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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.”
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
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One of the largest charity shops in the UK is opening in Bolton this week
Emily Sergeant
One of the largest charity shops in the UK is set to open down at a popular Greater Manchester retail park this week.
The independently-run Regenerage superstore is set to become the newest resident at the massively-popular Middlebrook Retail Park in Bolton – which also happens to be the biggest retail park in the UK too – when it throws open its doors to the public tomorrow.
Regenerage Bolton – previously known as Age Concern Central Lancashire – is the first to be launched under the brand’s new name.
Inside the huge 10,958 sq ft store offers, shoppers will be able to find everything from ladies and menswear, to homeware, furniture, and children’s clothing too, plus books, and new white goods – including washing machines, fridge freezers, and more
Not only that, but there’s also a specially-created bridal and occasional wear department too.
This means customers will have the unique chance to pick up the perfect pre-loved items for upcoming occasions, like weddings and proms, in excellent nearly-new condition – with many items having been donated after just one wear.
And if all of that didn’t sound brilliant enough as it is, you can even get your hands on designer brands like Vivienne Westwood, Ralph Lauren, and Armani, without the hefty price tag.
/ Credit: Regenerage
“We’re incredibly excited to be finally opening the doors of our new superstore,” commented Bel Fry, who is the Director of Retail at Regenerage.
“It’s the largest store we have ever launched and the whole team has worked tirelessly to make it stand out from the crowd. I have been blown away by the quality of items coming through the doors, and it’s a real testament to the generosity and kind-heartedness of local people for the range of products we are able to offer customers.
“We’re thrilled to be part of Middlebrook Retail Park, and we can’t wait to make our opening day one to remember.”
The new Regenerage store opens at Middlebrook Retail Park in Bolton from 10am tomorrow (Wednesday 20 March), and the first 100 customers through the doors will be given a free branded tote bag to pop their shopping in.
As part of the grand opening, anyone purchasing an item on the day will be entered into a special prize draw with the chance to win a £50 voucher to spend in-store too.
Featured Image – Regenerage
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Northern is hiring hundreds of new train drivers and conductors with ‘no previous experience’ needed
Emily Sergeant
Northern has just launched another massive recruitment drive, and is looking to hire hundreds of new train drivers and conductors.
The best bit? You don’t even need any previous rail experience to apply.
The train operator says it is looking to recruit as many as 300 drivers and conductors across right the north of England this year – with the new recruits all set to form part of the team that is responsible for running the over 2,500 services Northern provides to more that 500 stations throughout the region each day.
Northern says both its driver and conductor roles “require no previous rail industry experience”, as full paid-for training will be provided at its academies in Manchester and Leeds.
The company wants to welcome 108 new train drivers and 198 conductors in 2024.
Northern is hiring hundreds of new train drivers and conductors across the region / Credit: Northern
The train driver roles – which will be advertised in the coming months in Manchester, as well as other nearby locations like Blackburn, Blackpool, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, and more – come with a starting salary of £23,000 a year, which eventually rises to £54,500 after completing a 64-week training course.
The conductor roles, on the other hand – many of which will also be advertised in Manchester too – come with starting salaries of £22,000 that rise to £29,000 on completion of 16-weeks of training.
Northern says its 2024 recruitment drive is part of a “normal and ongoing recruitment process” across the region, and comes as a handful of its other team members retire, earn promotion, or move on to the next stage of their career.
No previous rail experience is required for the roles / Credit: Northern
“We have a range of rewarding roles for anyone who wants to become part of a dedicated team,” commented Tricia Williams, who is the Chief Operating Officer at Northern, as the recruitment drive launched this week.
“We are looking for customer-focused people with excellent communication skills, who thrive in a dynamic environment and may not have considered a career in rail before. We want our workforce to reflect the communities we serve, and we’re proud to include people from all walks of life in our team, from military veterans and ex-police officers, to former office workers, and stay-at-home parents.”
Ms Williams said the rail operator will be recruiting all throughout 2024, and is encouraging hopeful candidates to register for job alerts on the Northern website so they don’t miss out.
You can find out more information and apply for roles here.