A school for children with learning difficulties and complex needs in Stockport has sadly been vandalised, leaving the students without a beloved learning facility.
Castle Hill High School in Offerton — formerly known as Offerton School — was reopened as a community specialist education school back in 2014 after moving from its original site in the Brinnington area of the borough, and currently teaches and looks after around 325 students.
Taking in kids from ages 11-18, Castle Hill has remained an important educational facility for those living in Stockport and has regularly held an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating, providing its pupils with access to everything from science labs, food technology rooms and design workshops to computer suites, art rooms, multi-use sports and games area and much more.
One of the aspects the school and its students were most proud of was the ‘Forest School‘: an outdoor-focused learning approach which sees children interact with their environment and others in it. In the case of Castle Hill, these lessons originated in a specially-designed container located at the back of the school but, sadly, during the recent half-term break, the facility was destroyed.
Gemma Minshull, whose 12-year-old daughter Maddie attends the school, says that she and countless other kids were “left so upset” by the arson and has since issued a plea online, asking Stockport locals and surrounding communities to “please help us to restore our beloved forest school”.
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As she explained, “During the half-term break an intruder broke into the school grounds, deliberately setting fire to the forest school container, destroying everything.”
“The Forest School is an amazing educational approach to outdoor learning, designed to inspire all pupils. The real power of Forest School is its multi-sensory environment. This child-centred learning is integral in meeting the needs of the diverse range of children who attend Castle Hill High School.”
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Setting up a GoFundMe to try and raise enough money to replace everything lost, Gemma went on to reiterate the importance of the forest school, emphasising that it can be key in helping children “work closely with others… gaining more independence, develop confidence, self-esteem” and more.
On a brighter note, in less than a week more than £6,340 has been raised to help replace everything that was lost in the blaze, including replacing the cargo container hub itself, wellies and other items. Local taxi company Lynx Taxis even donated £2,000 outright upon hearing the news.
Offerton locals have even been donating wellies and coats of their own for when it gets back up and running. Speaking to the MEN, teacher John Hadley, who has worked at the school for over six years says, says the staff have been overwhelmed by the support.
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“It’s been amazing, we have been bowled over. There’s been a real outpour and a huge coming-together”, he said, once again reinforcing how much these students get from “being in a multi-sensory environment”.
You can do your bit to help by donating to the fundraiser HERE.
Featured Image — Castle Hill School/Wikimedia Commons/Gemma Minshull
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‘Prolific’ South Manchester burglar jailed for thefts which included peanuts…
Daisy Jackson
A ‘prolific’ burglar has been jailed for just over two years, for numerous thefts including sunglasses, airpods, and peanuts…
The man was caught red-handed inside someone’s property, where he claimed he was just wanting a glass of water – but was found by police officers to have the resident’s car keys in his pocket.
Fazal Alnesi, 26, from Moss Side, was then linked to a number of other burglaries, attempted burglaries, and thefts across South Manchester.
Fazal was sentenced to 27 months at Manchester Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to offences including six counts of burglary in June of this year.
He was arrested on 12 June, when a man returned to his home in Fallowfield in the early hours of the morning and discovered Fazal inside his address.
He claimed he was there because he wanted a glass of water but subsequently refused to leave, which led to police being called.
Officers placed Alnensi in handcuffs and found the resident’s car keys in his pocket, as well as indications that he’d been rummaging through the man’s drawers.
He was later linked to other thefts include a wrench set from a car, a pedal cycle worth £350, airpods, sunglasses – and even peanuts from one address.
He additionally took an electric bike charger from one address worth hundreds of pounds.
PC Jon Holden, from GMP’s City of Manchester district, said: “Alnensi took various items from several homes and cars across a two-week period earlier this year, making off with hundreds of pounds worth of goods.
“Ultimately, Alnensi left people feeling unsafe in his own home, and I am glad he is now behind bars.
“Our team will investigate all burglaries, and I would encourage people to get in touch with us – all intelligence helps us lock up criminals and bring them to justice.”
The top 10 ‘happiest’ places to live in the North West in 2026 have been named
Emily Sergeant
The top 10 happiest places to live in the North West have been named for 2026.
It comes as Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index this week, just as it has done for the last 14 years now, exploring exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlighting the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year – with thousands of residents across more than 200 locations providing feedback.
The residents told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community, from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlined the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, when it comes to the North West as a whole then, where do we have in the top 10?
Well, to kick things off, you may have already seen that one Lancashire market town has earned its place in the top 10 nationwide, not just for the North West region – and that’s Chorley.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley – which is is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
But aside from the national top 10, when it comes to the regional top 10, the next two towns following Chorley in second and third are both in Greater Manchester.
The North West’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Chorley
Stockport
Altrincham
Chester
Macclesfield
Southport
Kendal
Wirral
Northwich
Carlisle
Altrincham has been named one of the North West’s happiest places to live / Credit: The Manc Group
The ever-thriving Stockport comes in at number two, followed by Trafford favourite Altrincham directly behind it at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
Featured Image – Roger Kidd (via Wikimedia Commons)
Danny Jones -
13th June 2023 
