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We Love MCR Charity funds new competition to transform unused areas into community green spaces

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 14th April 2021

One of Manchester’s most iconic charities is helping to fund a newly-launched competition to transform the city’s unused areas into community green spaces.

Groundwork Greater Manchester – the local branch of a collection of charities working to transform lives in the UK’s most disadvantaged communities – has announced the launch of its ‘Eco-Streets Competition‘ this month, which is providing communities in the region with the chance to each win £6,000 of funding.

The competition funds will go towards transforming unused areas into community green spaces.

Groundwork Greater Manchester is known for successfully working to create a greener and more resilient city region, with stronger, healthier communities, responsible businesses and enhanced prospects for all local people.

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The initiative sets out to achieve this by providing high-quality services that put “communities and the environment at the forefront”, by specialising in community engagement, landscape design and build, training and coaching for employment, early intervention to support health and wellbeing, and safe and sustainable business support.

And now, thanks to funding from the We Love MCR Charity, the Eco-Streets Competition is able to support a further two communities from within the borough of Manchester.

Groundwork Greater Manchester

This generous donation will bring more ideas to life and will equip communities with the skills to design, install and maintain natural features to create communal spaces which benefit people, all whilst tackling climate change.   

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Speaking on the charity’s donation to the competition, Councillor Tommy Judge – Lord Mayor of Manchester and Chair of We Love MCR Charity – said: “Our aim is to improve lives and communities in Manchester.

“It’s our privilege to help to turn disused spaces into places for neighbours to use together”.

Keen to get involved? Know a community that could benefit from funding?

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Applications for Groundwork Greater Manchester’s Eco-Streets Competition are now open to community groups or groups of residents consisting of at least three people from different households.

Transformable spaces could include alleyways or ‘ginnels’, small streets, courtyards, disused allotments, or abandoned park areas.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 21st April at 5pm.

Winners will be announced towards the end of May 2021, and you can find more information and get your entries in via the Groundwork Greater Manchester website here.

Featured Image – Groundwork Greater Manchester

News

‘Significant risk’ of UK gas shortages this winter, regulator warns

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

Energy regulator Ofgem has warned that the UK faces a ‘significant risk’ of gas shortages this winter.

According to reports in The Times, the regulator has unveiled concerns that the country could face blackouts over the coming months thanks to an undersupply of gas to Europe caused by Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Warning that a “gas supply emergency” could be looming ahead, the energy regulator has said that some gas-fired power plants could see their supplies cut off, which in turn would stop generators from producing electricity.

The alert comes just days before an expected update from the National Grid on the likelihood of countrywide power cuts this winter.

Responsing to arequest from SSE, which owns several gas power stations, Ofgem outlined what is set to be a huge issue of concern given that the UK relies on large gas plants to produce the biggest share of its electricity supply.

The regulator also pointed to rules that could see power plants penalised as a result of shortages, warning of a worst-case scenario that would see the “potential insolvency of gas-fired generators” caused by rules that require plants to pay huge charges if they fail to deliver on promised quotas.

Adding that the issue must be addressed to prevent a “significant impact on the safety and security of the electricity and/or gas systems”, the regulator echoed concerns now widespread in Europe as its comments followed a similar statement made by the International Energy Agency (IEA) this morning.

Europeans are already being told they must lower their thermostats and boilers in preparation in case gas supplies are cut off, with Paris-based agency IEA warning today that the EU must focus on getting underground gas reserve levels to 90% of capacity in case of a complete Russian supply shut-off.

Preparation are already being made in Europe with the German government having approved a set of energy-saving measures for the winter to limit use in public buildings. In France, meanwhile, companies have already been warned they may face energy rationing this winter. 

Whilst the UK government is yet to announce any energey saving measures, Ofgem has said that it expect s“this winter to be more challenging than last year” and that it is taking “reasonable regulatory steps to mitigate and reduce the risks”.

Read more: 11 arrests after mass brawl breaks out before Oldham vs Wrexham game

However, there are concerns that if gas-fired power plants incur costs these could, in turn, lead to energy bills rising for consumers once again.

SSE estimated that it could be fined as much as £276 million for every day it is unable to generate power, rising to £475 million for its largest plants.

This risk, it said, will force generators to reduce their advance sales and could end up “raising costs for electricity consumers” in the long run.

Feature image – Wikimedia Commons

News

Passenger killed as car fails to stop for police and smashes into parked vehicles

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

A man has died after a car failed to stop for police and crashed into two parked vehicles in Bolton.

The man, who was in his 30s, was the front-seat passenger in the Nissan that was involved in the incident.

A woman in her 30s, also a passenger in the vehicle, has also been taken to hospital with serious injuries, which aren’t thought to be life-threatening.

The incident occurred on Lever Edge Lane in Bolton, shortly after 2am on Sunday 2 October.

The driver of the vehicle has been arrested for causing death by dangerous driving and remains in hospital with serious injuries.

It has now been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, in line with standard procedure.

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GMP are appealing for anyone with information to come forward, particularly dashcam footage of the collision.

A statement said: “Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the collision should call GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0161 8564741 quoting log number 0334 of 02/10/22.

“Information can also be reported online or by using the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk. If you can’t report online, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter here.

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