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Greater Manchester to ‘do data better’ following summer’s exam results fiasco

Local leaders have come together to 'do data better' and turn GM into a responsible data user and avoid incidents such as the exams fiasco.

The Manc The Manc - 2nd October 2020

Local government and business leaders have come together in a bid to ‘do data better’; aiming to turn the region into a responsible data user that learns lessons from the summer exams fiasco.

Key personnel are pledging their support for the Declaration for Responsible and Intelligent Data Practice – a shared vision for the region co-created by Open Data Manchester (ODM) with expert practitioners from multiple sectors.

The Declaration seeks to differentiate ‘the good’ from ‘the bad’ among those that use data and turn Greater Manchester into a ‘pioneer’.

Its 23 principles have been created to prevent repeats of issues like those seen with the disastrous exam results algorithm earlier this year.

Launching with the support of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), along with tech trade body Manchester Digital, the Declaration represents public and private-sector commitment to making good decisions.

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Councillor Sean Fielding, GMCA Lead for Employment, Skills and Digital, said: “For Greater Manchester to achieve its digital ambitions we need the whole ecosystem to pull together and it’s fantastic to see collaboration of this kind informing how we ‘do data better’ across the region.

“It’s vital that our people have absolute confidence in what’s happening to their information and that our professionals use data responsibly and effectively to improve decision-making, supporting those most in need.

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“The commitments made in this declaration will help us create a digital city region for everyone. A region that takes an approach to digital that ensures no one gets left behind.”

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson came in for criticism following the exam results fiasco – Flickr

Katie Gallagher, Managing Director of Manchester Digital, added: “This is pioneering piece of work that puts the region at the forefront of responsible data use.

“Adopting these principles will further enhance and differentiate the region’s reputation for being a leading technology hub.

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“Manchester Digital is delighted to support this work and we look forward to working with Open Data Manchester to encourage businesses to adopt the declaration in the coming months.”

The UK government launched a consultation on a new National Data Strategy earlier this month – which has ‘responsible data use’ as one of its themes. 

The government’s consultation closes in December and the results will be shared next year.

To explore the issue further, Open Data Manchester is launching a series of events called Demistifying the Algorithm, including one called Policy, Politics and the Algorithm.

You can sign up to the newsletter to learn more.

Visit the official website for the Declaration here.

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A local baby bank is holding a vital fundraiser to stop it from closing for good

Danny Jones Danny Jones Save Our Baby Bank Trafford Greater Manchester fundraiser

A Greater Manchester baby bank is holding a vital fundraiser in hopes of preventing from it closing for good imminently.

For anyone unaware, baby banks are crucial organisations run largely by volunteers who help provide vital supplies to families in local communities, with more than 300 in use across the UK at present.

Through delivering much-needed aid such as clothing, prams, nappies and baby food, right through to direct financial support, they help keep parents and their children in good supply of essentials and much more – hugely important work at any rate, let alone during the winter and a cost of living crisis.

However, the Little Green Sock Project over in Trafford is at risk of permanent closure if they don’t raise £200,000 come the New Year.

As seen in this moving video, the baby bank based over in Stretford Mall is in dire need of support and right now after being given until January to find new premises.

Fundamentally operated as a non-profit and volunteer-led charity, they naturally don’t have the means to just take over a new space on their own and with the current site set to be demolished very soon, a minimum of £200k is needed to find and fund a new location.

Urging people to donate what they can and share their fundraiser where possible, as well as welcoming corporate sponsorships should other local businesses wish to back them or get stuck through volunteering days, time is of the essence.

The Little Green Sock Project was only started back in 2022 and has already supported over 1,300 children, redistributing more than £240,000 worth of essential items like clothing, cots, prams, and stair gates to local families, as well as saving 20 tonnes of items from landfill.

It’s no exaggeration to say that they’ve changed and saved lives, both parents and children, and with the often difficult festive period approaching their work is needed now more than ever.

There are just under a dozen baby banks in all of Greater Manchester, many of which are facing similar pressures. (Credit: Supplied)

Speaking on their efforts and the fundraiser, founder Catherine D’Albertanson said: “We believe that essentials needed for the health and wellbeing of children should not only be for those that can afford them. Our work ensures that no child in our community goes without essentials, but without new premises, we will have no choice but to close.”

Moreover, Little Green Sock Project is the only baby bank in the Trafford area and of the families it serves, 58% are single-parent households already struggling with the cost of raising children, while 29% are fleeing domestic abuse, often leaving their belongings behind to protect their family.

With their circular economy model, they also help reduce waste whilst providing “a trusted link between the families that have items to give, to those that need them the most”, with D’Albertanson adding, “If we lose this charity, we lose a vital safety net for many in our community.”

A service user commented: “It was a truly terrifying time when I was pregnant with my first child, I found myself completely alone, with a baby on the way, wondering how I could possibly provide for my son. Then I found Little Green Sock Project, and everything changed. Everything was carefully chosen, colour-coordinated, and presented in such a thoughtful way. It felt so special—like someone truly cared about me and my baby. That feeling is indescribable, especially for someone in my position.

“There are so many people like me with stories like this. It breaks my heart to think that Little Green Sock Project might have to close its doors. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without your help, and I hope with all my heart that the community comes together to keep this lifeline alive.”

Manchester parents need this much-loved baby bank – let’s not it fall away on our watch. (Credit: Andy Bate at Royal Foundation)

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Every pound donated goes towards helping find the Little Green Sock Project a new home but people can help contribute in other ways, once again, by spreading the word or getting their hands dirty in person.

Greater Manchester never fails to amaze when it rallies behind causes like this and we’re sure you won’t let us down this time either. Let’s keep the lights on the lifelines for local families intact.

You can donate now or to find out other ways to do your bit, click HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Little Green Sock Project/Andy Bate – Royal Foundation (supplied)

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Factory Sounds funding programme returns to help Greater Manchester’s music scene

Danny Jones Danny Jones Factory Sounds programme 2025 Aviva Studios application

Greater Manchester’s vital Factory Sounds programme is back for 2025 and is once again hoping to help platform up-and-coming musicians and more around across the region.

The development scheme created by world-leading arts organisation Factory International, now housed permanently at Aviva Studios, has returned for another year and looks to invest in the Manchester music scene from the ground up.

An annual initiative, Factory Sounds aims to support and raise the profile of musicians and the music industry across the 10 boroughs, with a total of 15 applicants picked to take part and make the next step up in their careers.

With applications now open for the 2025 programme, those who prove successful in the process applicants will be granted a potentially life-changing £1,000 towards their work.

Starting back in the pandemic when arts funding was under even more threat than it is today, Factory Sounds has been a crucial lifeline for many artists and creatives looking to get their start in the local industry, as well as providing a key learning outlet.

The money given to each chosen individual goes towards things like the creation of a new project, recording studio access; peer-to-peer support, networking opportunities and a series of regular masterclasses in artist management, promotion, fundraising and more.

Better yet, 2025 promises to be their biggest to date not only in terms of scope but also the size of the cohort itself, with the number of places more than doubling from this past year, when there were just six grants up for grabs.

2024’s intake included the artist and producer RenzNiro, community station STEAM Radio MCR; the soulful R&B performer, Rumbi Tauro, Reggae rap artist and spoken word poet, J.Chambers, electronic producer and vocalist Caitlin LM and many more, with one of our favourite up-and-coming bands, Loose Articles, having also benefited from the scheme in the past.

Applications for the next are now open, as is the Factory International Fellowship, which offers six artists from the North the opportunity to shadow the creation of major new work at Aviva Studios, receiving a financial bursary as well as mentoring tailored to their specialism, needs and goals.

But it doesn’t stop there either, as Factory International‘s Spring 2025 Artist Takeover is also open, welcoming groups and collectives of South Asian descent from any discipline who are based in the North of England – not just Greater Manchester – to join the programme.

Applicants in this case must have a minimum of five years professional practice but, come May 2025, they will hand over the keys to the vast Warehouse space at Aviva Studios for use by a South Asian artist or group looking to experiment, play and create work on an epic scale that is not possible elsewhere.

Promising even more financial aid through this limited scheme, selected artists will be offered financial support of up to £10k to explore and realise their ideas, as well as receive dedicated guidance from industry experts within the Factory International team. 

Again, the prospects that these various schemes are bringing to real people looking to bring their art to life cannot be overstated.

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Speaking on the announcement, Factory Sounds 2024 artist and co-creator of queer electronic music night FLUFF, Markus Hetheier, said: “It felt amazing to have the chance to take a risk using the Factory Sounds funding.

“We also had mentorship and advice which helped us grow FLUFF from a small to a bigger, more professional project. It was useful receiving training on different aspects of being an artist and it felt nice to connect with like-minded people.”

Factory International’s Head of Music, Rivca Burns, added: “Supporting the development of musicians based locally – as well as those from across the globe – to grow within our spaces is at the heart of what we do at Factory International…

“We recognise there’s a huge demand for schemes like this to exist and we are really excited to say that this year we have both increased the number of places as well as added industry mentors to give expert guidance and the opportunity for creatives to thrive.”

Applications close at 12 noon on 20 January, so if you or someone you know is looking to break into the Manchester music scene and could benefit from the extraordinary opportunity, send them HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Factory International (supplied)

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