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HOME Manchester awarded ‘future securing’ six-figure grant for 2021

The cinema, theatre, museum and arts space has been awarded £349,110 by the Garfield Weston Culture Fund.

The Manc The Manc - 1st February 2021
HOME Mcr

Manchester city centre culture venue HOME has become the recipient of a six-figure grant to support its activity in 2021.

The cinema, theatre, museum and arts space has been awarded £349,110 by the Garfield Weston Culture Fund – which has distributed over £30 million to more than 100 cultural organisations struggling during the pandemic.

Representatives at the First Street venue expressed their delight at the news, claiming that the money would play a “vital role in ensuring that HOME’s future is secure and we can come back stronger than ever.”

The grant will allow HOME to commission work and provide opportunities for artists while venues are closed – as well as covering the costs of making the building COVID-secure.

Extra funding also means HOME can continue supporting local artists and other cultural organisations in the region – with staff already working alongside Manchester council on the Cultural Sector Hardship Fund for Freelancers.

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From today (February 1), residents working in the freelance creative industry may be eligible for grants of up to £1,500 – and HOME staff are on hand to offer guidance for applicants.

Dave Moutrey, Director and CEO of HOME, said that he and his team were “incredibly grateful” to the Garfield Weston Foundation.

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He added: “We’re particularly proud that HOME and the other successful applicants were praised by the Foundation for our entrepreneurial approach and creativity throughout the pandemic and the ways we have adapted and engaged with our audiences and communities.

“Artists and audiences are at the heart of what we do at HOME, and we remain committed to providing a home for art that provokes, enriches and brings joy.”

HOME first opened in Manchester city centre back in 2015 and has been a cornerstone of local culture ever since – screening independent films, housing art productions, and providing a space for a wide variety of artistic projects.

The venue is currently running an online programme of events during the national lockdown – all of which are available to access via the organisation’s official website.

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New ‘B Plates’ introduced so drivers can identify themselves as being bad at parking

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

New ‘B Plates’ have been introduced so drivers who are bad at parking can identify themselves for all to see.

Consider yourself good at parking? Well, that’s bold of you to claim… because for a lot of us, we wouldn’t be so confident to say that, and it turns out we’re not alone either, as some new research has revealed that 48% of drivers think they could benefit from more training or assistance with their parking manoeuvres.

The new B plates – with the ‘B’ standing for ‘bad parking’ – are designed to be attached to a vehicle so you can apologise to other motorists for your lack of parking prowess.

On top of the 48% of bad parkers, the research by Scrap Car Comparison found that a further one in six (17%) say they have experienced stress or worry about having to park their car, while a third of drivers (30%) say they spend extra time searching for a parking bay with free spaces either side.

New ‘B Plates’ have been introduced so drivers can identify themselves as being bad at parking / Credit: Supplied

74% of new drivers aged between 17 and 24 say they could benefit from more guidance in lessons.

Overall, one in four motorists (23%) claim that they weren’t taught well enough when it came to parking maneuverers, according to the research.

It’s hoped that the new B Plate stickers will encourage drivers to ‘own’ their parking pitfalls, the company says, as well as seek the additional guidance required to gain more confidence behind the wheel. 

48% of drivers think they could benefit from more training with their parking manoeuvres / Credit: Supplied

“Just like a P plate enables new drivers to ask for patience from other road users, our B plates will give people the chance to hold their hands up, say sorry and ask for forgiveness, if they know their parking leaves a lot to be desired,” explained David Kottaun, who is the Operations Manager at Scrap Car Comparison.

“We hope the plates also serve as encouragement for drivers to seek additional parking guidance to build up their confidence.”

Want to get your hands on one then?

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Scrap Car Comparison are offering a limited number of B plate stickers to interested drivers for free if you fill out the ‘register interest’ on its website here, and then based on interest levels, they will be made more widely available in 2025.

Featured Image – Supplied

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More than 1,000 miles of UK roadworks will be removed to avoid Christmas travel chaos

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

More than 1,000 miles of roadworks are to be removed across the UK in a bid to avoid travel chaos this Christmas.

With the festive season practically here, and nearly 40% of drivers said to be planning long journeys across the country to spend time with their loved ones this Christmas, National Highways has announced that it’ll be removing more than 1,100 miles of roadworks.

The roadworks are being removed from motorways and major A-roads nationwide in a bid to help minimise disruption during peak travel times.

This means that, from 6am on Friday 20 December up until 12.01am on Thursday 2 January, more than 95% of roadworks will be lifted to help make sure major routes across the UK are clear for motorists during the busy festive period.

More than 1,000 miles of UK roadworks are being removed to avoid Christmas travel chaos / Credit – Vladimir Proskurovskiy (via Unsplash)

Some of the significant routes set to benefit from roadworks being lifted or completed for the festive period include more than 100 miles of roadworks on the M25 London orbital, 59 miles of roadworks on the A14 between Thrapston in Northamptonshire to Felixstowe in Suffolk, and more than 33 miles of roadworks across the A47 from Peterborough to Lowestoft.

A grand total of 11 miles of roadworks are to be removed in the North West, which is… useful.

Friday 20 December is expected to be the busiest day on the roads over the festive period, according to National Highways.

It’s estimated that 7.2 million people are planning journeys of more than two hours on this day.

7.2 million people are expected to make journeys during the festive period / Credit: RAC

Because of this, drivers are being encouraged to plan ahead for their journeys and prepare for all weather eventualities too by packing a winter travel kit that includes de-icer, an ice scraper, warm clothing, boots, food, water, a torch, and a snow shovel.

“With more people expected to travel during the festive period and recent storms causing widespread disruption, it’s crucial for drivers to plan ahead and exercise extra caution on the roads,” commented Andrew Butterfield, who is the Customer Service Director of National Highways.

Read more:

To help make journeys smoother, we’re removing roadworks on 95% of the roads we manage.”

Featured Image – National Highways (via Facebook)

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