Some of the most sought-after restaurants in Manchester are raffling off tables to help feed local people in need.
Working in partnership with local charity Eat Well MCR, top restaurants like AA rosette award-winner El Gato Negro, 5-star hotel The Lowry, Mackie Mayor, District and The Creameries are just a handful to be involved in the fundraising raffle.
Launched to mark the start of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival, the Eat Well MCR raffle gives people the chance to win meals worth over £100 at some venues whilst also donating to support the charity’s important work across Greater Manchester feeding vulnerable local people in need.
Image: Eat Well MCR
With tickets priced at £10 each, every sale will provide five meals to people sidelined by poverty in Manchester as well as giving the buyer a chance to bag some mega prizes worth ten times the value of their raffle ticket.
There is a total of 31 prizes up for grabs, including concert tickets for Elbow, £150 to spend at Freight Island, £100 to spend at El Gato, £100 at Mackie Mayor, and VIP tickets to Homobloc’s WHP 2021 show at Depot Mayfield.
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Further prizes include a meal for two at Tokyo Ramen, a £100 voucher for Tampopo, family tickets to Lightopia, and a traditional afternoon tea at five-star hotel The Lowry.
The proceeds from every ticket sale will go towards supporting families and other local Manchester people who find themselves fallen on hard times.
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Many people In Manchester are using food banks, living in temporary accommodation with no cooking facilities, or sheltering from domestic abuse in a refuge – and these are the people that will be most helped by the sale of these raffle tickets.
See the full list of prizes up for grabs below and click here to purchase your raffle ticket. Act fast, the raffle closes on 27 September.
The full list of prizes available to win in the MFDF x Eat Well MCR raffle:
1.£100 to spend at any restaurant in the El Gato group
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2.Meal for 2 at Tokyo Ramen (drinks not included)
3.Table for 2 at District for My First Crush + a bottle of wine OR 2 cocktails
4.£100 voucher for Mackie Mayor, Markethouse Alrincham or Picturehouse Macclesfield
(These vouchers can be used at any of the bars or kitchens. The vouchers are valid until 16th September 2022. The vouchers can be collected from Mackie Mayor as soon as the prize has been drawn.)
5.£100 voucher for Tampopo
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6.Family Ticket for Lightopia, Heaton Park Nov 2021 – Jan 2022
(Family Ticket (2 adults and 2 children) to the award-winning Lightopia, enchanting light and lantern festival, from November 18th, 2021 – January 3rd, 2022, at Heaton Park. Prize subject to availability)
7.Homobloc VIP tickets x 2 – 6th November 2021, Mayfield Depot
8.£150 to spend at Freight Island
9.Honest Crust Bundle – pizza vouchers, a Hannah Valentine x Honest Crust limited edition T-shirt and tote bag and a bottle of olive oil
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10.Taste of Honey lunch or dinner for up to 15 people in Taste Of Honey’s secret courtyard (details TBC)
11.Traditional Afternoon Tea for 2 at The Lowry Hotel
12.The Creameries – 4 course lunch for 2 people at The Creameries (to be used within 6 months, drinks not included)
13.ELBOW Tickets x 2 – Manchester Apollo Wednesday 29th September 2021
(PLEASE NOTE: Winners must be fully compliant with all venue policies to gain entry, in particular covid compliance requirements click here to view. They should read this in plenty of time, as they may need to prepare lateral flow tests or covid passes ahead of the show. Sadly due to Covid restrictions and to reduce the risk of infection or transmission, there are no aftershow arrangements, backstage access or meet and greet opportunities on this tour. Winners are advised to keep an eye on Elbow and Apollo social media for any last minute changes.)
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14.Be Diddy Voucher
15.Medium Cheese Hamper Box from Chorlton Cheesemongers
(Winner to notify of any specific dietary requirements; Allergen information can be found under the product description on website. Prize includes delivery to main UK postcodes – additional charges for delivery to Highlands & Islands. Cheeses can occasionally be different to description due to seasonal availability.)
16.Batard – brunch for 2
(details TBC – to be redeemed post November 2021)
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17.Maison Breizh Lambig de Bretagne (Breton cider brandy) x 1 bottle
18.Beehive Foods – Chutney Selection box
19.Isca – Indulgence Box
(including a bottle of natural wine (choice of red, white or orange), maple + rosemary nuts, a jar of organic jam, a jar of organic chutney and a bar of small batch chocolate. Shipped or collection from Isca.)
20.Into The Gathering Dusk – Botanical Gin and Tonic Package
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(2 x 250ml varieties of gin infused with botanicals from our local area (37.5% abv). Makes approx 10 double gin and tonics with plenty of tonic cordial to spare. Comes with cute citrus wheel garnishes)
21.Jaunty Festival Scarf by Design Confections
22.Frederick & Tubs hand painted glass candle holder
23.Platt Fields Market Garden Hamper
(Contains a selection of seasonal and organically grown PFMG vegetables and herbs along with pickles, kimchi, hot sauce and sweet and savoury treats all produced by amazon chef at the PFMG onsite kitchen with own grown ingredients. Also included, organic eggs and apple juice from local supplier.)
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24.Adam Pester A1 print of Manchester
25.Reserve Wines – Case of 6 bottles
26.Letters of Note – collection of signed books
(Signed set of 12 mini compliations of Letters Of Note, Shaun Usher : Love, War, Art, Music, Cats, Dogs, Mothers, Fathers, Sex, Space, Grief, New York)
27.Rebecca Morris Ceramics – pair of handmade ramen bowls and Pippy Eats chilli oil set
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28.Kabusk plant pot
(The recipient of this prize may choose one large or two smaller items from their Collection One range to be specially made for them.)
29.Stan Chow Print of Anthony Bourdain
(designed especially for Eat Well MCR)
30.Stan Chow – Noodles Print
31.L347her Lightening Bolt Earrings
News
Tate McRae at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for ‘Miss Possessive’ tour
Thomas Melia
Canadian performer Tate McRae is bringing her viral bangers to Co-op Live, Manchester for a night of sass, synths and of course dance breaks.
The time has come to let all your ‘exes’ know, put your ‘Sports car’ in drive and get ready to ‘run for the hills’ because it’s finally time for Tate McRae to take to the Co-op Live stage in Manchester.
Now the Calgary-born talent, four albums deep and only 21 years old, is ready to perform to 23,500 Manchester fans at our city’s largest indoor entertainment venue.
Tate McRae gig guide
Tate McRae is visiting Manchester twice, 24 May and 25 June, playing Co-op Live.
Sun 22 June – Nottingham, UK – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Tue 24 June – London, UK – The O2 Arena
Thu 25 June – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Tate McRae tickets for Co-op Live gig
‘What would you do?’ if I told you that there were tickets left for Tate McRae’s Co-op Live shows in Manchester, because there just might be.
Any fans of this Canadian pop star will have to act fast because there are only a select number of precious tickets left for both of her Manchester dates.
Tickets for both Tate McRae’s shows on Saturday, 24 May and Thursday, 25 June, are selling fast and are in high demand.
What are the stage times for Tate McRae in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm meaning the Canadian performer might have her set wrapped up before the clock hits ’10:35′.
Anyone attending can expect the doors to open at 6:30pm with a kick-off time of 8pm and support from New Zealand star BENEE, best known for soundtracking lockdown with her huge hit, ‘Supalonely’, collaborating with the likes of Gus Dapperton, Spacey Jane and more.
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Expect nothing but hits from 21 year old superstar Tate McRae when she performs at Co-op Live, Manchester.
New endometriosis pill helping hundreds of women with ‘debilitating’ condition to be made available on NHS
Emily Sergeant
A groundbreaking new pill to help women with a ‘debilitating’ condition is set to be made available on the NHS.
The new daily pill for endometriosis – which has been approved for use on the NHS in England by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) – is called linzagolix, and will be available for those who have had previous treatment for endometriosis, working to manage any symptoms they may be experiencing.
Around 1.5 million women in the UK are thought to be currently living with endometriosis.
Endometriosis can cause chronic pain, heavy periods, and extreme tiredness when tissue similar to the womb lining grows elsewhere in the body.
A new daily pill for endometriosis has been approved for use on the NHS, and could help over a thousand women in England every year manage the symptoms of the debilitating condition.
As mentioned, linzagolix will be available specifically for patients whose previous medical or surgical treatments for endometriosis have been unsuccessful, and will be given alongside ‘add-back’ hormone therapy – which involves using low-dose hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to prevent menopause-like symptoms and bone loss.
This is the second take-at-home treatment to be approved to treat endometriosis on the NHS, and it’s thought that more than 1,000 women will benefit.
In clinical trials, linzagolix was shown to be successful in reducing painful periods and non-menstrual pelvic pain, compared with placebo, hence why it has been approved on the NHS by NICE.
“This is welcome news for women with endometriosis who haven’t found relief from previous therapies or surgery,” commented Dr Sue Mann, who is the National Clinical Director in Women’s Health for NHS England.
“It’s another treatment option which will help women take control of their health and better manage the symptoms of this often painful and debilitating condition.
“This is a testament to our ongoing commitment to improving treatment, care and quality of life for women.”
Georgina Pellant -
21st September 2021 
