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Former Mayor and Manchester’s LGBTQ+ advisor Carl-Austin Behan awarded OBE for services to community
He was presented with an OBE by Prince William The Duke of Cambridge at Windsor Castle yesterday.
Manchester’s first openly-gay former Mayor, avid campaigner and community activist, and current LGBTQ+ advisor Carl-Austin Behan was among those honoured at Windsor Castle yesterday.
While all eyes and headlines were on one Mancunian – 24-year-old Manchester United and England star Marcus Rashford, who was finally presented with his MBE yesterday in recognition for his highly-publicised work to tackle child food poverty in the UK – another prominent and important Greater Manchester figure was also recognised at the long-awaited ceremony at Windsor Castle yesterday.
Carl-Austin was presented with an OBE by Prince William The Duke of Cambridge for his ongoing services to the Greater Manchester community.
Following the ceremony yesterday, Kensington Royal took to social media to share Carl-Austin’s achievements that have led to him being awarded the prestigious honour, explaining that: “Every year, inspiring people from across the UK are recognised for their outstanding achievements [and] one person who received his OBE today was Carl-Austin Behan, recognising his incredible work for charity and the LGBTQ+ community in Greater Manchester, where he has helped raise money for numerous worthy causes and spearheaded work promoting equality and inclusion in the public and private sectors.
“He has played an active role in his community, including through his 14 years in the Boys’ Brigade as a youngster, voluntary roles in later life include supporting the Northern Air Hospital Radio and Gaydio, an LGBT radio station.
“He’s completed two charity treks in Malawi, raising over 100,000 for children with HIV, and a trek to Everest Base Camp in 2013 raised £25,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society, a charity he regularly supports.”
Carl-Austin also took to social media to share pictures from the day.
“Feeling proud, honoured and humbled to spend a morning at Windsor Castle to receive my OBE along with many other deserving recipients, which was the first one since before COVID restrictions,” he said in a post on Twitter and Instagram.
He also later thanked “all those who made this happen, who supported, believed, and trusted in me, over many years”, adding that it was “very much a team effort.”
“Especially my family, friends, and loved ones, who have all been part of this amazing journey,” he concluded.
Carl-Austin Behan was born in north Manchester and grew up in Crumpsall.
He joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1991 when he was 19 years old, and had a busy career that included saving a fellow pilot from a burning aircraft, which subsequently saw him commended for his actions in the Queen’s Honours list of 1991 – but was discharged in 1997 for being gay at a time when it was illegal to be openly gay in the RAF.
After leaving the RAF, he began a career in politics, and was elected to Manchester City Council as Labour Member for Burnage ward in May 2011, and then in 2016-2017, was made Lord Mayor of Manchester – becoming the city’s first openly-gay Lord Mayor and one of its youngest at 44.
He also took voluntary roles in later life that include supporting the Northern Air Hospital Radio, and LGBT radio station Gaydio, as well as continuing to work in promoting equality and inclusion in the public and private sectors, and has raised significant sums of money for charities important to him.
Mr Behan is now currently the deputy lord lieutenant of Greater Manchester, trustee of the LGBT+ veterans’ charity Fighting With Pride, president of the CONTACT theatre in Manchester, and acts as the LGBTQ+ advisor to Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.
He deservedly made headlines earlier in February this year when he was finally able to reclaim the military medals taken from him after he was dismissed from the RAF.
The MoD said at the time that it wanted to address a “historical wrong”.
Featured Image – Twitter (@CarlAustinBehan)
News
Oldham police issue dispersal order following ‘repeat incidents’ of disorder in town centre
Emily Sergeant
A dispersal order has been issued in Oldham following ‘repeat incidents’ of disorder between groups of youths.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that it has implemented a Section 35 dispersal order and additional Section 60 ‘stop and search’ powers in Oldham following repeat incidents of disorder between groups of youths in the town centre.
The measures were introduced yesterday afternoon (9 December) after reports of disorder came into police, which also followed similar incidents seen earlier this and last week.
So far, five arrests have been made in connection with the incidents – two for violent disorder, and three for possession of offensive weapons.
A Section 35 dispersal order is in effect for 48 hours until 1:25pm this Thursday (11 December), and the Section 60 is in effect for an initial 24 hours until 1:25pm today.
The dispersal order allows officers to exclude a person, or people, from an area for up to 48 hours through a written notice, while the Section 60 authority grants officers extended powers to stop and search individuals within the area.
Neighbourhood officers will maintain a high-visibility presence in the area and will use these powers where necessary to ‘keep the public safe’.
“These measures are in place to prevent further disorder and ensure the safety of those living, working, and visiting Oldham town centre,” commented Inspector Amie Whitehead, who is the Neighbourhood Inspector for Oldham South & West.
“We will not tolerate antisocial behaviour and will take robust action against anyone involved.
“These powers are crucial to preventing any further offences from taking place. If you have any concerns or any information, then please speak to those officers who are there to help.”
Read more:
Anyone with any information is urged to contact police via 101 or using the LiveChat function on www.gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1619 of 09/12/25.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
Trafford Centre announces opening hours for 2025/26 festive season – including Boxing Day
Emily Sergeant
Trafford Centre has published its full list of opening hours for this current festive season.
We all know that the Christmas period is one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry, with people flocking to the shops in their millions to snap up festive gifts for their loved ones, and it only gets busier from Boxing Day onwards too when all the sales launch, offering shoppers some unmissable deals and bargains.
And nowhere in Greater Manchester gets busier during the festive season than the Trafford Centre. After all, with more than 200 stores all under one room, it’s not hard to see why.
This year, shoppers can make the most of extended opening hours at the Trafford Centre right through to New Year’s Day – with late night shopping until 11pm on selected dates in December leading up to the big day.
Alongside being a one-stop-shop for gifts, there’s also dozens of festive events and new Christmas lights to enjoy at the Trafford Centre too, so visitors can tick everything off their list and have a great day out while they’re at it.
The shopping centre will be open from 9am – 5pm on Christmas Eve, so you can whip round and grab any last-minute presents, before it’s closed fully on Christmas Day, and then opens again bright and early at 8am on Boxing Day.
Trafford Centre Christmas Opening Hours 2025/26
- 18 and 19 December: 10am – 11pm
- 20 December: 10am – 10pm
- 21 December: 12pm – 6pm
- 22 and 23 December: 10am – 11pm
- Christmas: 9am – 5pm
- Christmas Day: Closed
- 26 December: 8am – 8pm (some stores may be closed, please check with individual brands)
- 27 December: 10am – 9pm
- 28 December: 12pm – 6pm
- 29 and 30 December: 10pm – 10pm
- New Year’s Eve: 9am – 5pm
- New Year’s Day: 12pm – 6pm
It’s also worth noting, however, that not every store inside the Trafford Centre will be open on Boxing Day, so you’ll need to check with individual brands ahead of time.
For the restaurants, stores, and leisure venues that are open, you can check their specific trading hours on the Trafford Centre website here.
Read more:
When it comes to festive event, The Grotto is open until Christmas Eve for pre-bookings only, and the Christmas fairground and ice rink, Big Wheel, and Gandeys Snowstorm Firebird show are all open until 4 January (closed Christmas Day).
Featured Image – Trafford Centre (Supplied)
