News

Stockport families to get financial support for food and utility bills this Christmas

Families will receive vouchers to help with the costs of food, utilities and other essentials this winter, Stockport Council has confirmed.

The Manc The Manc - 15th December 2020
Wikimedia Commons

Thousands of families across Stockport are set to receive vital support from the local council this Christmas to cover the cost of their food and utility bills.

Stockport Council confirmed that ‘families of 7,5000 school age children, who are eligible for income-based Free School Meals, will receive a £30 voucher per eligible child’ to help with essential costs over Christmas.

A further payment will also follow in the New Year.

The council has said that eligible families do not need to apply and will be contacted by email and post over the coming days and weeks.

The Council also revealed it is working with local schools and colleges to identify the vulnerable families in the area and will distribute vouchers accordingly.

Cllr Tom McGee, Deputy Leader of Stockport Council, said: “Funding secured from central Government has enabled us to offer this vital support to families and we want to help as many households as possible. We know that many of our generous businesses and residents will want to play their part in addition to what we are doing.

“The community response through COVID-19 has been amazing. Our communities have come together as One Stockport to support those most affected by the pandemic.

“In addition, our partners at Stockport County Football Club are working with Stockport’s voluntary, community and social enterprise support agency, Sector 3, to raise vital funds and this is just one of the ways people can help those who may be in need this Christmas.”

The town’s local football club launched their Food for Christmas campaign back in November – helping to provide meals for children in the Stockport area over the Christmas holidays. 

The campaign has raised more than £192,000 so far.

Mark Stott, owner of Stockport County Football Club, added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership to support our community and we are asking that people can give what they can, to ensure no child goes hungry this Christmas.”

Read more about Stockport County’s Christmas campaign here.

For more information about the support being provided by Stockport Council, visit the official website.

News

New free app launches to help people find the best nature spots in and around Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A new free app has launched to help people find, discover, and visit nature on their doorstep.

Wildling is aiming to be a simple one-step solution to the growing mental health crisis and the urgent need to care for the natural world.

By helping people visit nature more easily, and giving them tools to truly connect with it at this same time, Wildling is well on its way to supporting personal wellbeing and the joy of easily discovering nature across the UK, all while nurturing a sense of care and action for the planet.

Supported by partners including the RSPB, Marine Conservation Society ,and Forestry England, and backed by advisors and environmentalists like Ben Goldsmith, Eden Project founder Tim Smit, and Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden, the new app brings the UK’s wild spaces and hidden green spots together in one place.

People on mobile phones
A new free app has launched to help people find the best nature spots in Manchester / Credit: Kitera Dent | Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)

Featuring more than 1,500 locations across the country, from coastlines and woodlands, to nature reserves, the app also includes a wide range of tips to help you make your time in nature easier, more enjoyable, and more meaningful.

The app has been created with the input of research carried out by the University of Derby, based on responses from more than 68,000 adults across England over two years.

The study found that people who spend time in nature every day report up to 22% greater life satisfaction, 17% higher happiness, and an average uplift of around 19% in overall wellbeing, compared to those who rarely go out.

Regular time in nature was also found to have a ‘striking’ effect on pro-environmental behaviour too, according to the survey.

Wildling was created by impact entrepreneur Ant Rawlins who wanted to make accessing nature ‘easier’ for everyone.

“We wanted to give people the tools to engage with nature by making it genuinely easy to visit, by showing them nearby nature places and giving them everything they need to make it happen,” says Ant Rawlins commented.

Wildling connects Mancs to the outside world and all it has to offer / Credit: Sol Stock (Supplied)

Ant said the study shows that spending more time in nature just a nice idea, it makes you happier, increases your satisfaction with life, lifts your overall wellbeing, and encourages you to look after the world around you.

“That’s exactly why Wildling was created,” he concluded.

Read more:

The Wildling app is available now to download for free through the App Store and Google Play, and you can find out more here.

Featured Image – Shironosov (Supplied)

News

Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Chester Zoo’s adorable baby snow leopard who went viral last week could very well be about to go viral again.

That’s because new footage of it venturing outside for the first time have been released.

After arriving to first-time parents Nubra and Yashin, who are both three-years-old, last month (10 June 2025), keepers at Chester Zoo said mum and cub had mostly spent their time quietly tucked away in a cosy den, away from the eyes of the onlooking public – but now, it’s time for the little one to see what the outside world is all about.

Now, at seven-weeks old, the cub has gained in strength and confidence, and experts expected that it could venture outside at ‘any moment’.

Zookeepers are still yet to confirm the sex of the cub, and will be able to do soon once it has undergone its first health check-up with the vets.

We can also expect to hear one the little one’s name is very soon too.

If you’re unfamiliar with snow leopards, they are classed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it’s believed there are as few as 4,000 now remaining in the wild.

Nicknamed the ‘ghosts of the mountains’, these elusive – but adorable – big cats are found in the rugged, remote regions of Central Asia and the Himalayas – but sadly, despite being known for living in desolate, harsh environments, they continue to face threats from habitat loss, climate change, poaching, and retaliatory killings by farmers.

Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time / Credit: Chester Zoo

The cub’s birth follows the opening of Chester Zoo’s Himalayan habitat in May 2024, which is a vast, rocky environment that authentically recreates the mountainous terrain of Central Asia.

“This is the first snow leopard cub to be born at Chester Zoo,” commented Dave Hall, who is the Team Manager of carnivores at Chester Zoo, last week when the adorable hidden den cam footage was first released to the public.

“It’s a truly historic moment and a real cause for celebration – not just for our teams here, but also for the future of this magnificent species globally.”

Read more:

Although it’s still early days, carnivore experts at the zoo say Nubra is showing ‘excellent maternal instincts’ by nursing her new arrival every few hours and always keeping close by.

Featured Image – Chester Zoo

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