Parklife Festival raises over £80,000 for Manchester’s community groups
Community groups can receive up to £5,000 from the Parklife Community Fund, created to give back to local communities and busineses on the festival's doostep
A Parklife funding campaign has generated £81,750 for community groups based around Heaton Park – a 71% increase on previous years’ efforts.
Contributions made by guestlist attendees and donations to charities via festival tickets increased hugely in 2021 – meaning there is more money than ever to give back to local communities.
Working with local councils in Manchester, Bury and Rochdale, the Parklife Community Fund works to support projects that benefit parks, open spaces, and young people – and now has opened up applications for locals to receive grants up to £5,000.
Prestwich Councillor Alan Quinn, Bury Council’s cabinet member for the environment and climate change, said: “It’s important that local people and businesses also benefit from having these events on their doorstep.”
“In 2016 I asked Parklife to set up a community fund, and this year the fund stands at £27,000 which is a great sum and gives local groups and charities the opportunity to bid this money The amount available for each project remains at £2000.
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“However, tthis year due to the fact there was an extra concert we argued for more funding, so, this year an extra £24,500 is available split between Manchester and Prestwich to bid for.”
A Parklife funding campaign has generated £81,750 for community groups based / Credit: Parklife
It is the fifth year that the Parklife Community Fund has made financial contributions to local groups.
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The total number of projects supported last year was 51, up from 20 in 2019 – showing that the reach of the fund continues to grow year on year, despite the pandemic hitting Manchester’s nightlife and festival scene hard.
Applications for 2022 are now open and groups will be notified by the end of February 2022 of the outcome.
Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Manchester City Council’s executive member for Neighbourhoods said: “By hosting events such as Parklife, which bring people to Heaton Park from far and wide, there must be real and tangible benefits for residents.”
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I would urge any residents or groups with a project in mind which might enhance their local area to make their application as soon as possible.”
Grants will be awarded at an event in Prestwich towards the end of February. To find out more about the fund and how to apply for a grant, visit the Parklife Community Fund website here.
Family pay tribute to father-of-two killed in Rochdale plane crash
Daisy Jackson
The family of a man killed in a light aircraft crash in Rochdale have paid tribute to a ‘deeply loving father and devoted husband’.
36-year-old Arian Abbasi was one of two men killed when an aircraft crashed into farmland in Littleborough in Rochdale last week, after travelling from Birmingham.
Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after 11am on Tuesday 3 February, but sadly pronounced both men dead at the scene.
It’s believed there was no one else on board the aircraft, and there were no reported injuries on the ground.
Now, Arian’s family have issued a moving tribute to him. He was a pilot from Harrow in Greater London.
They described him as being a ‘deeply loving’ family man, whose passion was flying.
He was about to embark on a new chapter with a commercial airline in just a few weeks’ time.
His family said: “He lived his life for his family and friends, giving them his constant love, strength, and support.
“Flying was his passion, and he was on the brink of beginning an exciting new chapter with a commercial airline on 23 February; a dream he had worked toward with immense pride and determination.”
GMP investigations are now focused on finding part of the parachute system which contains propellant and hasn’t yet been located.
Finding the device has been ‘very difficult’ due to the nature of the terrain and the wide area over which it may have travelled.
It measures approximately 10 cm in diameter and 30 cm long and has a red anodised finish. It weighs less than 2 kg. It may have a silver metal collar attached at one end.
GMP said: “Please do not handle the device if you see it. If discovered, contact the police immediately via 101 or our Live Chat at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1056 of 03/02/26.”
Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free bus travel to and from school
Emily Sergeant
Children who are currently living in temporary housing in Greater Manchester are set to get extra support with school travel.
In a move that was announced by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) at the end of last week, and following years of campaigning, homeless children living in temporary accommodation are now set to get free school travel on all Bee Network buses.
TfGM says it understands that some children end up a long way from their school when placed into temporary accommodation, and this leaves parents or carers with the difficult choice of either having to move them to a closer school, which ultimately disrupts their education, or having to pay unexpected travel costs.
While the Greater Manchester Strategy – which is the plan for the city region’s next decade – commits to reducing the number of families and children in temporary accommodation, and measures are also being taken to make sure residents have the support they need to ‘access, improve, and retain’ a decent, affordable home, this doesn’t tackle the immediate issue.
Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free school bus travel / Credit: TfGM
So, to help those families when they ‘need it most’, free bus travel to and from school is set to be provided, as subject to approval of this year’s Combined Authority budget.
The move comes after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham asked TfGM last year to look at options to help with the cost of travel.
“Using our locally-controlled Bee Network buses to support families when they need it most is the right thing to do,” Andy Burnham commented.
Of course, the long-term solution is no kids in TA and we’re working with our councils to achieve this in the next few years.
We can do it because GM will soon hit the point where we are building more council and social homes every year than we’re losing through right-to-buy. 👍🏻
“A move into temporary accommodation is often a massive upheaval for families and can be a worrying time. With this measure, the cost of travel to school will be one less thing for families to worry about.
“It will mean parents and carers don’t have to choose between an extra demand on their household budget and keeping their children with friends and teachers they know and trust.”
Dolly Busby -
12th November 2021 
