Government ministers are reportedly looking into launching a ‘Seat Out to Help Out’ scheme in a bid to encourage people to start attending theatres and live entertainment venues again.
Theatres across the UK have been allowed to reopen with socially-distanced audiences since 15th August, although this was not the case in Greater Manchester and other areas of the country where local lockdown restrictions apply.
The majority however have chosen to remain closed and bosses within the industry have said they will not be able to finance performances without their audiences at a near-full capacity. It’s currently thought that the majority of theatres are operating at around a 25% capacity, but need to be at around 70-80% capacity to be financially viable.
The government previously pledged £1.57 billion to keep the arts sector afloat, but the industry has still seen thousands of people made redundant throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
‘Seat Out to Help Out’ would provide discounts for those with a ticket.
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The scheme is predicted to resemble the recent Eat Out to Help Out scheme – launched by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak – which gave people up to 50% off the first £10 of their meals on Monday to Wednesdays throughout August.
A government source told the Sunday Times: “It could be tickets for a tenner on a Monday, with a link to local restaurants.”
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Royal Exchange Theatre
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has warned that the nation needs to “get back into theatres” to stop them from going out of business.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he said: “We need to start filling seats in much larger numbers – not just for the audiences, not just for the venues and livelihoods who depend on them, but for the entire urban economy, too.
“Theatre is a lynchpin of London’s West End and its absence is painfully reflected in its deserted streets. Innovation is key. It has the ability to rewrite the entire script, and I’m keen to take some of the best experimental ideas for getting people into our theatres safely and put them into practice.”
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He then discussed the possibility of improving ventilation in theatres, or securing “quick turnaround testing” – which would allow for theatre-goers to confirm that they do not have the virus before attending that evening – and added that there were people “waiting in the wings to get full performances back on during the crucial Christmas period” who had his full support.
Details of a potential Seat Out to Help Out are thought to be announced in due course.
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Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
“Help us be a lifeline to organisations on the frontline,” Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity urged in it’s public appeal for donations.
You can help make sure ‘A Bed Every Night’ is a reality for all by donating here.
Featured Image – EthelRedThePetrolHead (via Flickr)
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Former Manchester police officer jailed after sexually assaulting a child while on duty
Emily Sergeant
A former Manchester police officer has been jailed after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a child while he was on duty.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, on 29 December 2023, Dean Dempster was one of three officers responding to a domestic incident involving an adult and children, and it was while he was taking an account from a six-year-old girl, away from his colleagues, that he sexually abused her when he should have been there to protect her.
After GMP investigated a complaint received later that evening in relation to the incident, Dempster was immediately confronted by his supervisor when he returned to duty the next morning.
The 35-year-old was arrested that day by officers in Oldham, and then “relentlessly pursued” by GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate to “explore any further evidence of offending” in an investigation directed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
A former officer has been jailed for sexually abusing a child on duty last year.
Swift action from local officers made sure Dean Dempster never stepped foot in the community again.
Our unit for professional standards has brought Dempster to justice for his despicable crimes. pic.twitter.com/IN2HQOHQEw
A review of Dempster’s electronic devices revealed “further serious offending”, GMP revealed, including the making of indecent images of children.
Sadly, the police investigation also found images on Dempster’s mobile phone taken from his body-worn video camera at the incident in December 2023 of a second clothed child, and of another clothed child at a separate incident dating back to 2022 – with the victims of both families having been made aware, and kept updated throughout the investigation
Dempster was convicted and sacked “at the earliest legal opportunity” by the Chief Constable at an accelerated misconduct hearing in May this year, and he has since admitted six counts of making indecent images, and two counts of Misconduct in Public Office.
After pleading guilty, the former officer has now been jailed for nine years, and has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.
Deputy Chief Constable, Terry Woods, said Dempster “represents the very worst of society”.
“He is not a police officer, he is a child sex offender, a criminal, and he has no right to be near police uniform or serve the public,” DCC added. “Dempster was rightfully arrested and charged before he could ever work in our communities again.”
The Manc -
7th September 2020 
