Marcus Rashford has teamed up with Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge to launch a new campaign designed to help families cook healthy meals on a budget.
The nationwide scheme – titled Full Time: Get Cooking – will see the Manchester United striker and acclaimed TV foodie shoot cooking videos together and release them weekly via social media.
The pair, who collaborated on the National Food Strategy earlier this year, will post 52 recipes in total – with a new video appearing on Instagram every Sunday morning.
The free recipes will be available on recipe cards in supermarkets, schools and food banks – with a QR code linking through to the Full Time social media page.
Tortilla Pizzas, Chicken Satay Stir Fry, Fish Pie Jackets, Mexican Style Chicken, Broccoli & Cauliflower Cheese, Creamy Chicken Pie and Fish Finger Butties are just some of the items set to appear on the channel.
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Each recipe will be easy to create with limited equipment.
Manchester United and England footballer Rashford has led a relentless campaign to end food poverty for over a year – having established a direct line to Downing Street during a successful bid to force a government u-turn on free school meals.
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His efforts have earned him numerous accolades including an honorary doctorate from University of Manchester – but his latest mission involves getting families to spend time together in kitchens.
Rashford commented: “This project is for every child and I really hope parents and carers will benefit from having a bit of valuable time together in the kitchen when family activity is heavily restricted by financial restraints.
“We needed to come up with a creative project that really engaged children most in need, preparing them for what adult life has to offer, whilst also attracting all children to break down stigma around usage of [food] vouchers.
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He added: “Even though I’m not the best cook, I’ve enjoyed getting in the kitchen and doing my best.
“When my mum was at home I’d always watch her cooking and have a nosey and a laugh. Half an hour of a bit of fun before I went back to sleep and she went back to work. From where I look at it, why not create something similar to that?”
COMING SOON!! Head over to Instagram and follow #FullTimeMeals
Kerridge – who owns the Bull & Bear restaurant at Manchester’s Stock Exchange Hotel – also remembers the value of learning to cook for himself when he was a teenager.
The chef stated: “Marcus has always been one to encourage life skills and cooking is a valuable skill that everyone can embrace and that will see you through the whole of your life.
“If you can engage with food from the start, you can grow, develop and build your own collection of recipes, and enjoy cooking together.
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“This is peeling carrots, peeling potatoes, dicing onions – this isn’t making tagines or braising beef briskets. This is right at the beginning.”
The first Full-Time: Get Cooking video will be released on Sunday 25 April.
Manchester secures £5.2m funding to build ‘supported accommodation’ for rough sleepers
Emily Sergeant
Manchester has secured a whopping £5.2 million in funding to build new ‘supported accommodation’ designed to house rough sleepers.
After an application submitted to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) has been approved this week, Manchester City Council says it’s eager to help the former homeless “rebuild their lives”.
This means that, by working in partnership with housing and support providers Humankind, Jigsaw, and Great Places, the Council will oversee the creation of 42 units of supported housing across three different schemes.
The schemes are for single people with a history of rough sleeping and longer-term support needs.
Manchester has secured £5.2m in funding to build ‘supported accommodation’ for rough sleepers / Credit: Flickr | Giving Compass
According to the Council, these people will stay in this accommodation and receive personalised support until they are ready to “take the next step to independent living”.
This new £5.2 million funding allocation from the Government covers both the cost of creating the accommodation – which must be completed by March 2025 at the latest – and revenue funding to help run it for its first three years of opening.
“We are working with a range of partners to tackle the homelessness challenge on all fronts, from prevention in the first place to helping people into permanent, settled homes,” explained Cllr Joanna Midgley, who is the Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council.
The Council says the funding will help the former homeless “rebuild their lives” / Credit: Ethel Red (via Flickr)
“Securing this £5.2m funding for the city will help us create much-needed extra accommodation for those being helped off the streets who need significant long-term support before they are ready to live independently.
“It’s only part of a wider response but it will be a welcome addition to the accommodation and support available.”
The news of the successful application comes after the Council published its plan to get rough sleepers off the streets of Manchester and into temporary accommodation this winter back in early November.
Efforts in the city will be “stepped-up even further” in the coming months to encourage people sleeping rough to “come inside and access the wider support available”.
Featured Image – Flickr
News
Amber heat-health warning issued as temperatures drop across the North West
Danny Jones
An amber health warning has been issued for the North West and other regions as temperatures continue to drop across the country.
Having already provided an update on the “possibility of snow” and the imminent cold snap earlier this week, the Met Office and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have now added a heat-health warning to their forecast for the new few days as things get increasingly colder across Great Britain.
With temperatures expected to reach as low as -5C by Friday, 29 November, the Met Office and UKHSA pushed out an amber heat-health alert on Wednesday, with the elderly, clinically vulnerable and the health sector in general said to be those most at risk.
Although the freezing weather obviously has the potential to affect everyone — with the likes of the North East and Northern Ireland having already been given a yellow weather warning as well — amber heat-health warnings are deemed to require an ‘enhanced response‘ as they are likely to significantly impact “across the whole health service” and possibly other sectors too.
The current heat-health alerts that have been issued for the UK. (Credit: gov.uk)
Under the relatively new CHA (cold-health alert) system, anything beyond a yellow level alert means that it is expected that there will be increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable populations and an increase in risk to health to individuals over the age of 65, those with pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and other vulnerable groups like rough sleepers.
As well as the Met Office offering their verdict, the UKHSA’s Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection, Dr Agostinho Sousa, said: “With a risk of widespread overnight frosts and some snow across the country this week, it’s important to check in on the wellbeing of those most vulnerable to the cold.
“Cold weather can have a serious impact on health, particularly older people, and those with pre-existing health conditions, as it increases the risks of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections.
“If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat the rooms where you spend most of your time in[doors], such as your living room or bedroom.”
For those considered to be at risk during this cold snap and amber-heat health warning, the official government-sanctioned advice is that if you can’t heat all the rooms in your home, it is important to heat the rooms you spend the (i.e. living room in the day and bedroom before going to sleep) to at least 18 degrees if possible.
They also recommend wearing a few thin layers instead of one thick layer, as the former is better at trapping heat than just one big jumper etc.
Other advice on how to stay safe during these colder periods includes stocking up on food and medicine, keeping windows closed and reducing draughts at home, as well as getting vaccinated against flu and COVID-19.
If you or someone you know is in need of help, you can get in touch with the NHS on 111 and if it is an emergency please call 999 immediately.
The Manc -
22nd April 2021 
