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Greater Manchester venues receive millions from Culture Recovery Fund
The Lowry, National Football Museum and Band on the Wall are among the recipients of a £58 million pot for culture sites in the north.
Northern venues have received over £58 million from the government’s latest round of emergency funding designed to support arts and heritage institutions during the pandemic.
The Culture Recovery Fund has supplied £300 million in grants to over 2,700 organisations – as well as £81 million in tailor-made loans for cultural landmarks.
A number of Manchester sites are set to take a further portion of the overall pot – including galleries, museums and clubs.
The Lowry in Salford will receive £7.3 million – which will go towards funding community outreach and caring for the prestigious LS Lowry collection.
The National Football Museum – which houses the largest public collection of football objects in the world – will receive £239,721; with the extra funding used to support the museum reopening to the public in the summer.
Chief Executive of the National Football Museum Tim Desmond said the organisation was “over the moon.”
Elsewhere on the recipients list, Manchester Pride is set for a £553,642 boost, with Greater Manchester Arts Centre getting £375,000 and Manchester Young People’s Theatre enjoying £96,555.
The University of Manchester has received further funding for Whitworth Art and Manchester Museum, with Oldham Coliseum Theatre handed £56,600.
Beloved music venue Band on the Wall also confirmed it would take a six-figure sum from the pot – being awarded a grant of £154,000.
Gavin Sharp, CEO, Band on the Wall stated: “The pandemic continues to put cultural organisations at risk of closure, and while there is some light at the end of the tunnel, these are still incredibly challenging times in our sector.
“The Cultural Recovery Fund represents an essential lifeline to Band on the Wall, and we are now one step closer to bringing much-missed live music to the stage again.”
Over 48 Manchester venues benefitted from the initial round of funding back in September.
Nonetheless, there were a number of glaring omissions. The most high profile of which was iconic comedy club Frog & Bucket – which failed to get the £60,000 it asked for.
The venue was ultimately saved by fans and performers from closure via donations.
Several venues – including the Frog – that have struggled during the pandemic have launched a special event to raise vital funds ahead of reopening to customers called Manchester’s Big Night In – which will take place on April 10.
News
A former beauty queen, 25, has died suddenly after collapsing at stables owned by Michael Owen
Daisy Jackson
A former beauty queen has died at just 25 years old, after she collapsed at the stables owned by Michael Owen.
Jessica Whalley worked at Manor House Stables and had previously taken part in the Miss Tourism Universe pageant.
Emergency services were called to the equestrian facility in Malpas, Cheshire, on Tuesday morning to reports that the young woman had collapsed.
Tragically, paramedics were unable to revive Jessica, and she died at the scene.
Manor House Stables, which is owned by former England, Liverpool FC and Manchester United legend Michael Owen, has put out a statement.
They wrote: “It is with deep sadness that we have to announce that a much-valued member of our team died at work this morning.
“The family have been informed and both the family and the team at Manor House request privacy at this time.”
In a statement, Cheshire Police said: “At around 8.50am today, Tuesday 28 March, police were made aware that a 25-year-old woman had collapsed at a stables on Old Coach Road, Malpas.
“Emergency services attended the location and, despite the best efforts of all those involved, the woman sadly died at the scene.
“The death is not being treated as suspicious and her next of kin have been informed. A file will be prepared for the coroner.”
Jockey Zander Voy also shared a tribute to Jessica Whalley, posting: “It’s heartbreaking to hear Jess lost her life today at the tender age of 25.
“She was riding out doing what she loved. We had so many great times working in Dubai. May she rest in peace. Here’s her just 72 hours ago.”
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Featured image: Instagram
News
Keir Starmer says Labour will ‘freeze’ council tax this year if elected
Emily Sergeant
Keir Starmer has said he will “freeze” council tax in England this year if Labour triumphs in the upcoming local elections.
The Labour leader says his party will cut tax “for the many, not just for the top 1%.”
With the next local elections coming up on 4 May 2023, and Labour hoping to gain in its number of seats across England and Wales, Sir Keir Starmer appeared in Swindon today to launch his party’s election campaign, and hit out at the Conservative Party for being “nowhere near good enough” over their last 13 years of power.
Starmer notably blasted the Tories for their decision to raise tax-free pension limits in its most recent Budget announcement – which is set to benefit the most well-off in our society – and said Labour would counteract this and represent working people.
It comes after almost three in four local Councils say they are planning to increase the cost by the maximum amount allowed after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt raised the cap on council tax increases without a referendum from 3% to 5%.
Council leaders claim they have “little choice” but to increase costs as the rising cost of living crisis sadly continues to make its impact felt nationwide.
Speaking at the launch of Labour’s campaign today, Starmer stated “there is a choice on tax” for the public to make in the upcoming local elections.
He added: “A Tory choice – taxes up for working people, tax cuts for the 1% – or a Labour choice, where we cut business rates to save our high streets and where, if there was a Labour government, you could take that council tax rise you just got and rip it up.
“A Labour government would freeze your council tax this year – that’s our choice. A tax cut for the many, not just for the top 1%. So take this message to every doorstep in your community: Labour is the party of lower taxes for working people.
“That’s the difference we can make. That’s the choice in May. A better Britain.”
Starmer said he intends for the pledges he made in Labour’s local election campaign launch to “send a message to the government” after their 13 years in power.
“What they’ve delivered to our country nowhere near good enough,” he said
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“We’ve got to get out there and show people the difference Labour can make. Let them see our hunger for change. We have to prove that this suffocating cost of living crisis, the path of decline the Tories have set Britain on, the endless sticking plaster politics, is not inevitable.
“There is a choice.”
Featured Image – gov.uk
The Manc -
2nd April 2021 
