Struggling Manchester bar launches Crowdfunder to save it from closure
The bar is giving away a £3,000 bar tab, a weekend stay at the Kings Arms in Kirkby Lonsdale and a meal at the top-rated restaurant in the area, Number Nine Bar & Kitchen.
Times are tough for the hospitality sector right now, but one Manchester bar has come up with a novel way to raise the cash it needs to help keep its business afloat.
Northern Quarter bar Alvarium has had a tough couple of years. This summer owners released a heartfelt plea for more outside seating, warning that “the consequences could be detrimental” if their request wasn’t granted by Manchester City Council.
At the time, the bar said it was “still struggling” and that having extra space last year meant they could “absorb some of the economic shock” from the fallout of the pandemic. In spite of this, its request for more outside seating throughout the summer wasn’t granted.
Seven months on, owners have now launched a Crowdfunder in a bid to keep their business going throughout the winter months.
Turning to their customers for help, owners are offering a £3,000 bar tab and a luxury stay on the border of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales in the hopes that a big prize will entice much-needed donations.
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Looking to raise a total of £50,000, on its Crowdfunder page Alvarium says the money will be used to “make a dent” in the “crippling debt” taken on in order to remain in business throughout Covid, as well as to cover “essential repairs” to its electrics and plumbing.
The bar explained: “We love Alvarium and we hope you do too, therefore we’re asking for your help.
“Our prize draw is offering one lucky winner a £3000 bar tab to be redeemed in Alvarium, but not only this we are also offering a luxury stay right on the border of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales.
|Our very kind friends at the Kings Arms in Kirkby Lonsdale have offered up a weekend stay in one of their picturesque cottages along with a meal at the top-rated restaurant in the area, Number Nine Bar & Kitchen. Single Entries are £3 with two entries costing £5. If you wish to enter for free, postal entries are also available.”
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Owners also expanded on the difficulties the bar has faced over the past few years, pointing to a number of factors.
These include: being denied a permit to extend its outside seating this summer, its insurers not paying out for business disruption because staff were retained using the furlough scheme, and issues with the owners of the building, who they claim are “trying to close any possible avenue open to us to generate extra revenue.”
Image: Alvarium
Image; Alvari
They said: “It’s been a tough 2 years for us here at Alvarium. After Manchester City Council swept the rug out from under our feet by taking away our road closure, making summer exceptionally difficult for us.
“This alongside our insurers refusing to pay out for business disruption suffered during Covid, despite the Ombudsman instructing them to do so, on the grounds that we retained our staff by using the furlough scheme.
“So, if we would have let all of our staff go and not claimed furlough, they would have honoured our claim – an option which has always been out of the question for us. During this time, we have had to make some very difficult decisions to try and survive.
“However, the owners of the building are trying to close any possible avenue open to us to generate extra revenue to get Alvarium flourishing again, leaving us feeling very lost.”
As part of the Crowdfunder, the bar is giving away a £3,000 bar tab, as well as a luxury weekend stay at one of the Kings Arms in Kirkby Lonsdale’s picturesque cottages, and a meal at Number Nine Bar & Kitchen, the top-rated restaurant in the area.
With single entries priced at £3 each, whilst you can buy two for £5 or five for £10. There is no limit on the number of times anyone can enter, with the prizes being drawn in 30 days time.
Andy Burnham explains why Number 10 North is so important as it officially ‘opens for business’
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has explained his key reasons for launching Number 10 North as it officially ‘opens for business’ this week.
You may remember that earlier last month, Andy Burnham revealed he had intentions to create a Number 10 North if he was to become Prime Minister, with the new base expected to be a ‘dominant driver of the UK’s economy’ once it was officially up and running… and now, fast forward to today, Number 10 North is officially ‘open for business’.
Operating from Heron House in Manchester city centre, as previously reported on, Number 10 North will be the Government’s new ‘situation room for growth’.
It also brings the ‘levers’ of local economic growth and devolution together under one roof for the first time ever.
Number 10 North has officially ‘opened for business’ / Credit: gov.uk (via Wikimedia Commons)
With the Prime Minister expected to work from Number 10 North each week, so that decisions about the country’s economic future will no longer exclusively be made in Westminster, and with other ministers also working from there on a regular basis, the Government says the move underlines its determination to ‘do things differently’.
Now that Number 10 North has officially opened, Andy Burnham and his fellow ministers have explained why this move is so important for not just Manchester, but the north as a whole.
“For 40 years, power and resources have been sucked into the centre, and too many communities have felt forgotten, without the attention and investment they deserve,” explained Andy Burnham.
“Number 10 North will change that by putting more power into every postcode across the entire country. It will be the situation room for making Britain better, the place we use to get power out of Westminster, into the hands of people at a local level, so that they can turn things around.
“The days of Whitehall resisting devolution are over, for good.”
First Secretary Louise Haigh added: “Today marks a fundamental re-balancing of where power sits in our country. Number 10 North has been set up to drive economic growth in every postcode and put power in the hands of every community.
“Through this department, this Government will ensure that the places overlooked by Westminster for decades are given a real voice.
“Number 10 North is open for business.”
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Scissors, toy guns, and baseball bat among 100+ items confiscated by security at Manchester Airport
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport has revealed a shocking list over 100 items confiscated by security staff in just one morning.
And honestly, you won’t believe some of the things people have tried to take on a plane.
With schools across Greater Manchester having now broken up for the summer holidays, and families getting ready to jet off on their holidays, Manchester Airport is urging all passengers travelling over the next six weeks to make sure they know the hand luggage rules before boarding the plane, after more than 100 items recently had to be confiscated by security in one morning alone.
12 pairs of scissors, 10 toy guns, seven corkscrews, four knives, two loose chisels, a pair of pliers, and even a baseball bat were among the items forming part of the shocking confiscation haul.
On top of this, security also confiscated dozens of cosmetic products, drinks bottles, and food items like multipacks of yoghurts.
Scissors, toy guns, and a baseball bat are among 100+ items confiscated by security at Manchester Airport / Credit: Manchester Airport
Although new 3D scanning technology has been installed at both of Manchester Airport’s terminals now, making the process smoother overall, those travelling during the busy summer period are reminded that attempting to bring non-compliant items through airport security causes delays for themselves and for others.
Airport security bosses are encouraging people to reacquaint themselves with the rules for hand luggage before packing for their journey.
“We’re proud of the role we play in getting people’s journeys off to the right start, and more than 97% of our passengers are getting through security checks in under 15 minutes,” commented Sakib Mahmood, who is the Security Duty Manager for T2 at Manchester Airport
All if these items were confiscated in just one morning / Credit: Manchester Airport
“But each time we have to pull a bag aside for a manual search it can take several minutes, and that can quickly start to add up and create delays.
“The range of items confiscated here in just a few hours shows what our security officers are up against every day, but when it comes to working out what is restricted and what is not, we know some items are more obvious than others.
“If you take a moment to reacquaint yourself with the rules before packing your hand luggage, it can save you lots of time when you get to Security, and avoids you losing items like water guns or bottles of suncream that you want to take on your holiday with you.
“In many cases, items like these which may fall foul of hand luggage restrictions can be taken in your hold luggage, so if in any doubt, pack the item in your suitcase rather than your carry-on bag.”
Georgina Pellant -
16th November 2022 
