Akse P-19 paints a mural of Rashford in Withington
Marcus Rashford scored two huge victories over the weekend.
The first was an impressive 3-1 triumph at Goodison Park; where the striker helped his club grab three precious Premier League points.
But an even bigger win was waiting for the Manchester United striker when he got off the pitch.
As he dusted himself down after the match in Merseyside, Rashford’s phone rang – and the Prime Minister was on the other end of the line.
He told the footballer that his campaign to help children and families was now being considered – with over £400 million provided to low-income households as part of a winter grant scheme.
During the crucial phone call, Boris Johnson explained to Rashford that the government would be providing funding from the start of December until the end of March.
£170m will be distributed through councils, with 80% put aside for help with food and bills. The holiday food and activities programme will receive £220m investment, with £16m given to food banks.
Initially, the government had voted against Rashford’s new campaign – which asked for a further expansion of free school meals; food and activities during all holidays; and to increase the value of Healthy Start vouchers to at least £4.25 per week.
But for the second time, Rashford has gotten ministers to change their tune.
The footballer convinced parliament to provide free school meals throughout the summer, and now he’s encouraged ministers to climb down from their commitment to Universal Credit – which they’d previously insisted was the best approach to help low-income families.
☔️ The Covid Winter Grant Scheme is a new £170m #Coronavirus scheme to support children and families this winter.
? The money will reach the hardest hit during the pandemic, helping families put food on the table, heat homes and pay bills.
According to Rashford, the new fund would support £1.7 million children in England.
“We asked for three things,” said the footballer.
“They [the government] managed to u-turn on two and they’re willing to sit down and discuss the third.”
Rashford said he thanked the PM on behalf of the families for his support, but he isn’t stopping just yet.
The United star said that another 1.7 million would still miss out “because their income isn’t quite low enough” to qualify for funding.
Rashford added: “I now call on the government to collaborate with the Child Food Poverty Taskforce”.
“I am fully committed to this cause, and I will fight for the rest of my life for it,” Rashford stated.
“Because in my mind, no child should ever go hungry in the United Kingdom.”
His fight isn’t over.
News
Bob Vylan dropped from Manchester music festival following Glastonbury controversy
Danny Jones
English punk rap duo Bob Vylan have been dropped from an upcoming music festival in Manchester following the recent controversy surrounding their set at Glastonbury 2025.
The media storm surrounding their much-talked-about and heavily televised Glasto appearance has seen them reportedly dropped by their agency and their US Visas cancelled, along with multiple concerts – one of those being right here in Greater Manchester.
Bob Vylan were scheduled to play RADAR Fest at Victoria Warehouse in Stretford this weekend, but now the organisers have informed gig-goers that the artists will not be performing in their planned slot on Saturday.
The alternative music event did provide any additional details, posting nothing but this image:
For anyone unaware, Vylan were heavily criticised for the pro-Palestine chants, which Glastonbury itself has deemed as having “crossed a line”, labelling the chants against the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) as antisemitic.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also commented on the situation.
In addition to RADAR, Vylan were also due to appear at Kave Fest in France the following Sunday, 6 July, but the music event has also decided not to host them.
The BBC also opted not to broadcast Northern Irish band Kneecap as part of their coverage this year, as the Belfast rap trio have also been outspoken on the issue, among many other musicians of late.
Responding to the decision on social media not long after the news broke, the act simply shared the post on their Instagram story along with the caption: “Silence is not an option. We will be fine, the people of Palestine are hurting. Manchester, we will be back.”
Trafford Centre launches school uniform drive to help disadvantaged Manchester families
Emily Sergeant
A school uniform drive has been launched at the Trafford Centre to support local families ahead of the new school year.
With schools across Greater Manchester soon set to be out for the summer holidays, many parents, guardians, and carers in the region may be looking ahead to the new school year in September, concerned about how they may be able to provide their children with the necessary uniform items needed.
According to a 2020 survey by The Children’s Society, 23% of parents reported that the cost of school uniforms led to their children wearing ‘ill-fitting, unclean, or incorrect’ items.
It’s these statistic that highlight the ongoing pressure faced by families.
This is why the Trafford Centre has partnered with both Manchester South Central Foodbank and local charity, Bridging the Gap, to launch a school uniform donation drive aimed at supporting more than 700 children across Manchester this summer.
The Trafford Centre launches a school uniform drive to help disadvantaged Manchester families / Credit: Trafford Centre
From now up until the 15 August, anyone heading to the region’s largest shopping centre is encouraged to donate new or pre-loved school uniforms.
“The cost of living crisis has deeply impacted our community, with more and more families unable to afford the essentials,” commented Emily Jeremy, who is the Assistant Project Manager at Manchester South Central Foodbank.
“As an anti-poverty charity, we recognised the need for school uniform support years ago. Though costs vary between schools, a full set of branded secondary school uniform can total around £150, which is a significant burden for many households.”
All items can be donated at the shopping centre’s Guest Services point / Credit: Darren Robinson Photography | Trafford Centre (Supplied)
Simon Layton, Centre Director at the Trafford Centre, added: “We’re proud to be working alongside Bridging the Gap and Manchester South Central Foodbank to support local families during these challenging times.
“School uniforms shouldn’t be a barrier to education, and we hope this initiative will ease some of the pressure many parents face as the new school year approaches.”
The school uniform donation drive is running up until 15 August.
All items can be taken to the Trafford Centre’s Guest Services Lounge, which is located on Lower Regent Crescent next to M&S, and they must be clean and free from stains or damage.
The Manc -
9th November 2020 
