Manchester City Council to spend £6m on cutting carbon emissions from seven local buildings
The National Football Museum, Wythenshawe Active Lifestyle Centre, and The Place at Platt Lane are just some of the buildings to benefit from decarbonisation.
Manchester City Council is to spend almost £6 million on further work to reduce carbon emissions from buildings across Manchester.
In what is said to be another step towards the Council’s ambitious goal of halving its direct carbon emissions by 2025 as it works towards the region-wide target of becoming carbon neutral by 2038, a whopping £4.9 million in Government funding for work to reduce emissions has now been secured.
With a further Council contribution of £1 million, almost £6 million will now be spent on delivering a scheme to cut emissions from seven significant buildings across Manchester.
According to the Council, the funding has been awarded in the latest round of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme – which is being delivered by Salix Finance as part of a joint bid along with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)
A previous £19.1 million awarded under the scheme has already seen work to reduce emissions in 13 council buildings – including the National Aquatics Centre, National Cycling Centre, and Town Hall Extension.
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The buildings set to benefit from decarbonisation with this funding are:
The National Football Museum
Wythenshawe Active Lifestyle Centre
Claremont Resource Centre
Harpurhey District Social Services
Hall Lane Resource Centre
The Place at Platt Lane
One Central Park (Arbeta)
The National Football Museum is one of the buildings set to benefit from decarbonisation work / Credit: Manchester City Council
The latest scheme will predominantly be used for the installation of air source heat pumps, the Council explained, with additional funding to be allocated or the use of solar photovoltaic panels and LED lights “where appropriate”.
Speaking on the funding win, Councillor Tracey Rawlins – Executive Member for Environment for Manchester City Council – said: “Council buildings are our biggest source of direct emissions.
“Taking action to retrofit these buildings and significantly improve their energy efficiency is one of the ways we are facing up to the urgent challenge of climate change.
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The Wythenshawe Active Lifestyle Centre and The Place at Platt Lane are two other buildings set for decarbonisation work / Credit: WCHG | The Place
“I am pleased that we have been able to secure further funding to support this ambition.
“We will continue to pursue the potential for retrofitting, whether for our buildings or the city’s wider housing stock.”
“We are delighted to be working with Manchester City Council on the decarbonisation journey,” added Arthur Jones – Programme Co-ordinator at Salix Finance.
“This will have a significant impact for the wider community as a whole.”
Featured Image – GMCA
News
Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street
Daisy Jackson
An arrest has been made after a teenage boy was found unresponsive on Market Street in Manchester city centre.
Detectives believe that the boy, 14, was approached by seven males who stole a designer jacket from him.
Following the altercation, he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Thankfully, the teenager is continuing to recover well.
Detectives from Manchester City Centre Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that an 18-year-old male was arrested yesterday, Thursday 20 February.
He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury of GMP’s City Centre Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We hope the victim can continue his recovery following what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him.
“Officers are fully investigating all aspects of this shocking incident that has left a man with serious injuries in hospital.
“Our work doesn’t stop here, we are continuing to investigate this incident and information from the public plays an incredibly important role in our investigations and I ask that the community keep talking to us and keep sharing their concerns with us so our teams can act.”
If you have any information, contact GMP 101 or 0161 856 4305 quoting log 2854 of 16/2/25.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials
Emily Sergeant
Trials are currently underway to see if comedy could be an alternative to antidepressants as a way to reduce NHS costs.
UK tech company Craic Health has secured important funding for its ‘comedy on prescription’ project that’s aimed at helping the Government work with the comedy industry, communities, and organisations on comedy-based social prescriptions in the hope that they can solve financial struggles within the NHS.
The groundbreaking scheme uses stand-up shows and workshops to help people who are isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.
Craic believes comedy is an ‘untapped opportunity’ to improve health and wellbeing, and has a goal to make comedy easier to access, so that it can help communities experience its mental health and social benefits.
To achieve this, the company has started trialling Comedy-on-Prescription experiences in the UK – starting in London, with the potential for expansion – which includes things like curated comedy panel game show events and workshops, and general stand-up comedy shows at some of the capital’s world-famous venues.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Mental health issues like loneliness, isolation, and stress are more common than ever,” the company explains.
“So much so that it’s projected that by 2030, mental health problems, particularly depression, will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, [but] in this challenging world, comedy stands out as a universal language that breaks barriers.
“Research shows that comedy and laughter have powerful effects – they bring people together, create positive connections, and make life more enjoyable.”
Craic Health says that social prescribing, of which Comedy-on-Prescription is a part of, is all about inclusivity, which makes it making it suitable for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Its focus is on personalised support, tailored to individual needs and preferences.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd June 2022 
