Selfridges is to pull out all the stops once again this Mother’s Day, with a bumper programme of events to celebrate the most important women in our lives.
The huge retailer will run a series of workshops, pop-ups and experiences across both its sites in Manchester.
Visitors to the luxury department store in either Exchange Square or at the Trafford Centre will be able to book in for beauty masterclasses, join art workshops (with a mimosa in hand, naturally), and browse the beautiful blooms in the pop-up Frog Flowers.
There’s even an experience geared specifically towards new mums, offering a day of pampering as well as the chance to buy something special for the new arrival.
All weekend at Selfridges Trafford there’ll be DJs performing to shoppers, with someone on the decks between 12pm and 5pm.
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Mother’s Day falls this year on Sunday 19 March, but the events at both Selfridges sites in Greater Manchester will run from 15 March until the day itself.
Your full guide to Mother’s Day events at Selfridges
Selfridges Manchester Exchange Square
Frog Flowers pop-up – 15-19 March
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The Northern Quarter’s renowned Frog Flowers will be hosting a pop-up space on the ground floor of Selfridges, where shoppers can pick up beautiful Mother’s Day blooms.
The floristry studio also has a permanent presence over at Selfridges Trafford.
Mother’s Day Beauty Workshop Series – 15-18 March
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The beauty area on the lower ground floor is set to host loads of beauty and fragrance workshops from some of the world’s best-loved brands.
On 15 March, heritage brand Penhaligon’s will hold a beauty workshop (£20 tickets are redeemable against a purchase on the day), at both 12pm and 5pm – you can call 0161 838 0606 to book in.
Then La Prairie will host a caviar discovery masterclass, where guests can experience the brand’s iconic Skin Caviar Collection and learn about the benefits powered by Swiss skincare science. These will take place at 11am and 5pm on Thursday 16 March, with £25 tickets – call 07741130653, or email [email protected] to book.
It’s over to Armani on Friday 17 February, with three Spring Glow masterclasses planned to introduce the brand’s new My Way Parfum. The fashion and beauty giant will showcase a fresh, glowing spring look, created using its Armani glow products and brand new eye tints, and inspired by the bottle. Tickets are £10 for 12.30pm, 4.30pm and 6pm masterclasses, redeemable against products – call 0161 838 0613 to book.
On Saturday 18 March at 12pm and 4pm, Dior city artist Vicky O’Connor will host a masterclass showcasing the new Dior collection, creating a soft everyday look, along with a fragrance experience to celebrate Mother’s Day. Tickets are £35, again fully redeemable against products purchased on the day – call 0161 838 0636, or email [email protected] to book now.
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You can see more and book the events at Selfridges Manchester Exchange Square here.
Selfridges Manchester Trafford
Mother’s Day Beauty Workshop Series – 15-18 March
Estee Lauder will kick things off in Trafford on Wednesday 15 March with a masterclass that will showcase their new lip collection, teaching ticket-holders how to create the perfect pout. Guests can also expect a tailored interactive foundation match, and find their perfect skincare recommendation. Tickets are £15 for 2pm and 4pm events – call 0161 629 1182 to book.
Showcasing their La Privee collection with a journey into the La Colle Noir will be Dior’s experience on Thursday 16 March at 4pm and 7pm. Guests can expect an interactive sensory experience into Dior fragrance, with a blind smell experience of the raw ingredients and flowers, hosted by Dior’s regional MUA Martin Aitken. Tickets are £30 and can be booked by calling 0161 629 1182.
Skincare legends Keihl’s will be teaching people all about their natural and effective formulas of cult products like Midnight Recovery and Super Multi Corrective collection – tickets are £10 (fully redeemable against Keihl’s products) and can be booked by calling 0161 629 1146.
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Mother’s Day Brunch and art workshop – 18-19 March
A series of art-filled brunches will take place on the upper level of Selfridges Trafford – guests will begin with a mimosa or prosecco before letting their creativity run free with art workshops.
These will take place between 10.30am and 12pm on Saturday and Sunday (anyone coming on Sunday will need to wait outside the customer entrance on Regents Crescent, Upper Level, as the store won’t actually be open yet). Tickets for that are £25.
You can see more and book the events at Selfridges Trafford here.
New Mum experience
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New mums can be pampered in the perfect way with Selfridges’ concierge services.
The £135 new mum experience includes a personalised blow-dry in your preferred style at Aveda, a luxurious facial by the experts at Dermalogica, and a one-on-one consultation with a children’s brand specialist and £50 gift card.
Mother’s Day beauty looks
Available at both stores is The Mum and Me beauty concierge package.
Over the course of 90 minutes, you can have an extra special makeover for you and your mum.
adidas and JD are giving away FREE Nell’s pizza with a Manchester Marathon medal
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Marathon finishers will be able to reward themselves with free Nell’s pizza this weekend, thanks to a collaboration with adidas and JD.
The sportswear giants will be teaming up with one of the city’s top pizza spots to hand out the ultimate post-race reward at Kampus this Sunday.
It’s all to celebrate the launch of the new adidas EVO SL ATRs, a shoe that’s built with running miles in mind.
And there’ll be a chance to grab an exclusive t-shirt too, and have your official marathon finish time branded on-site.
adidas and JD are giving away FREE Nell’s pizza with a Manchester Marathon medal / Credit: Supplied
As well as a free slice of Nell’s famous New York-style pizza and a drink, Manchester Marathon finishers will be able to enter into a range of giveaways, with prizes including the EVO SL ART, adidas merch, and range of other prizes.
And you’ll be recovering with a slice in hand and a live DJ keeping the post-race energy high
All you need to do is show your Manchester Marathon medal at Nell’s at Kampus, to grab your free slice, and check out adidas and JD’s latest drop.
Friends and family are encouraged to join too – after all, all runners know a marathon isn’t possible without that support crew.
There are also a bunch of giveaways and more to look forward to / Credit: Supplied
Pizza slices will be handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis, so make sure your sprint to Nell’s is your fastest yet.
Thankfully, the adidas EVO SL’s are built for speed…
adidas x JD x Nell’s – Manchester Marathon event
Taking place on Sunday 19 April, from 12pm to 8pm
Free pizza slice and a drink when you show your Manchester Marathon medal (while stocks last)
Exclusive merch and great prize giveaways from adidas and JD
Plus photo moments, live DJs, and more
Find it at The Bungalow, Kampus, M1 3GL (next to Nell’s)
Parents in Greater Manchester say friendship is one of school’s most valuable lessons
Daisy Jackson
Some of the most valuable lessons that children learn in school are friendship and confidence, Greater Manchester parents have revealed.
It’s been revealed thanks to new research conducted by the Department for Education.
The data has found that 82% of local parents believe school has improved their child’s confidence, with a similar number (79%) believing that the social skills developed at school have also positively influenced behavior at home.
Parents also say that making friends is one of school’s most valuable lessons, with more than four in five (83%) saying that child’s school friendships extend beyond the classroom. This is helping to boost confidence and a sense of belonging for young people.
Reflecting on their own early years, more than two thirds (69%) of parents in Greater Manchester said their school years were the best years of their lives, and two thirds (66%) are still in touch with friends from school.
The Department for Education has found that 88% of parents believe children learn valuable social skills at school, well beyond traditional subjects and education.
The top five lessons gained at school are, according to parents, making friends (52%), confidence (50%), teamwork (48%), respect (42%) and problem solving (40%).
But school absence can really impact a child’s opportunity to learn and develop these social skills and life lessons, making the transition from school to the rest of life more difficult.
Which is why five high-performing schools in Greater Manchester have been selected by the Department for Education to run Attendance and Behaviour hubs.
Parents in Greater Manchester say friendship is one of school’s most valuable lessons
These are networks of schools that will share effective practice on attendance and behavior through collaboration, supporting thousands of children and families by working with other schools in the area to identify absence early, build strong routines, and create positive environments.
It’s hoped that this support-first approach will help schools to understand the barriers that stop children from attending school, and put plans in place to help overcome them.
The five local schools running Attendance and Behaviour Hubs will be among 93 hub schools nationally, which have capacity to support more than 3000 schools each year.
Kersty, a local parent in Greater Manchester, said: ”My daughter really struggled with anxiety and wasn’t able to go to school for a while.
“We got in touch with our local council attendance support team who were so supportive and they directed me to an attendance course to help support my child’s return to school.
“We take things one day at a time and she’s now starting to settle into the school routine, speak to other children, and make friends.
“From my experience, I’ve found that school is about a lot more than just classes, it’s where children gain important social skills. They learn how to make friends, sort out the little fallouts, and feel like they’re part of something.”
Other curriculum reforms coming into action from September 2028 will include an expanded curriculum with more focus on areas like arts, sport, digital skills and financial literacy.
Children will have more regular opportunities for enrichment activities like sport, arts, outdoor learning and community activities.
Schools will also provide clearer information about progress, behaviour and at-home support for parents, plus will identify learning or wellbeing issues to provide earlier support for children who struggle.
And mainstream schools will improve support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) so more pupils can succeed alongside their peers.
To find out more about the hubs and the government’s wider reforms to support belonging at school, head HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
15th March 2023 
