Young people affected by the Manchester Arena attack are being urged to complete a questionnaire and share their experiences of the trauma support they received.
It’s all part of a groundbreaking new research project called Bee The Difference, which is a collaboration between nine young survivors of the attack – where 22 people tragically lost their lives on 22 May 2017 following an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena – the National Emergencies Trust, and researchers from Lancaster University.
Over 1,000 were also injured when when British-born terrorist Salman Abedi detonated a homemade bomb as fans were leaving the Arena, and hundreds more suffered severe psychological trauma following the attack.
People who were under the age of 18 when the attack occurred are now being urged to speak out.
“If you were affected by the terror attack at the Manchester Arena and were under 18 at the time, we would love you to take part in our survey,” the Bee The Difference project explains.
— National Emergencies Trust (@NatEmergTrust) August 15, 2022
The anonymous online survey is to all young people whose lives were affected by the attack – including those impacted by what happened to a loved one or friend, as well as those who were personally present at the Arena when the attack happened.
The survey asks about the support received since the attack, and how helpful people found this.
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Those behind the Bee The Difference project hope that the experiences shared will help to make sure that children and young people affected by terror attacks in the future receive “the best possible support”.
Later this year, the survey findings will be shared with various organisations – including the government, healthcare and education providers, and other civic and charitable bodies.
Dr Cath Hill – who is a lecturer at Lancaster University, and also co-founder of the Manchester Survivors Choir made up of attack survivors – is one of the lead researchers of the Bee The Difference project, and she explained: “I know through my experience with the choir that young people affected by the Manchester attack have sought support in a range of places, their GP, counsellors, teachers, social groups and social media.
“Some of this was incredibly helpful, some of it missed the mark completely, while some measures taken inadvertently introduced more trauma.”
Dr Hill added that, now over five years on from the attack, “it’s time to start to talk about this” and make sure young people who experience similar events in the future “get the best possible care.”
“Bee The Difference is a chance to take something that changed our lives completely in a negative way and turn it into something positive for the future,” added 20-year-old Ellie Taylor – who was 15 when she was caught up in the attack.
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“The questionnaire isn’t invasive [and] it’s not about your personal story and what you went through.
“It’s just a few questions to find out what worked mentally for you, and what didn’t help, so we can find out what needs to happen in the future.”
— National Emergencies Trust (@NatEmergTrust) August 15, 2022
The Bee The Difference survey will be open until 17 October 2022.
Those who are currently under 16 and wish to take part will be asked for consent from a parent or guardian, and you can find out more about Bee The Difference and complete the questionnaire here.
‘Prolific’ South Manchester burglar jailed for thefts which included peanuts…
Daisy Jackson
A ‘prolific’ burglar has been jailed for just over two years, for numerous thefts including sunglasses, airpods, and peanuts…
The man was caught red-handed inside someone’s property, where he claimed he was just wanting a glass of water – but was found by police officers to have the resident’s car keys in his pocket.
Fazal Alnesi, 26, from Moss Side, was then linked to a number of other burglaries, attempted burglaries, and thefts across South Manchester.
Fazal was sentenced to 27 months at Manchester Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to offences including six counts of burglary in June of this year.
He was arrested on 12 June, when a man returned to his home in Fallowfield in the early hours of the morning and discovered Fazal inside his address.
He claimed he was there because he wanted a glass of water but subsequently refused to leave, which led to police being called.
Officers placed Alnensi in handcuffs and found the resident’s car keys in his pocket, as well as indications that he’d been rummaging through the man’s drawers.
He was later linked to other thefts include a wrench set from a car, a pedal cycle worth £350, airpods, sunglasses – and even peanuts from one address.
He additionally took an electric bike charger from one address worth hundreds of pounds.
PC Jon Holden, from GMP’s City of Manchester district, said: “Alnensi took various items from several homes and cars across a two-week period earlier this year, making off with hundreds of pounds worth of goods.
“Ultimately, Alnensi left people feeling unsafe in his own home, and I am glad he is now behind bars.
“Our team will investigate all burglaries, and I would encourage people to get in touch with us – all intelligence helps us lock up criminals and bring them to justice.”
The top 10 ‘happiest’ places to live in the North West in 2026 have been named
Emily Sergeant
The top 10 happiest places to live in the North West have been named for 2026.
It comes as Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index this week, just as it has done for the last 14 years now, exploring exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlighting the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year – with thousands of residents across more than 200 locations providing feedback.
The residents told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community, from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlined the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, when it comes to the North West as a whole then, where do we have in the top 10?
Well, to kick things off, you may have already seen that one Lancashire market town has earned its place in the top 10 nationwide, not just for the North West region – and that’s Chorley.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley – which is is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
But aside from the national top 10, when it comes to the regional top 10, the next two towns following Chorley in second and third are both in Greater Manchester.
The North West’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Chorley
Stockport
Altrincham
Chester
Macclesfield
Southport
Kendal
Wirral
Northwich
Carlisle
Altrincham has been named one of the North West’s happiest places to live / Credit: The Manc Group
The ever-thriving Stockport comes in at number two, followed by Trafford favourite Altrincham directly behind it at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
Featured Image – Roger Kidd (via Wikimedia Commons)
Emily Sergeant -
15th August 2022 
