Members of the public are being urged to join a mass slow handclap in protest at a government recommendation for a 1% pay rise for NHS workers.
As the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced it has set up a £35 million strike fund that can be used to provide compensation for loss of earnings and campaigning should members decide to down tools, UNISON – the second largest in the UK – is urging people to stand on doorsteps and balconies on Thursday 11 March at 8pm to show how they feel about the pay offer.
Many NHS workers said the 1% pay rise proposal would only see them take home around £3.50 extra per week.
The RCN Council – which had been campaigning for a 12% pay rise – said it had quickly set up its strike fund in order to have the finances available to its members should they wish to take action.
“In setting up this fund, the RCN will create the UK’s largest union strike fund overnight,” said a statement.
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Dame Donna Kinnair – Chief Executive and General Secretary at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) – has condemned health minster Nadine Dorries’ claim that 1% was “the most” the government could afford.
She called the offer “pitiful and bitterly disappointing”.
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Nursing staff are burnt out, exhausted and considering leaving the career they love. A 1% pay award will drive them to the door. They deserve a significant pay rise. Support our campaign #FairPayForNursinghttps://t.co/5dKJz8I4qd
Dame Donna also warned the government to expect a “backlash” from up to a million NHS employees over its announcement on pay, saying: “The government is dangerously out of touch with nursing staff, NHS workers, and the public. It is not a done deal, but the government has revealed its hand for the first time.
“With the time remaining before the Pay Review Body recommendation, the government can expect a backlash from a million NHS workers.”
On top of that, Unite – which also represents tens of thousands of health service staff in the UK – has also warned that it too is considering industrial action amid growing anger at the pay proposals they branded an “insult” and “hypocrisy in its greatest form”.
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Ameera Sheikh – an intensive care nurse and Unite representative – said increasing living costs had left people struggling on stagnant wages, and that the government’s support earlier in the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic now felt “fake”.
“We have sacrificed so much since the start of the pandemic,” Ms Sheikh added.
“And that includes moving out of our family homes to live close to the hospital and protect our families and live in complete isolation, which is something that I’ve actually had to do. We are facing an increasingly dangerous workload in the intensive care unit, and a lot of staff being redeployed to ICU without basic intensive care training.
“Also, the lack of PPE and having to reuse PPE or wear expired PPE and risking our lives.”
#NHSpay next steps: ?Stand up – doorsteps and balcony protest next Thursday (11 March) at 8pm
The Labour party has also hit out at the government’s proposal of a 1% pay rise for NHS workers, with Shadow Health Secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, labelling it “disgusting”.
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Party leader Sir Keir Starmer also said ministers must recognise the UK’s “COVID heroes”.
In response to the mounting backlash from the proposal and subsequent announcement of strike action, a government spokesman said earlier: “Over one million NHS staff continue to benefit from multi-year pay deals agreed with trade unions, which have delivered a pay rise of over 12% for newly-qualified nurses and will increase junior doctors’ pay scales by 8.2%.
“Pay rises in the rest of the public sector will be paused this year due to the challenging economic environment, but we will continue to provide pay rises for NHS workers, on top of a £513 million investment in professional development and increased recruitment.
“That’s with record numbers of doctors and 10,600 more nurses working in our NHS, and with nursing university applications up by over a third.
“The independent pay review bodies will report in late spring and we will consider their recommendations carefully when we receive them.”
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You can find more information about the ‘slow clap’ protest via the UNISON website here.
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Police release footage of missing Manchester man Adeo Alston-Ekpei’s last-known movements
Emily Sergeant
Video footage showing the last-known movements of a Manchester man who’s been missing for three weeks now has been released.
Detectives at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are continuing to search for Adeo Alston-Ekpei, who has not been seen since Friday 16 May.
The 25-year-old was seen in Fletcher Moss Park in Didsbury at around 3pm, before later being seen walking down Kingsway away from Manchester and close to the River Mersey, at around 5.20pm that same day.
Multiple lines of enquiry being explored by police at present, but anyone who believes they may have seen him from around this time, is asked to get in touch.
Adeo is described as being a mixed-race male, with long curly black hair and a long singular dreadlock, and bleached eyebrows. He has a cupid’s bow piercing and a right eyebrow piercing. He also has an ‘AKA’ tattoo on his right wrist, and a ‘24’ tattoo in the right side of his chest.
He was last seen wearing long blue denim shorts, an undone green short-sleeved button-up shirt, and white Adidas trainers.
Friends have also recently set up a public fundraiser to help with the search for Adeo.
Adeo Alston-Ekpei has been missing for almost three weeks / Credit: GMP
“We are dedicated to finding Adeo and getting much-needed answers for his family,” commented Detective Inspector Kelly, from GMP’s Manchester district, as the footage was released to the public this week.
“I would ask any residents around the Kingsway area, and surrounding housing estates off Kingsway into Gately, and who may have dashcam or CCTV footage from around this time, to please check and get in touch if you have any information.
“Likewise, if anyone believes they have seen Adeo, please get in touch with one of our officers. Any information is appreciated and investigated as we continue our work.”
#MISSING | We are continuing to ask for information relating to missing Adeo, who was last seen on May 16.
We have additionally released CCTV footage showing Adeo’s last known movements on Kingsway, Manchester.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 5, 2025
A spokesperson for Adeo’s family described the missing man as ‘kind, funny, and intelligent’ with a ‘huge heart’, but they say he ‘wasn’t himself when he disappeared’.
“He may have come across as agitated, lost, or confused,” the spokesperson admitted. “In his last call to his mum, he was in a very vulnerable state.”
Anyone with any information regarding Adeo’s whereabouts is urged to contact South Manchester CID directly on 0161 856 6051 or 0161 856 6063, or you can use the LiveChat function on GMP’s website and quote log number 838 of 18/05/25.
Alternatively, you can report information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
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Tributes pour in after Heaton Park’s beloved resident donkey Ralph dies at age 40
Emily Sergeant
The time has come… one of Heaton Park’s beloved resident donkeys, Ralph, has sadly died at the impressive age of 40.
As regular visitors to Manchester‘s largest park may be aware, Ralph the donkey recently celebrated his 40th birthday – which, even more impressively, actually made him 120 in donkey years – and it was a truly incredible achievement for him to reach, especially as The Donkey Sanctuary says that the average life expectancy for a donkey is just over 30 years of age.
But earlier this week, things sadly took a turn for the worse.
Heaton Park‘s Estates Team made the decision to contact a vet for a site visit after identifying some changes with Ralph’s behaviour, and unfortunately, this was found to be caused by a ruptured intestine.
So it’s with ‘deep sadness’ that the park had to announce to the public that Ralph passed away later that afternoon.
“Ralph meant a lot to many, both staff and all our visitors, and he will be deeply missed within the park,” Heaton Park & Hall said in tribute to their beloved friend on social media this week.
They also shared an adorable image of him when he was just a young foal.
Those who had the pleasure of seeing Ralph roam the park over the past four decades soon began flooding the comments, sharing their own emotional tributes to the friendly face who’s sadly no longer with us.
Heaton Park’s beloved resident donkey Ralph celebrating his 40th birthday / Credit: Heaton Park & Hall (via Facebook)
“Sleep easy buddy, you had a wonderful charmed life and you deserved it,” one touching comment read on Facebook, while another added: “Aww Godspeed Ralph, you had a happy life, now its time to rest,” and a third commented: “So sorry to hear this sad news about Ralph, but glad to know he has enjoyed a long and happy life.”
Another tribute reads: “RIP Ralph, you brought a lot of joy to a lot of people,” as does this similar one: “Aww bless him. He’d had a long and happy life, and gave much happiness too.”
The Manc -
5th March 2021 
