Homelessness remains one of the biggest problems facing the UK and hundreds of Manchester runners are once again turning up to do their bit to tackle the issue.
The Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness is an annual initiative that aims to raise money for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s ‘A Bed Every Night’ charity scheme.
Set up by the Run Wild MCR in 2019 – a running club and social society founded by students from the University of Manchester – the 24-hour marathon sees hordes of elite runners, casual joggers and newbies alike run around the city centre to fundraise.
Now in its fourth year, Run Wild‘s 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness is set to be bigger than ever, with an aim to raise more than £5,000 in 2022. That being said, we expect these wonderful lot to rack up much more than that, having totalled £12,000 in donations since the campaign was created.
The event is essentially a 24-hour group relay run where participants can join in for a 5k lap by simply turning up at the venue and joining the giant group of joggers.
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The relay itself is led by one of several run leaders flying a flag for the charity and to help identify the group which can fluctuate in size throughout the day.
Big or small and come rain or shine, people keep going to do their bit to raise money and awareness for this crucial cause.
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Credit: 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness
For anyone worrying about keeping up with the pace and/or distance, the relay is run at an accessible pace which still allows everyone to stay together for a social run and you take part for as long or as little as you like.
Relay groups tend to set off roughly every half an hour; this obviously varies depending on the overall pace of the runners but, once again, it’s not about the running itself: it’s about raising money and awareness for an issue often overlooked in this city.
Who’s taking part and how you can join
Given the charity run’s uni roots, there will of course be plenty of students joining in the relay, with the UoM Sport pledging dozens of runners and athletes to join the cause.
However, you don’t even need to be a regular runner to join in and there will be run leads, pacers and general ambassadors on-hand throughout for anyone that wants to get involved.
For those who can’t make it to the event, the organisers have even set up a virtual participation option, where people can sync their Strava app or enter distances manually to a virtual tracker accessible via the website.
An epidemic that cannot continue to be ignored
There are still an alarming number of homeless people living in Manchester in 2022: approximately 6,780 adults and children are said to be without a permanent domicile in the region, according to statistics from SocialHousing.co.uk.
Also, due to the current cost of living and energy crisis, there is an increased need to offer support this winter. Homeless charity Crisis UK estimates that one in four privately rented households were living in fuel poverty in 2020 and that figure is projected to jump by a staggering 42% by the end of the year.
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In other words, the equivalent of more than 2.3 million households could struggle to pay their gas and electricity bills this winter and, therefore, even more individuals are at risk of becoming homeless.
That’s where charitable drives like this come in. Over £2,000 has been raised through donations already and more than £300 raised in shirt sales alone.
As Lucy from Ancoats Run Club said: “we do spend a lot of time running through the city centre, especially during the winter evenings. We can see the homelessness that affects Manchester. Being able to take part in this run is a great chance for us as a club to help raise”
A Bed Every Night is putting a dint in the problem
While this is obviously a national problem, A Bed Every Night (ABEN) is already supporting over 600 people currently needing a place to stay in Manchester.
Over 4,000 people have been supported by ABEN since 2019; at the time of writing, there are 619 people by associated accommodation in Greater Manchester, with 21 different organisations helping to provide a safe place to sleep across the region.
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Better still, A Bed Every Night also includes specialist women’s, LGBTQ+, pet-friendly and ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ accommodation. The Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is truly a lifeline for this city’s homeless population and has already helped reduce figures by more than 50%.
Moreover, as MRR chairman and founding member Chris Rider said of his club, one of their main aspirations is to have an impact in the community through acts such as fundraising and “the 24 Hour Run is a fantastic event raising much-needed funds for an important charity.”
The 24-hour marathon will be running 12 noon on Wednesday 16 November until 12pm the following day, with the laps starting from the 53two theatre and arts charity centre, located at Arch 19 on Watson Street.
Sign-up is completely free but not absolutely essential, you can also just rock up if you fancy doing your bit for charity on the day. You can also do as many or as few laps as you like — no matter how many you manage, it’s all going towards an important cause.
You can donate to the 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness 2022HERE and be sure sure to follow them on their various socials for any and all updates on the day.
Featured Image — 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness/Run Wild Manchester
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Trams to be suspended as tracks are replaced on a section of one of the world’s busiest light-rail routes
Emily Sergeant
Trams are set to be suspended this month as work to replace the tracks on a section of one of the busiest light-rail routes is carried out.
As the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network gets under way this month, essential track replacement work is set to be be carried out in a bid to make the network ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come, and this includes a section of track which is considered to be one of the busiest light-rail routes in the world.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that it will replace around 1.6km of track – some parts of which are more than 30 years old – at Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield, as well as working on a separate section on the Eccles line at the same time.
The track between Trafford Bar and St Peter’s Square, in particular, is one of the busiest sections of light-rail in the world, as one tram passes through every 30 seconds for 20 hours a day, seven days a week.
As the nature of the work required where the Eccles and Altrincham lines meet at Cornbrook is considered to be so ‘complex’, it will be the first time a type of specialist lifting equipment has been used in the UK.
Tracks are set to be replaced on a section of one of the world’s busiest light-rail routes / Credit: The Manc Group | TfGM
More than 3,000 tonnes of new rail and 800 new concrete sleepers will be fitted as part of the scheme, with a team of 70 engineers working across three sites throughout the summer to get the work done as ‘quickly and efficiently’ as possible.
Once installed, the track will be carefully adjusted and tested to ensure it meets strict safety standards and trams travel smoothly and efficiently along it.
While the work is being done, no trams will run on the Eccles, Trafford Centre, and Altrincham lines.
Services on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines will terminate at Firswood, while services on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square.
As is to be expected, there will be some disruption on the affected lines – with replacement buses due to run between each required stop, accompanied by special event bus services running for the cricket at Old Trafford on 26 and 31 July.
“The work at Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield is taking place on one of the busiest stretches of tram track in the country,” explained Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM. “Some sections are more than 30 years old, with 40-tonne trams running every 30 seconds at peak times – that level wear and tear takes its toll, which is why this work is so important.
“It’s one of the most complex parts of the network to access, requiring a carefully planned approach to carry out the work safely and efficiently.
“We’re sorry for the disruption. We know it can be annoying, and while these essential upgrades take place we will do everything we can to keep people moving.”
Normal services are due to resume from Monday 3 August, but until then, everything you need to know is on the Bee Network website here.
Featured Image – Janus Boye
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Kings of Leon at Co-op Live Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American rock band Kings of Leon are making their way to Manchester for a second visit to Co-op Live as part of their current EU/UK arena tour.
Formed in 1999 by brothers Caleb, Nathan, Jared, plus their cousin Matthew Followill, the rock band has gone on to achieve nine top 40 singles and six UK number one albums.
The rockers have two singles in Spotify’s Billions Club, including their standout hit ‘Sex on Fire’, which has amassed over 2 billion streams and ‘Use Somebody’ with 1.2 billion – two tracks that helped skyrocket them from cult favourites here in Britain to global superstars.
This four-piece’s latest LP, Can We Please Have Fun, dropped mid-2024 and knowing how energetic crowds were at the previous Manc gig, it’s safe to say we’ve got this covered.
They even let us know the England score last time out (read our full review), too.
Gig guide – Kings of Leon at Co-op Live, Manchester
Kings of Leon UK tour dates
Fri 3 July – Glasgow, UK – Bellahouston Park
Sat 4 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Mon 6 July – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Are there any tickets left for Kings of Leon at Co-op Live?
If you’re wondering where you’ll ‘Find Me’ on Saturday 4 July, it is probably watching these four relatives play their two decades’ worth of hits at Co-op Live.
Don’t ‘Waste a Moment’ as there’s only a limited number of tickets left if you’re after catching a glimpse of Kings of Leon live – get yours HERE.
Kings of Leon are gearing up for their Manchester gig at Co-op Live this July (Credit: Press shot)
Kings of Leon setlist for 2026 UK tour
These American rockers have been performing all across Europe, switching up a couple of songs at each show; however, the hits below have featured at most of their appearances.
Slow Night, So Long
Waste a Moment
Find Me
On Call
Radioactive
The Bucket
Revelry
Manhattan
Use Somebody
Wait For M
Split Screen
Closer
Molly’s Chambers
Razz
MyParty
Supersoaker
Fans
Back Down South
Seen
Pyro
Black Thumbnail
To Space
Knocked Up
Sex on Fire
What are the stage times for Kings of Leon in Manchester?
Doors for Kings of Leon at Co-op Live in Manchester are set to open at 6pm with a kick-off time of 7pm from a huge indie rock band.
Supporting the US rockers is a band who have received comparisons to Kings of Leon, the loud-and-proud Scottish stars The Snuts, known for their tracks like ‘Glasgow’, ‘Elephants’ and ‘Maybe California’.
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Tickets for Kings of Leon’s UK tour dates are selling out fast. (Credit: Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons)
Danny Jones -
15th November 2022 
