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Nurse says ‘Stay the F home’ in viral Facebook post about her frontline work

Emily Sergeant - 6th April 2020

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Five mindful activities for you to enjoy in Greater Manchester this Mental Health Awareness Week

Danny Jones Mental Health Awareness Week activities Greater Manchester

This month, among many other important observances, we here in Greater Manchester and all over the country are celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week, and there are plenty of ways for you to join in.

One of our New Year’s resolutions for 2025 was to ‘take better care of up there’; it’s important that you treat your brain like any other organ and muscle and look after it properly.

Between work and our personal lives, it can be easy for us to neglect our psychological health and wellbeing with the stresses of the everyday, but what better time to make a conscious effort to properly focus on it than Mental Health Awareness Week?

With that in mind – pun very much intended – we put together a quick little list of accessible, affordable and even some completely free things for you to do in and around Greater Manchester.

Five ways to take care of your mental health this week

1. Free yoga at Printworks

Having already started one of our days this week with yoga at the Printworks, we can confirm we definitely left feeling immensely relaxed.

Not only that, but given that these very bendy sessions are completely free to the public (to be fair, doing yoga pretty much anywhere is free, but you get the point), there’s really no reason not to give it a go.

With safety in numbers for anyone self-conscious of stretching in sight of passers-by, and Europe’s largest digital ceiling to make the experience even more mesmerising, we really can’t recommend it highly enough.

2. Casual charity 5k and quiz

Exercise really does work wonders for the old noggin’ when you need it, we firmly believe that, and so does doing something nice for a good cause.

That being said, this month’s Run The Streets event has swapped their usual ‘run and rave’ format for an even steadier plod with much-loved Sale-based run group, MileShyClub.

In an effort to keep things on a much calmer level after the laid-back social 5k around Manchester, they’ll be swapping out the typical club vibes for a casual little quiz. Find out more down below.

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A post shared by #MileShyClub Running and Walking Club (@mileshyclub)

3. Community run and pub

In fact, this particular Manc writer would go as far as to say that running has probably been the single most transformational thing for mental health full stop, whether that’s solo or with other lovely people.

So it’s a bloody good job that Greater Manchester is absolutely packed to bursting with running clubs, and if ending an evening jog with a quiz doesn’t quite sound like you’re thing, then a post-run pint might.

The likes of Manchester Road Runners have regular sessions throughout the week, including their flagship meet-up at The Wharf on Wednesdays, and as a community with dedicated mental health ambassadors to turn to, we can vouch for their commitment to mindfulness.

This massive Manchester running club where jogs finish at the pub is the best

These keep getting bigger every year, but they never stop looking after each other.

4. ‘The Drop’ gig at an exciting new Manchester venue

Now, enough exercise for a bit, how about saving your legs for some dancing, or at least some light two-stepping? Yeah, you know want to…

We’d say listening to live music is up there with getting your body moving when it comes to blowing away cobwebs; it’s one of those things that can help express those feelings you might otherwise struggle to put words to, and that’s what ‘The Drop’ series is all about.

Teaming up with mental health through music charity Headstock, The Drop sees artists of all different genres and profiles spotlighted at local venues, with the latest coming up at the brand-new Renae bar.

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A post shared by AUDIO NORTH (@audio.north)

5. Chill one of Greater Manchester’s many amazing green spaces

Last but not least, sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all, and both within central Manchester and the boroughs beyond, you’ll find some of the most beautiful places to reconnect with nature.

Be it a stroll around your local park, walking the dog around a lake

@the.manc Welcome to a park that’s (dare we say) miles better than Heaton Park 👀 📍 Drinkwater Park, Prestwich #themanc #manchester #prestwich #spring #park #dachshund ♬ original sound – The Manc

It goes without saying that this is by no means a comprehensive list of brilliant things you can do to give your brain so well-deserved TLC for Mental Health Awareness Week 2025.

Go on a hike, pet a pup, take a day off (pulling a sickie if you need, we won’t tell anyone), have that extra brew, cook your favourite meal, or better yet, have one of our region’s many marvellous restaurants make it for you.

Please use resources like Manchester Mind and SHOUT if you need them; call Samaritans on 116 123, use the NHS (111 service), and if you or someone you know is in crisis, please dial 999 immediately.

As the saying goes, it really is the little things that go along sometimes, and if you take nothing else away from this list, just know that you are loved, everything will be ok, and most importantly, no one is alone.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group

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Coronation Street and Emmerdale set for special crossover episode

Danny Jones

Two of Britain’s most legendary TV shows are set to collide as Coronation Street and Emmerdale prepare for an unforgettable crossover.

It’s the sort of thing we’ve imagined plenty of times before, but if we’re being honest, we never actually thought it would come to fruition.

For the first time ever, the iconic Northern soaps will be teaming up to release a special crossover episode early next year.

‘Coronationdale’? ‘Emmerdale Street’? All we know is we’re excited.

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A post shared by Coronation Street (@coronationstreet)

Announced on Tuesday, 13 May, ITV confirmed that work on the first-ever Coronation Street and Emmerdale collaboration is now underway.

The flagship serial franchises both have huge nationwide followings in their own right, attracting more than 8 million viewers every week.

Moreover, with both Manc’s much-loved Corrie and its Yorkshire counterpart having faced financial struggles in recent months, this announcement couldn’t have come at a better time.

Writing in an official joint press release, the two shows revealed they will “join forces in an unprecedented, one-off special episode to launch the broadcaster’s new power hour of soap, which begins on ITV1 and STV in January 2026.”

The ‘power hour’ is part of the channel’s plans to readjust its approach to its regular programming laid out earlier this year, with this serving as an eye-catching way to promote the new schedule.

Put it this way, provided they keep the crossovers up North and avoid you know where, this is the kind of thing we can get behind…

Corrie characters reacting to the mere thought of heading to London 🤝 Manc parents whenever one of their kids mentions leaving 0161. 😂

Credit: @itvcorrie x @corriepodcast pic.twitter.com/f4CxFoCsnC
— The Manc (@TheMancUK) October 9, 2023

The statement goes on to read: “The distinctive worlds of Emmerdale and Coronation Street will merge for one night only in a ‘mash-up’ of our two favourite communities.”

ITV believe they have come up with an “ingenious way of linking the two universes” before having them return to Greater Manchester and the Dales, respectively.

The episode will be a self-contained one-off special, but one that sees them canonically grounded in the same entertainment world forever and, you never know, if the idea is a hit then it could be the first of many to come.

As if that wasn’t enough, to make the prospect even more interesting, the producers are inviting members of the audience to choose which two characters they would like to meet and interact with in the scene – keep your eyes peeled on their social media for more information.

Coming in January 2026 (specific release date yet to be confirmed), this is not one you want to miss.

We’re also glad to see the pair of long-standing soaps and institutions of British telly have got off to a strong start this year, raking in 124 million streams on ITVX with each episode now available on the streaming platform ahead of each night’s episode.

You can expect a big viewer spike when this one goes out, that’s for sure.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — ITV (press shot)/The Manc Group