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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.

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.

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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

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Rudy’s is opening a new pizzeria and pizza school in the former Dawson’s Music site

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

A year on from the initial news that Rudy’s would be taking over the old Dawson’s Music site on Portland Street, bosses behind the chain of neighbourhood pizzerias have finally hinted towards the new site’s opening date.

Revealing it is set to open in Manchester city centre this spring, they also shared the news that the new 8,000sqft location will be home, not just to another restaurant, but also to Rudy’s very own pizza school.

Billed as a ‘world-class destination for pizzaiolo talent’, the new pizza academy will take just over half the space – providing a structured training programme to both experienced pizza chefs and novices. It is set to welcome over 100 pizza chefs in this first year.

Image: Rudy’s
Image: Rudy’s

The restaurant, meanwhile, will span the rest with room for 120 covers. It will be Rudy’s sixth pizza restaurant in Manchester.

The new location at Portland Street will also be the HQ for Rudy’s Bake at Home, back by popular demand.

Serving the perfect and classic Neapolitan pizza since 2015 from its original Rudy’s in Ancoats, the acclaimed pizzeria has since opened 16 sites across the UK, with the new 120-cover pizzeria in Portland Street being its sixth location in Manchester.

Born out of passion for pizza, Rudy’s follows the authentic Neapolitan tradition of pizza making, serving classic recipes such as Marinara, Margherita and Calabrese – all originating from Naples, the birthplace of pizza.

Read more: ‘We were treated awfully’ – ex-staffer speaks out as Freight Island gears up for reopening

Rudy’s has been praised by many as one of the best pizzerias in the UK, it is renowned for its consistency and quality in Neapolitan pizza making. On a mission to pave the way in pizza making all accordance to a truly authentic Neapolitan technique, Rudy’s is proud to open Rudy’s Pizza Academy at the new Portland Street location.

Jos Goncalves, manager at Rudy’s Portland Street, said: “We are delighted to announce that our next Rudy’s pizzeria will be located on Manchester’s bustling Portland Street.

Read more: Inside the Manchester restaurant serving ‘India’s answer to a Wigan kebab’

Manchester has been home to the Rudy’s famiglia since we first opened in Ancoats in 2015, and we can’t wait to open our latest pizzeria, with the addition of our first Pizza Academy in the city this spring”.

Featured image – Rudy’s

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Watch as Ed Sheeran debuts new music for the first time ever at ‘intimate’ Manchester gig

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Ed Sheeran at the AO Arena Manchester

Now normally, when an artist chooses to take some brand new material out on tour for the first time, they’ll test the waters with a few intimate shows.

Just recently, we’ve had both Fall Out Boy and Blossoms at Band on the Wall, The 1975 at Gorilla, and Jason Manford in a beer garden.

But for Ed Sheeran, his idea of ‘intimate’ is… the AO Arena. That super cosy 21,000-capacity venue. Ah.

After selling out FOUR nights at the Etihad Stadium last summer, though, the chance to see Ed on stage in an arena again is a novel one, and it sold out the venue in minutes.

The ‘Shape of You’ singer announced this surprise arena tour just weeks before he took to the stage, in support of his upcoming sixth album Subtract.

This mini tour kicked off in Manchester last night – meaning our city got to hear new track ‘Eyes Closed’ live for the first time ever.

You can watch the highlights from Ed Sheeran at the AO Arena in the video below

Ed was supported by TikTok sensation Cian Ducrot, whose flash mob videos have amassed almost 100 million likes.

Cian’s tracks ‘All For You’ and ‘I’ll Be Waiting’ have become chart-topping crowd-pleasers and are already translating well to stages as large as the AO Arena.

Back to the main act, and Ed Sheeran delivers another of his truly impressive solo shows – as always, it’s just him and a loop pedal up on that stage.

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It’s a best-of setlist of his most popular (and personal favourite) songs, with some surprises thrown in.

There’s a cover of Lewis Capaldi’s ‘Someone You Loved’, and another of Snoop Dogg’s ‘No Diggity’, that delight the thousands who managed to snap up a ticket for this coveted show.

But it’s Ed’s own songs, especially ‘Bad Habits’, that really light a fire in the audience, sending the entire arena floor in a dancing, sweaty mess.

Introducing his newest song, Ed told the audience: “Right Manchester. Real real danger time. This is danger zone. I’m releasing my brand new single in the morning, it’s called ‘Eyes Closed’.

Ed Sheeran introducing new music in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group

“I feel so awkward about this album, because I sort of made this album as a therapeutic, cathartic thing, and then I felt better about whatever was going on.”

He added: “This song means a hell of a lot to me, and I’ve never played it live in front of an audience before.

“This gig is about singalongs, and having fun, and feeling one and included and everyone here it’s like a big communal thing. I’m super nervous, so please listen.

“I wrote this song about losing someone… but don’t think about my sh*t, think about your sh*t. This song is for anyone who’s lost anyone. This song is for you.”

With this triumphant return to the live circuit, make no mistake – Ed Sheeran is back.

Featured image: The Manc Group

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