Stalybridge is set to take centre stage this year after being named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2022.
Nestled in between the scenic hills of the Peak District, but within easy reach of the rest of the city-region, Tameside Council says that this prestigious accolade “shines a light on the many attributes of the post-industrial town”.
Tameside is known for having a canalside setting, plenty of heritage buildings to its name, and a rich mix of independent businesses.
The new ‘Town of Culture’ title – which is awarded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), and comes with a £50k grant – will enable Stalybridge to build on its “existing vibrant programme of cultural activity”, according to the Council, and bring “further exciting opportunities” for residents and visitors.
The title aims to build a “lasting legacy” for the town.
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Tameside Council – which led the submission for the award, working in partnership with The Bridge Cultural Consortium – said the ‘Stalybridge Town of Culture Programme 2022’ will “complement” existing work that’s currently taking place as part of the Stalybridge Heritage Action Zone and the Town Centre Challenge.
One of the key features in the bid that won Stalybridge the prestigious title was the idea of developing a cultural programme for 2022 that will promote projects enabling people to slow down, connect with the local environment, and celebrate its cultural value, with activities and events like artist-led walks and trails, community growing projects, and outdoor theatre and storytelling.
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These will tie in with existing cultural highlights in the town, such as the popular monthly Street Feast event, the Council says.
Speaking on the awarding of the accolade, Cllr Leanne Feeley – Executive Member responsible for Culture at Tameside Council – said: “I’m so proud for Stalybridge and our local community to receive this recognition.
“We already know what a fantastic, vibrant and creative place Stalybridge is, but this is an opportunity to showcase our town’s amazing cultural identity even more widely.
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“Stalybridge’s cultural legacy spans the decades – it is the birthplace of the world’s oldest brass band, the Stalybridge Old Band, it’s the place where the iconic First World War song ‘A Long, Long Way to Tipperary’ was written, it’s a key location in the film ‘Yanks’ featuring Richard Gere and it is where Beatrix Potter would often write and draw while visiting her family at Gorse Hall.
“In the present day, it’s still a hive of cultural activity, hosting events such as the recent Royal Exchange’s The Den project and the ongoing and resoundingly successful Street Feast, and the Town of Culture title will allow us to build on this heritage and the wonderful work already taking place, while also creating new opportunities and a new tale in the town’s story.
“It’s a really exciting way to start 2022 and I look forward to what will follow.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Manchester Airport to host big jobs fair with more than 500 roles on offer
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of careers are set for take-off, as Manchester Airport’s popular jobs fair is returning early next month.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns and operates Manchester Airport as well as East Midlands and London Stansted Airports, is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, and for its first jobs fair of the year is promoting vacancies in areas like airport security, lounge hospitalitylmand terminal operations, as well as other roles on offer with third-party employers based at the airport.
Some of these roles range from airline support and check‑in, to airside operations, logistics and ground handling, retail, and special assistance services for passengers with restricted mobility.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about a career at the airport by speaking to employers operating on-site.
More than 500 roles will be advertised at the event, and more than 20 leading employers will be represented.
Manchester Airport is hosting a big jobs fair with more than 500 roles on offer / Credit: MAG
Running from 10am to 2pm on Tuesday 3 March at Wythenshawe Forum, some of the other employers who will be represented at the fair include retailers and franchise operators like Boots, Costa Coffee, JD Wetherspoon, WHSmith, Pasta Evangelists, Monsoon, HMSHost SSP, and World Duty Free, as well as airport service providers like PrimeFlight, 36T HUB, Mitie, Swissport and ABM.
The Airport Academy, which is run in partnership by Manchester Airport and Trafford & Stockport College Group, will also be in attendance on the day to promote its free pre-employment support programmes and fully accredited training schemes.
Jobseekers who secure a role within MAG can take advantage of a wide range of benefits during their employment.
These include discounts on public transport when travelling to work, free on-site car parking whilst working and when going on holiday, an excellent pension scheme, training programmes, retail discounts, and many more.
There’ll also be a wide range of third-party employers present at the event / Credit: MAG
“We’re proud to serve the North, not just by flying people to the places they want to travel to, but by helping local people find their way into rewarding and fulfilling careers,” commented Tina Edwards, who is the People Director at Manchester Airport.
“The airport directly employs more than 3,400 people and indirectly supports almost 20,000 jobs, so we’re a major contributor to the local economy and our ambitious growth plans mean we’re always looking for more talented people to join our teams. The same is true of our fantastic partners who are represented at this jobs fair.
“It’s an exciting time to be embarking on a career at Manchester Airport as our £1.3bn, decade-long expansion programme wraps up this year, giving us the platform to realise our potential as a truly global hub.”
Manchester Airport’s spring careers fair is free for all to attend, but you’ll need to book your ticket online first here.
Featured Image – MAG
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‘Ambitious’ new plans to tackle fly-tipping and litter across Manchester revealed
Emily Sergeant
An ambitious new plan to tackle flytipping and litter across Manchester has been revealed.
Developed with extensive input from residents, partners, businesses, and schools all across the borough, Manchester City Council has this week unveiled and formally approved the Fly-Tipping and Litter Strategy as a long‑term plan to significantly reduce the improper disposal of waste and its drain on public money, all while improving neighbourhood cleanliness across the city.
The strategy sets out a framework over nine years, backed by targeted enforcement, service improvements, and behaviour‑change campaigns to drive significant impact for thousands of Mancs.
As it stands, the Council removes litter as part of its scheduled services – with 6,563 reports responded to and 11,952 fines issued in 2024-25 – but is having to take things up a notch due to a consistent rise in littering incidents, as well as the ever-present issue of fly-tipping.
‘Ambitious’ new plans to tackle fly-tipping and litter across Manchester have been revealed / Credit: oatsy40 (via Flickr)
Nationally, England saw 1.15 million incidents of flytipping in 2023/24, with household waste accounting for more than 60% of cases, while here in Manchester, the city recorded a whopping 14,963 fly‑tipping incidents in 2024/25.
According to the Council, fly-tipping in Manchester usually occurs on roads and pavements (59%), and alleyways (22%).
The Council’s new Fly-tipping and Litter Strategy will be formally launched next month to coincide with the beginning of the Great British Spring Clean, and is hoped to signal a commitment to creating ‘cleaner, safer, and greener’ neighbourhoods for everyone.
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“The Fly-Tipping and Litter Strategy is a significant step towards improving the long-term health of Manchester’s communities,” explained Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, who is the Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council, as the plans were unveiled this week.
“We recognised how important it is to hear from residents, people who live and work in the city, themselves and so we have developed this strategy in close consultation through their lived experiences and advice.
“While we already have key initiatives we work under, in addition to several other strategies and projects, this new strategy sets to galvanise and advance the work our services and communities are doing to ensure Manchester becomes cleaner and greener for everyone.”
Emily Sergeant -
20th January 2022 
