A landlord threatened with deportation after putting his life savings into a community pub to keep its doors open has been told he can stay in the UK.
Russell Young, who is originally from Melbourne in Australia, moved to Failsworth four years ago to be with his partner, and took up residence in the 200-year-old local pub The Sun Inn on Oldham Road.
The pair ploughed their savings into the local pub to prevent it from being purchased by developers, but after months of enforced closure during the pandemic, Mr Young had been stopped from hitting the necessary earnings threshold for a living visa in the UK.
The Home Office then told him he must leave the country after rejecting his appeal.
Mr Young was left with just 14 days to try to overturn the result, before having to leave his wife Tracie and family behind in the UK.
His partner, Tracie Young – who first worked in the pub as a barmaid in 1986, before returning as bar manager in 2015 – said it left the duo “in an impossible situation”, adding: “Despite the difficulty of running a pub in the pandemic, we finished our first year in business with a profit.
“Throughout this year, so many people have been separated from their loved ones – and now, through no fault of our own, our life together is at risk.”
The Sun Inn in Failsworth / Credit: Facebook
Outraged locals set up a petition urging the Home Office to reconsider their decision that received over 20,000 signatures, and a GoFundMe page went on to raise over £2,000 – with Tracie describing the support as “mind-blowing”.
And now, after two months of stress and an entirely new application, Mr Young has been given a five-year visa to stay in Britain.
The pair were waiting in line at the local post office when Ms Young received a call from Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Adviser Sacha Lord – who has been a large backer of the pair’s fight, recruiting a legal team at Manchester-based JMW Solicitors to help secure Mr Young’s future – telling them the good news.
Taking to Twitter to express his relief, Lord said: “Phoning Russell to let him know we’d made the Home Office do a U Turn was a nice call to make [and] he can now carry one with his life and serving the community, with his local pub.
“Common sense prevails.”
Good news story:
Phoning Russell, to let him know we'd made the Home Office do a U Turn, was a nice call to make.
He can now carry one with his life and serving the community, with his local pub.
A spokesperson for the Home Office also said: “All applications are carefully considered at the time on their individual merits, on the basis of the evidence provided and in accordance with the immigration rules.
“It is up to applicants to demonstrate they meet the requirements of the route they apply under.”
Featured Image – Tracie Young
News
Local LGBTQIA+ football team Manchester Laces are set to play in the FA Cup for the first time ever
Danny Jones
Inclusive football team Manchester Laces are set to break even more new ground are they prepare to compete in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup for the first time ever.
What a truly incredible few years it’s been for the club.
Set to play their maiden match in the female division of the sport’s oldest competition this weekend, Manchester Laces’ Yellows squad will be taking on rival Greater Manchester Women’s Football League (GMWFL) side, Northwich Victoria, in another historic milestone for the local outfit.
Announced last month, the game is now fast approaching, and they’re hoping that plenty of Manc natives will turn up in support.
For anyone unfamiliar with the story, Manchester Laces has grown to become the leading women’s, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ positive sporting bodies in the region.
In fact, as part of a wider family – which includes clubs in Hackney, South London and Limehouse Laces, not to mention players over in Canada too – they’re comfortably one of the biggest in the entire country.
Sticking with MCR Laces alone, founded by Helen Hardy, they have grown so much in reputation and size that they have six different teams besides just the Yellows: the other Manchester squads include the Blues, Greens, Oranges, Purples, as well as the budding new Reds and Blacks.
It’s this kind of impressive expansion and, crucially, representation that has seen them win two Football v Homophobia Awards and Grassroots Initiative of the Year back in 2023.
Side-note: they also happen to have one of our favourite fooy kits of the entire year so far…
Boasting a new regular stadium at Timpson Road and set to take part not only in the North West Women’s Regional Football League (NWWFL)/GMWFL, but now FA Cup and county cup games, 2025 could be their most momentous year yet.
Providing access to countless women and people from within the queer and non-binary community who love the beautiful game and may have otherwise struggled to find an outlet, their work has been crucial in and around Greater Manchester.
With that in mind, taking part in an inaugural run within the prestigious knockout tournament feels like yet another watershed moment for the organisation.
Speaking ahead of the fixture, the club wrote on social media: “In 2021, we started our journey in Div 2 of the GMWFL with the aim of creating an inclusive and welcoming space for all. After winning consecutive league titles and earning back-to-back promotions, we are now a Tier 6 team.
“Yellows are delighted to be stepping into the magic of the FA Cup for the very first time, and we would love to see you there!
Taking place at both Wythenshawe Town FC’s and the Yellows’ own new home ground of Ericstan Park on Sunday, 7 September (2pm KO), we wish them the best of luck.
18-21 year olds can now travel on Greater Manchester’s buses for half price
Emily Sergeant
18-21 year olds can now apply to travel on Greater Manchester’s bus network for half price, it has been announced.
The Bee Network says it is ‘continuing to lead the way’ when it comes to cutting the cost of public transport, with applications for half price unlimited bus travel for 18-21 year olds now open and around 150,000 young people in Greater Manchester set to benefit.
The new pass will ‘better connect’ young people to work, training, or education opportunities.
With the Greater Manchester economy found to be experiencing faster growth compared to the UK as a whole, and with making travel ‘easier, more affordable, and inclusive’ a critical part of the Bee Network’s success, Mayor Andy Burnham announced the half-price bus travel this week, alongside a raft of other improvements across the region.
Some of the other improvements the Mayor announced include more frequent buses, cheaper travel, and new round-the-clock services.
18-21 year olds can now travel on Greater Manchester’s buses for half price / Credit: TfGM
Young people can now buy a 28-day bus travelcard for just £40, which is half the price of adult fares and the equivalent of just £1.43 per day for unlimited travel on any Bee Network bus in Greater Manchester.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) says the new half-price travel is aimed at helping the thousands of young people once their 16-18 ‘Our Pass’ expires, and will support them as they move into further education or the world of work.
“Young people in Greater Manchester have been calling out for an affordable transport option for when their Our Pass expires and this new pass will give them that,” commented Fran Wilkinson, who is the Director for Customer and Growth at TfGM.
The new 18-21 Bee Bus ticket is here! 🙌
Enjoy 28 day’s of unlimited travel on #BeeNetwork buses for just £40. 🚌
Buy yours now on the Bee Network app with an 18-21 Pass ID.
“We know this is such an important time in a young person’s life as they look to go into further education or enter the world of work.
“Now as they explore the many opportunities available to them they will be able to use any Bee Network bus as much as they need to at half the price.”
Fatima Bangoura, who is the Youth Engagement Officer at Youth Leads, added: “The new 18-21 pass opens doors for those who may worry about losing that support once their Our Pass ends, making travel for training, apprenticeships, education and employment far more accessible.”