Salford

Fresh warning issued about swimming in Salford Quays amid bank holiday heatwave

Don't let the warm weather tempt you...

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 29th May 2023

A new warning has been issued reminding people of the dangers of swimming in Salford Quays – even with such warm weather.

Salford City Council issued a warning over the late May bank holiday weekend urging people to stay out of the water.

It comes just two weeks after two people were rescued from the water and rushed to hospital with hypothermia.

And last summer, tragedy struck in Salford Quays when 16-year-old Kalen Waugh – who was last seen struggling in the water while swimming with friends – was found dead in the water.

People are now being reminded that the warm weather doesn’t mean that bodies of water like rivers, lakes and reservoirs are warm enough to swim in.

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Salford City Council said: “Even in a heatwave open water in Salford Quays, rivers, lakes and reservoirs is always cold.

“The risk of drowning through cold water shock is real. Please stay out of the water unless taking part in an organised activity and stay safe.”

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The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) says there are three stages that your body will go through if you experience cold water shock.

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The first is a gasp for breath followed by rapid breathing (hyperventilation).

They then say: “At the same time as your breathing goes out of control, your blood pressure shoots up as your body tries to keep your blood warm by moving it towards the middle of your body (this is why you go pale when you’re cold).

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“Once your breathing is back under control, this is your window to get out of the water before the further effects of cold water shock kick in.

“As your muscles cool, your strength, endurance and muscle control reduces to the point when you can’t swim any longer so can’t rescue yourself. The point at which you can’t swim any more is called ‘swim failure’, and if you haven’t got out of the water or managed to get hold of a buoyancy aid (like a lifejacket) by this time, you will drown.”

The RLSS issues the following advice if you do fall into cold water.

  • First, keep your mouth away from the water until you have your breathing back under control, you can do this by rolling onto your back and floating or paddling to stay at the surface.
  • Then, don’t waste any time and swim towards an exit before your muscles start to cool, or swim towards something that will help you to stay afloat whilst you are calling for help.
  • Finally, once you are out of the water re-warm yourself as soon as you can to avoid hypothermia.

Temperatures across Greater Manchester are set to hit highs of 22 degrees this week as we head into yet more days of sunshine and warm weather.

Featured image: Unsplash

Salford

Greater Manchester clubs and Kellogg’s team up for free kids’ football camps this summer

Danny Jones Danny Jones Kellogg's free summer football camps in Greater Manchester 2024

A whole host of Greater Manchester clubs are teaming up with cereal brand Kellogg’s this summer to hold tens of thousands of free football camps for kids this summer.

Joining the nationwide initiative alongside dozens of other teams across the country, local sides including Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Salford City and more will be taking part in a glorious sporting summer helping the opportunity to stay active and entertained during the holidays.

Kellogg’s Football Camps and similar schemes from the company have been running for many years and this latest edition is set to be the biggest yet, with 300,000 completely free days of footballing fun set to be offered out to children aged 5-14 all over the UK.

With the multiple clubs from in and around the region enlisting their help, not to mention Euro 2024 and the Olympics just on the horizon, it’s going to be a great couple of months for the little ones.

With the likes of Stockport County, Wigan Athletic and other nearby organisations such as the Foundation 92 (the educational charity arm formed by the Man United’s Class of ’92 group) getting involved, the physical activity-driven programme will be a great outlet for kids this school break.

This fresh push for physical activity comes after recent research found that 90% of parents in the North West would like their child to experience less screen time and take part in more outdoor activities and 7/10 of mums and dads from the region feel there aren’t enough accessible activities local to them.

Entry for the Kellogg’s camps kicked off this month and will run until 24 June, with around 2,500 places released every week. The sessions themselves will run throughout July and August 2024 as well as a handful in June and September.

To mark the occasion this year, they also revealed the world’s longest football scarf featuring a total of 74 different teams from England, Wales, and Scotland, measuring approximately 100m long.

Half-and-half scarves can still do one but this is pretty ace, right?

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The vast majority of parents polled said they felt participating in team sports can help build crucial life skills and that’s exactly what the campaign is hoping to achieve. Brilliant stuff.

Kellogg’s has long held not only a local connection to Greater Manchester but a partnership with English football in general (if you have one of those old footy cereal bowls you know all too well), so it’s nice to see them still getting involved and help parents keep their kids occupied for a little while this summer.

The sign-up process is pretty simple: merely grab a promotional box of the brand’s cereal which millions of British kids already eat for their cereal, scan the barcode to validate the purchase and then select your desired club via email to book your kids onto the free football days. You can see the T&Cs HERE.

As it happens, they aren’t the only food brand offering similar sporting freebies this year:

McDonald’s set to deliver free football coaching to thousands of Greater Manchester kids

Featured Images — Supplied/Bolton Wanders FC (via X)

Salford

UK comedy legend Al Murray is playing two Greater Manchester shows this year

Danny Jones Danny Jones Al Murray Greater Manchester tour dates

British comedy legend Al Murray is back on the live comedy circuit and bringing his latest stand-up routine to Greater Manchester for two dates this year.

Two years on from his last show Gig For Victory, ‘The Pub Landlord’ himself is back out on stage with new material and the Al Murray: Guv Island tour, with the first of his two dates local to Manchester starting this month.

Kicking off his return to 0161 in Stockport at the stunning Plaza Theatre on Saturday, April 20, the 55-year-old comic will be here before you know it.

Although there’ll be a few more sets performed relatively nearby, including Buxton and Warrington, his second Greater Manchester date at the legendary Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays won’t come around until 20 October – but looking at the reviews, it sure to be worth the wait.

Murray has already left a great legacy playing the role of the exaggerated English publican, but the comedian and Oxford University alumnus has always been one of the sharpest on the stand-up scene.

Having secured veteran status long ago, where many experienced acts might be accused of phoning it in on occasion this far into their careers, it’s great to see the Buckinghamshire-born funny man still putting out a quality two-hours plus (including an interval) of jokes.

Receiving fours and fives pretty much across the board, Al Murray isn’t just a household name across the UK but still a very bloody good stand-up.

Said to toy with the modern British population and PC culture, insisting it’s “lost its way” and is now seeking a “life partner/mentor/inspiration”, the description for Guv Island issues the following warning: “No timewasters, tedious show-offs or offend-o-trons”.

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Tickets for both his Greater Manchester shows are on sale now and given that the former takes place this weekend at 7:30pm, you might want to be quick about getting one.

You can grab your seats for Al Murray’s show at the Stockport Plaza HERE or for his night at The Lowry this October HERE.

All hail to the ale!

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

Featured Images — Press Images/Al Murray (via Instagram)

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