News

Plans to ‘preserve and protect’ Manchester’s iconic Gay Village revealed

The Council wants to keep the "character and spirit" of the area alive for decades into the future.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 27th March 2024

A plan of action intending to “preserve and protect” Manchester’s iconic Gay Village for years to come has been launched.

From being a haven and a sanctuary from discrimination, to a place of protest, the focal point of Manchester Pride celebrations, and so much more, Manchester’s Gay Village has been an essential safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community who have made this city their home for several decades now.

The globally-recognised neighbourhood draws in tens of thousands of visitors each year, and there’s no doubt it’s truly one of the most welcoming and inclusive spaces in the city centre.

Which is why Manchester City Council says it’s keen to celebrate the role the area has played over the years.

And so, in a bid to do just that, an ‘action plan’ has been created to address how the character and spirit of the area can be maintained and preserved, as well as what improvements can be made to ensure the needs of the LGBTQ+ community are “at the heart” of everything that takes place down in the Village. 

Plans to ‘preserve and protect’ Manchester’s iconic Gay Village have been revealed / Credit: Manchester Pride

The Council says it’s “intensely proud” of the Village’s reputation, both across the UK and throughout the rest of the world too, and it hopes to “enhance and promote” this reputation for years well into the future.

A range of proposals have already been identified to enhance the area, both in the short and long term, but on top of this, as part of the Council’s “commitment” to the Gay Village, several consultations have also taken place to better understand what the “priorities, desires, and needs” are for those who visit, live, and work there.

Collaboration will remain key during the roll-out of any changes, and action groups will be utilised to engage with all involved too, according to the Council.

So, what enhancement proposals are on the cards then?

Manchester City Council is keen to celebrate the role the area has played over the years / Credit: Manchester City Council

Well, according to the Council, these include the development of a neighbourhood management plan to bring improvements to the physical environment, the conducting of a CCTV audit to ensure coverage is being met, and plans to enhance relationships with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to make sure residents and businesses are safe. 

Damaged trees in Canal Street will also be replaced, alongside the developing of an exciting new social history and heritage trail for the Village as a whole.

New opportunities for street art and murals will also be identified.

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You can find out more, and see the ‘Gay Village Action Plan’ in full on the Manchester City Council website here.

Featured Image – Tecmark Ltd (via Flickr)

News

Kalvin Phillips is reportedly set to be reintegrated into the Manchester City squad

Danny Jones Danny Jones Kalvin Phillips could be brought back into the Man City squad

Long-exiled Manchester City player Kalvin Phillips is reportedly on the verge of being reintegrated into Pep Guardiola’s squad this season.

The ex-Leeds United star, who signed for the Blues back in 2022, has still only made just 16 appearances for the club, but could now be eyeing up a potential renaissance.

Man City have made plenty of signings this year, but with a number of outgoings and several injuries in key positions, it looks like there could be an avenue for the one-time England international to fight his way back into the team.

As per Telegraph Sport‘s Mike McGrath, Kalvin Phillips is set to be reintroduced to City’s 25-man Premier League selection; the question is, can he make it into a first-team XI?

According to McGrath, Phillips will be “given a chance to resurrect his career at the Etihad Stadium” with the meat and potatoes of the 2025/26 campaign still yet to get properly underway.

Now 29, the Yorkshireman is well and truly within the crucial ‘prime’ years as an athlete, and after such an extended period on the sidelines, he’ll be more motivated than anyone to get his career back on track.

The central defensive midfielder – who was formerly considered a key cog in the middle of the park for Leeds – has spent two loan spells away from the Etihad, but neither really worked out for the undeniably talented footballer.

Having joined West Ham for the latter portion of the 23/24 term and spending the last 12 months on loan at struggling Ipswich Town, his time at both clubs was pretty forgettable, punctuated by little more than a couple of unfortunate red cards and more time on the bench.

Speaking to Sky Sports fairly recently, he confessed that the last couple of years have been very difficult and was visibly emotional discussing his struggles since moving to Man City.

It’s also worth noting that Guardiola himself has admitted to feeling “so bad” for Kalvin Phillips’ situation – perhaps why he now looks like he could be given a second chance.

CDM-wise, Rodri and Nico González are considered the go-to options, but Stockport-born Rico Lewis and  Mateo Kovačić have also been used in the role.

Once again, although Man City face somewhat of an injury crisis ahead of the Manchester derby this weekend, any prolonged absences could at least see an opportunity arise for the forgotten man.

What do you make of Kalvin Phillips’ chances of being restored to the Manchester City squad and maybe even putting himself back into national team contention ahead of the World Cup?

Manchester City said no to a pretty significant player swap with Liverpool last year
We often wonder what players’ futures would have looked like if they ended up picking different moves…

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Featured Images — Sky Sports (screenshot via YouTube)/pantkiewicz (via Flickr)

News

Brand new venue confirmed as the host of The Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness

Danny Jones Danny Jones House of Social and First Street hosting 2025 Manchester Run Against Homelessness charity fundraiser

The magnificent Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness is back this year, and with the 2025 event fast approaching, they have announced arguably their biggest host venue yet, setting up in camp in a brand new food and drink hall.

Having housed the incredible charity gathering from Freight Island last year, it was always going to take some beating this time around, but somehow they’ve managed to.

The annual relay run in aid of Greater Manchester’s homeless community will be taking place at none other than the city centre’s recently unveiled House of Social, with the building’s wider student living quarters serving as the perfect fit for the initiative first thought up by university friends back in 2018.

Announced this week, House of Social will be teaming up with the wider First Street neighbourhood to look after the hordes of incredible runners this year.

Jamie Hills, Development Director at Ask Real Estate – who operate the ever-growing First St complex – said of volunteering as this year’s hosts: “First Street is thrilled to welcome and fuel the incredible runners of The Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness.

“As the city’s hotspot for community events and culture, we’re proud to be a place where community thrives, so we’re incredibly excited to support this important initiative. With our fantastic on-site amenities like House of Social, we’re ready to keep those participating powered up and going strong!”

As for co-founder Tom Lewis, speaking to The Manc, he said: “We’re excited to return for our 7th edition, with Manchester being our flagship event.

“Through being hosted at House of Social in First Street, we’re hoping to make this year’s edition the best and biggest yet, aiming to raise £50,000 for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity Scheme, ‘A Bed Every Night’.

“We’d love to see you all at the event, plus bring your friends and workplace to. There are paces for everyone, including walking laps.”

In November 2024, not only did the fundraising phenomenon mark its first-ever expansion with an inaugural event in Birmingham, but it also surpassed £50,000 here in Manchester alone, and is now set to make debuts in a trio of new cities.

Tom went on to add: “I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve managed to accomplish as a team with starting up three more events across the country this year and expanding Manchester to a scale we couldn’t have dreamed of when we started out seven years ago.”

We here at The Manc Group have been helping The MCR 24 Run Against Homelessness for several years now, and have put in plenty of those 5k laps between ourselves, so you can bank on us being there to put in some more hard yards this November.

Even better still, we’ve already roped in our friends over at The Hoot to help out with the maiden 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness in Leeds, and we hope to see lots more of you chipping in across the North and beyond.

Here’s to helping rough sleepers find beds and get back on their feet all over the country.

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

Featured Images — The Manc Group/The 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness

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