her OBE, Figen said: “The Manchester Arena attack changed my life forever, and I know my son Martyn would be touched by all of the work I am doing in memory of him.
“Whilst the bomber sought to spread hatred and division that night, I am determined to share the values that Martyn held so close to his heart – love, kindness and tolerance – to make our young people more understanding and resilient to extremist influences.
“But there is also work to be done around safety at public places and venues.
“We should all be able to enjoy attending these venues in the knowledge that we are protected against potential terrorist attacks.”
🎖️@FigenMurray who campaigned for better venue security after her son Martyn Hett was killed in the Manchester Arena bombing has received her OBE from Prince William today. The government are moving forward with Martyn's law which will bring in tougher safety rules #HeartNewspic.twitter.com/L6zGW6zMC8
“We have an opportunity before us to set the world leading standards and legislation that will provide organisations, businesses and their employees the training and tools to prevent future terror attacks and keep the public safe,” she said.
“I look forward to working closely with the government to ensure this happens.”
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
‘The average cost of a pint’ in the UK by region, according to the latest data
Danny Jones
Does it feel like pints keep getting more and more expensive almost every week at this point? Yes. Yes, it does, and while you can’t expect a city as big as Manchester to be one of the cheapest places to get one in the UK, we do often wonder how it compares to other parts of the country.
Well, as it happens, someone has recently crunched the numbers for us across the nation, breaking down which regions pay the most and the least for their pints.
The data has been examined by business management consultancy firm, CGA Strategy, using artificial intelligence and information from the latest Retail Price Index figures to find out what the ‘average cost of a pint’ is down south, up North and everywhere in between.
While the latest statistics provided by the group aren’t granular enough to educate us on Greater Manchester’s pint game exactly, we can show you how our particular geographic region is looking on the leaderboard at the moment.
That’s right, we Mancunians and the rest of the North West are technically joint mid-table when it comes to the lowest average cost of a pint, sharing the places from 3rd to 8th – according to CGA, anyway.
Powered by consumer intelligence company, NIQ (NielsenIQ) – who also use AI and the latest technology to deliver their insights – we can accept it might seem like it’s been a while since you’ve paid that little for a pint, especially in the city centre, but these are the stats they have published.
Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say; unless, of course, they’re trying to rob you blind for a bev. Fortunately, we’ve turned bargain hunting at Manchester bars into a sport at this point.
We might not boast the lowest ‘average’ pint cost in the UK, but we still have some bloody good places to keep drinking affordable.
London tops the charts (pretends to be shocked)
While some of you may have scratched your eyes at the supposed average pint prices here in the North West, it won’t surprise any of you to see that London leads the way when it came to the most expensive pint when it came to average cost in the UK.
To be honest, £5.44 doesn’t just sound cheap but virtually unheard of these days.
CGA has it that the average cost of a beer in the British capital is actually down 15p from its price last September, but as we all know, paying upwards of £7 for a pint down that end of the country is pretty much par for the course the closer you get to London.
Yet more reason you can be glad you live around here, eh? And in case you thought you were leaving this article with very little, think again…
Emily Sergeant -
27th June 2022 
