If you yourself are a teacher or happen to know one, you’ll know that the world of education isn’t always packed with perks: you often take your work home with you, weekends become made for marking and working with kids can be simply knackering – surely some discounts are the least they deserve.
Well, what if we told you that a little-known hack for teachers to get tonnes of pretty decent discounts is sitting right underneath the noses of countless British teachers?
And when we say ‘decent’, we’re talking as much as half-price off when purchasing from certain companies here in the UK.
We’re sure most if not all of you will have heard of a ‘Blue Light’ card, the membership that allows NHS, emergency services, armed forces, those in social care and other vital service professions to access savings on more than 15,000 brands, but it seems that this now includes teachers.
This is not a drill 🚨 I’ve just discovered that teachers and school staff can access a blue light card giving them access to thousands of different discounts! pic.twitter.com/HoNisQ4cZo
As revealed in a viral video by Manchester-based primary school teacher, author and online content creator ‘Mr P’ – real name Lee Parkinson – it turns out that many of those working in education also now qualify for a Blue Light card.
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Explaining the simple but somewhat secret process in his now-viral video, teachers throughout the education system and, indeed, teaching assistants can apply for a Blue Light card online and find their professions at the bottom of a lengthy drop-down list.
Many companies offered their own discount services to teachers during Covid and post-pandemic after they were rightly recognised as crucial key workers – as if we even needed a pandemic to make that abundantly clear – and now Blue Light is set to cover those in education moving forward too.
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As a result of this massive revelation, floods of people almost crashed the website, creating a lengthy online queue that gave us an expected waiting time of over three hours at its highest point.
There’s still a massive digital waiting room as we speak. Writing in a statement following the influx of interest, a spokesperson for Blue Light Card said: “What an incredible response we’ve had to welcoming teachers into our community!
“Teachers are not just educators, but also mentors, guides and inspirations that provide essential services to society – often going above and beyond the call of duty, as we saw during the pandemic. The excitement and appetite to join our community today only goes to show how deserving of recognition and reward our teachers are.
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This was as of approximately 2:30pm on Thursday, 8 August, after hours of people stumbling onto the shopping life hack.Blue Light cards are available in physical and digital form.Credit: Screenshot (via bluelightcard.co.uk)/The Manc Group
“Such is the demand we’ve seen today, we’re experiencing some issues with our website and app and our team is working hard to fix it as quickly as possible. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this is causing our members and we’ll provide an update as soon as we can. In the interim, you can register your interest at https://teachers.bluelightcard.co.uk.”
After creating a number of helpful videos like this and hosting the popular Two Mr Ps in a Pod(Cast), ‘Mr P ICT’, to use his go-to moniker on social media, the multi-talented teacher has grown a huge following over the past few years and we dare say even more so since disclosing these discounts.
Now in his mid-30s and based in Urmston, Trafford, Parkinson currently works part-time at Davyhulme Primary School and has more than 15 years of experience in the education sector.
Having specialised in ICT (as the name would suggest) and integrating tech into modern teaching, as well as holding an Academic Development and Enhancement qualification, the guy knows what he’s talking about and boasts hundreds of thousands of followers.
We’re sure all teachers would join us in thanking Mr P for spreading such helpful information and hopefully saving people lots of money moving forward. That being said, if you are an educator, don’t waste any more time reading this – go get yourself some well-earned discounts!
We’ve teamed up with a new creative hub to offer an exciting opportunity to a rising Manchester star
Danny Jones
Truth be told, there are creative opportunities to be found all across Greater Manchester, but you won’t find many quite like this…
Content creation is an ever-growing industry and the demand for roles in this ever-evolving space is higher than ever; the problem is, lots of people are unsure of how exactly to get started.
That’s why anyone interested in the sector should be very excited about the latest development over in MediaCity – we certainly are, and that’s why we’ve teamed up with them for something special.
First of all, let’s do introductions: welcome to the ‘Content Studio’.
Designed to cater to the growing climate of cutting-edge content creation and offer a professional workspace at an accessible rate, the Content Studio provides a range of versatile creative spaces including light, dark and podcast studios, perfect for video production, castings, photoshoots and more.
Curated by University of Salford alumni, Ashley Salmon, the studio has been built to meet the needs of modern content creators, influencers, social media stars, brands and businesses of all kinds.
Promising to offer both a dynamic and inspiring space where people can produce high-quality and innovative content while fostering a supportive creative community, this place aims to live up to Greater Manchester’s media reputation: industry-leading.
The Content Studio will also be made accessible to students spending time over in MediaCity and beyond, with a good chunk of the core production team comprised of recent graduates from Salford, giving them a valuable platform to showcase their skills and kickstart their careers.
As the previous video detailed, we’re working with MediaCity to identify their next ‘Creator in Residence’, an exclusive opportunity being made available to just one inventive individual this year.
Put simply, we’re looking for Greater Manchester’s next rising star, an entrepreneur or someone who is looking to start out in the creative space. So what does one lucky winner get with the prize?
Well, all of this:
Three-month Content Studio residency worth over £1,000 at MediaCity
Free use of content creation space, subject to availability
£200 budget to decorate the space/purchase props
Equipment hire and tech support – cameras, lighting, audio, director and camera operator for a day (£2k value from Badger and Combes)
Access to three hours of mentorship with creative director Steve Moyler (1x a month or 1x 3h slot)
£150 Black card to spend with local independent food residents
Access to a social media crash course with The Manc
If this sounds like an opportunity you or someone you know might be interested in, you can fill out the form HERE to be in with a chance to access one of the most incredible creative opportunities anywhere in Greater Manchester.
Terms and conditions
By entering this competition, you agree to the terms set by MediaCity:
As the ‘Creator in Residence’ you will commit to at least 2.5 days in residence in the MediaCity Content Studio
As the winner you will agree to be profiled on MediaCity/The Manc platforms
Any social content produced in the Content Studio will tag #mediacitycontentstudio and #madeinmediacity
Must add @MediaCityUK as a collaborator on all content being published on socials
No cash equivalent will be given for the prize.
The deadline for application is Wednesday, 12 March, so don’t miss out. Good luck!
Featured Images — Sophia J Carey (supplied)/The Manc Group
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LF System, DJ Paulette and Turno announced as headliners for ‘The Drop’ music series
Thomas Melia
A returning music series is taking place in Manchester again and it’s bringing together even more great DJs for some fantastic live sets.
Titled ‘The Drop’, this music celebration is the mastermind of Skiddle and Headstock, who have collaborated to raise funds to support the music industry and mental health awareness.
Both the leading organisations put music at the forefront of what they do with Skiddle as a UK-based online ticket platform and Headstock, a hugely important music and mental health social enterprise.
‘The Drop’ is a monthly event series created to raise funds for several charities that exist to support the mental health of people working in the music industry.
Credit: Publicity Picture (Supplied)
This all-new event has support from The Warehouse Project, one of the leading nightlife and music entertainment spots not just in Manchester but the UK, bringing in acts from all over the world.
There are lots of music-tailored companies getting involved too including our very own music counterpart, Audio North.
Currently, there are three big headliners that have just been announced and these acts are certainly music champions in the dance music scene, featuring LF System, DJ Paulette and Turno.
LF System has reached incredible heights thanks to their unforgettable tune ‘Afraid To Feel’, which has now racked up nearly 500 million Spotify streams globally since its release in 2022.
Manchester music legend and Haçienda queen, DJ Paulette has also seen huge success with her mind-blowing mixes and soundtracking various music events.
The final headliner to be announced so far is Turno, who has played out to crowds of 10,000 at WHP and is respected for his eclectic drum and bass beats.
DJ Paulette is always lifting our energy no matter where she goes.Turno is about to bring some drum and bass bangers.LF System are ready to show off some well-crafted mixes.Credit: Publicity Pictures (Supplied)
‘The Drop’ kickstarts on 27 March for the Spring season with international DJ and producer Turno from 6:30-11pm, with sets happening every month following, tickets are already available.
Read more:
Moovin Festival announces 2025 lineup for much-loved Stockport event
You Are Not Alone Festival deliver gutting delay news
Three iconic Manchester bands nominated to join the legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Following on from this is the sensational LF System are taking over with a coffee table set joined by some special yet-to-be-announced guests on 24 April – tickets HERE.
Finally, DJ Paulette will be bringing those massive rave bangers and combining it with her usual charismatic energy on 15 May – grab your tickets now.
Danny Jones -
8th August 2024 
