A mystery donor has donated a five-figure sum to Greater Manchester’s COVID hardship fund – leaving Mayor Andy Burnham speechless.
The new OneGM campaign – which was set up to provide extra local support for those affected most by COVID during winter – has enjoyed an incredible start; with over 400 contributions coming in since the charity page went live earlier this week.
But Burnham – who helped to set up OneGM alongside several other influential people in the region – revealed that one anonymous person had given £50,000 to the fund on Wednesday (28 October) evening.
To whoever has anonymously donated £50,000 to the #oneGM campaign today, I genuinely don’t know how to thank you enough.
You’ve given us hope that we can get people through this.
The Mayor tweeted: “To whoever has anonymously donated £50,000 to the #oneGM campaign today, I genuinely don’t know how to thank you enough.
“You’ve given us hope that we can get people through this.
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“Indeed, thanks for all your donations.”
OneGM is raising funds to get local support to those hardest hit by the economic impact of coronavirus – from tackling food poverty, to helping those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, to providing mental health support.
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The campaign page reads: “Many people have already lost income as a result of Covid and the situation is getting worse. Families, friends, neighbours and whole communities now need help. But when times are tough, we pull together.
“If you feel you can give a little, please know it will all add up. Your donation will make a difference to those who need it most.
“The money raised by this campaign will enable crucial work to happen across all 10 boroughs of our city region.”
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OneGM launch meeting on Tuesday
Some of the people already involved in the campaign, which launched on Tuesday, include Chris Oglesby, CEO of Bruntwood; former Manchester United footballer and businessman, Gary Neville; award-winning actor, Julie Hesmondhalgh; Right Reverend Dr David Walker, Bishop of Manchester; and Lucy Danger, CEO of EMERGE which runs FareShare Greater Manchester.
Also involved are Olympian Diane Modahl, Chair of the Greater Manchester Young Person’s Task Force and Trustee of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity; Karina Jadhav, Founder and Owner, Menagerie bar and restaurant; and Liz Taylor, CEO of corporate events company TLC Ltd.
You can learn more about OneGM and make a contribution to the COVID hardship fund via the JustGiving page here.
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The simple hack that can save healthcare workers and teachers money on their holidays
Danny Jones
With cost-of-living pressure ever-present in the background of most everyday lives, finding some spare pennies for a getaway feels more difficult than ever, and if there’s anyone who deserves discounts on a holiday, it’s healthcare workers.
That’s why, when we became aware of the simple hack that can save those working in healthcare services money on holidays, we thought we’d help spread the word.
We’re sure lots of you working within the sector already know plenty about this booking strategy, but for anyone who doesn’t, how do you fancy saving up to half a grand on your next jolly?
In fact, even those working in education can cut their costs, too.
With searches for ‘holiday voucher code’ up by 73% on Google, and even the likes of TikTok seeing ‘money saving tips’ up by 45%, travel agency TUI have decided to team up with the Health Service Discounts platform for 2026.
Providing those who work for the NHS with a ‘Holidays for Heroes’ (HfH) access code on various popular peak-season trips, this exclusive discount can be added on top of all other seasonal TUI deals, including the company’s ‘First Choice’ package holidays.
With the HfH code alone guaranteeing workers an extra £100 off their bookings, play your cards right, and you could get up to £500 in total discounts overall.
How to access the healthcare ‘Holidays for Heroes’ deal
Separate from standard Blue Light card savings, here’s how it works, and don’t worry, it’s all very simple:
As mentioned, education workers can also benefit from similar money off, with an extra £50 per person through the TUI x Discounts for Teachers partnership, as well.
Ella Foden-Lynch, Partnerships Manager for TUI, said in a statement: “Getting away is absolutely vital for wellbeing, especially for those working in high-stress healthcare and education roles.
“With the cost-of-living crisis still putting a strain on household budgets, we know how hard it is to stretch your pay to cover a much-needed family break. By unlocking these exclusive TUI deals, we hope to give our key workers the realistic recovery time they deserve without the financial worry.”
So, for those of you healthcare heroes and teachers looking for a well-deserved break, we urge you to find an affordable holiday that suits you very soon. With cheaper airport pints also inbound later this year, here’s hoping you save even more spends for when you’re away.
New ‘cutting-edge’ cancer treatment to be rolled out on NHS from next week
Emily Sergeant
A new ‘cutting-edge’ cancer treatment is set to be rolled out on the NHS from next week.
Thousands of men with prostate cancer are to be offered high-powered ‘precision’ radiotherapy on the NHS to target the disease more effectively – helping reduce side-effects and spare them 15 courses of treatment.
The highly targeted SABR (stereotactic ablative radiotherapy) delivers radiotherapy to the tumour from many different directions to help reduce the risk of cancer spreading or returning.
SABR has been proven to be effective at far fewer doses than conventional radiotherapy.
Standard radiotherapy can often be a major burden for patients and loved ones, due to the substantial treatment and travel time involved, but SABR is typically delivered in just five doses within a fortnight, compared to at least 20 doses with external beam radiotherapy.
Thousands of men with prostate cancer are to be offered high-powered ‘precision’ radiotherapy on the NHS to target the disease more effectively, helping reduce side-effects and spare them 15 courses of treatment.
Around 17,500 men are diagnosed with low or intermediate risk prostate cancer in England each year and could be offered the option of SABR radiotherapy.
It is expected that the cutting-edge technique for localised prostate cancer will be offered at all 48 radiotherapy providers across England in the coming days – with the first centres making it available on the NHS from next week.
The roll-out could free up around 50,000 appointments for prostate cancer treatment each year, helping the NHS continue to bring down waiting times for patients.
NHS chief executive, Sir Jim Mackey, said the news will ‘transform’ treatment for thousands of men with localised prostate cancer.
“This cutting-edge approach will transform treatment for thousands of men with prostate cancer, helping the NHS provide far more powerful and convenient care to stop their cancer spreading,” Sir Mackey commented.
“Having been proven effective in keeping cancer under control, this technology will not only help reduce the risk of certain side effects but also the major ‘to-and-fro’ burden of hospital treatment, which can be really draining for so many patients and their families.”
The Manc -
29th October 2020 
