Two large scale COVID-19 vaccination clinics will be running in central Manchester for those eligible during the first two weekends in April.
The clinics – which will be running at Manchester Central Mosque on Upper Park Road, Rusholme – are the largest in the North West, and according to Manchester City Council, will be a focal point for communities living across Manchester.
The council has highlighted that in recent months, venues in local areas have been vital in supporting the roll out of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine – and this has included places of worship.
Clinics will be hosted on Friday 2nd April and Friday 9th April, with the aim of vaccinating patients that are registered at GP practices in Longsight, Ardwick and Rusholme GP.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNEv9R5DuYB/
Manchester City Council said it is hoped that around 250 people could be vaccinated on each of the two weekends.
With walk-in sessions running between 12pm – 5pm on both days, patients who are over the age of 50, or over the age of 18 and within the at-risk group, will be eligible to receive a jab.
The at-risk group includes:
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Long-term lung conditions – such as severe asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis.
Long-term conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels – such as congenital heart disease and heart failure.
Diabetes
Chronic kidney disease,
Long-term liver conditions – such as cirrhosis and hepatitis.
Conditions affecting the brain or nerves – such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease (MND), multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, cerebral palsy or stroke.
Learning disabilities
Immunosuppression
Severe mental conditions – such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Severe obesity – a BMI of 40 or above.
Manchester City Council has confirmed that there will be multi-lingual staff on hand at the clinics to support patients who speak Urdu or Bengali, as well as both male and female clinical staff to administer the vaccine.
Manchester Central Mosque
“Programmes such as this, where vaccination efforts are rooted in our communities offer the best chance of getting as many of us vaccinated as possible.” David Regan – Manchester’s Director of Public Health – said.
“This pandemic has caused all of us a great deal of anxiety and it is understandable that some people remain unsure about getting a vaccine.
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“There can also be barriers which can make getting the vaccine more difficult for our communities [but] by providing clinics in trusted and convenient locations, and having staff who are multilingual, we are removing barriers that would otherwise stop someone from getting their COVID jab.
“Local healthcare teams in Manchester will continue to work in our neighbourhoods to ensure that everyone, when their time comes, is able to get a COVID-19 vaccine safely”.
Beloved Manchester artist Stanley Chow slams Conservative Party for using his artwork
Daisy Jackson
Celebrated local artist Stanley Chow has lashed out at the Conservative Party.
The illustrator, who is famed for his cartoon portraits of famous faces, has discovered that the political party have been using his Andy Burnham illustration at their party conference.
Publicly addressing the usage, Stanley said he would be ‘seeking legal advice’.
He shared a photo of his Andy Burnham portrait that has been placed onto a water bottle with the slogan ‘Bottler Burnham’.
The label also says: “0% strength. Bottled under pressure from Badenoch.”
In another photo, Stanley Chow revealed that the Tory party conference has used his Andy Burnham portrait on pots of sweets, too.
This time, they say: “Andy Panders’ people pleaser pick n mix. Free sweets for everyone, it will only cost you higher taxes.”
Stanley wrote: “It seems like @conservatives have been using my artwork without my permission at their conference party…
“Regardless of whatever your political allegiances are, it’s still copyright infringement… I’ll be seeking legal advice.”
Backing him up in the comments are a number of other local artists, including Mancsy, who said: “As well as the copyright infringement, I expect more of political parties than making gags at the expense of the opposition. It’s alarming on multiple levels.”
Someone else wrote: “Imagine calling a prime minister a people pleaser like it’s an insult… when it’s their job.”
Another person said: “How does that even happen?! Layers of people signing off who go, ‘Sure, let’s not worry about copyright’ (people who’ve presumably never step foot in MCR and seen your artwork, like EVERYWHERE). Drag em, babe. Copyright and reputation, surely.”
Manchester man jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of woman on train
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of a woman on board a train to Manchester.
Following an extensive British Transport Police (BTP) investigation, Nisan Fernando Kurukulasuriya, of Troutbeck Road in Altrincham, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court last month.
At the trail last month, the court heard how, on Monday 20 April 2026, 39-year-old Kurukulasuriya was on a train from Stoke to Manchester and sat next to a woman he didn’t know, who was on the phone.
He then sexually assaulted her repeatedly, doing so again even after being pushed away by the woman.
The woman then noticed that Kurukulasuriya had exposed himself and was masturbating in front of her. She shouted at him, and in response, he stood up and ran away to leave the train – but the woman immediately got up to report the incident to staff.
When the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly, the woman alerted a member of staff while Kurukulasuriya was stood only a few meters away, and BTP were subsequently called straight away.
Police quickly attended and arrested Kurukulasuriya.
When police interviewed him, Kurukulasuriya showed no remorse for his actions and refused to answer any questions put to him.
After pleading guilty to Sexual Assault and Outraging Public Decency at a previous court hearing, Kurukulasuriya was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, and was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which will bar him from sitting next to any woman he doesn’t know on public transport, as well as being put on thensex offenders register for 10 years.
BTP Detective Sergeant, Mark Haviland, called Kurukulasuriya a ‘despicable man’ who targeted a woman travelling alone ‘for his own sick sexual gratification’.
The Manc -
2nd April 2021 
