Sale Sharks rugby club have launched a brand-new mental health and wellbeing programme in partnership with children’s charity, Place2Be.
The Manchester-based team do plenty of work around local communities and their latest initiative is targeting primary school kids around Greater Manchester.
Kicking off the ‘Try2Connect’ campaign last week with a special event at Ellenbrook Community Primary School in Worsley, several Sale Sharks got involved with the launch and got both learn about and help teach them about ‘the five ways to wellbeing’.
The likes of Joe Carpenter, Georgie Perris-Redding, Molly Wright and Sharks star Ben Curry, who has been a Place2Be Champion for a number of years now, all went along to join in with the sessions and play a bit of tag rugby. Wholesome stuff.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 2 𝘽𝙚📍
We've joined forces with children’s mental health charity, @Place2Be, to launch a brand-new, school-based mental wellbeing programme called 'Try2Connect'🤝.
This project aims to promote positive mental health through workshops and tag rugby sessions!
As explained in the full announcement, Try2Connect is about promoting wellbeing and positive mental health practices from an early age, starting in the school setting in the hope that children will take the important knowledge out into the world as they grow up.
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Comprising of various classroom workshops designed around the aforementioned ‘five ways to wellbeing’, as well as more active stuff like tag rugby and other multi-sport sessions — all of which are still designed to incorporate the themes explored during lessons — the programme is set to run for the next six weeks.
Alongside the two-hour weekly sessions in and out of the classroom, the project is also aimed at promoting longevity, with a ‘Wellbeing Wall’ tailored to the individuals being built in each school, with a total of 24 schools set to benefit from the scheme over the next 12 months.
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Brilliant stuff, as is the work that Place2Be do day in, day out.
🏫 There are so many ways your school can support children's mental health in the next academic year. How about:
👕 A dress down day? 👟 A sporting challenge? 🍰 Baking?
Sale Sharks Co-Owner, Michelle Orange, said: “We’re extremely proud to have partnered with Place2Be on the launch of Try2Connect, a programme which we hope will have a positive lasting impact on children across the region and is another symbol of our commitment to supporting mental health and wellbeing.
“Starting a new rugby season is a lot like starting a new school year in many ways, each bringing their own sense of anticipation and uncertainty, and it’s important that we do what we can to encourage young people to talk about their feelings.
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“We’re all really excited about the difference we can make, using our sport to drive what is a crucial message.” You love to see it, and you can find out more about Place2Be’s vital work HERE.
With the Sharks set for a historic home semi-final against Leicester Tigers this coming weekend, it’s great to see that they’re still managing to put in just as much effort off the pitch as on it.
Featured Image — Sale Sharks (via Twitter)/Place2Be
Sport
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
Manchester City plotting spending spree ‘before’ Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City are set to embark on somewhat of a spending spree this summer transfer window as the club’s higher-ups are looking to get business done before the 2025 Club World Cup.
With FIFA’s intercontinental club competition set to get underway in mid-June, the Blues don’t have too long to welcome in new players, but Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reiterated their urgency regarding recruitment.
Despite having brought in four new acquisitions in a very short space of time last season, the 50-year-old argued that he wasn’t completely happy with the extent and speed of their business.
Giving a lengthy interview this week, CFG‘s founding chairman has imposed an internal deadline ahead of the lucrative knockout competition.
Speaking with club media, Khaldoon recognised that while there were incomings in January of this year, he believes they “should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do, adding that he believes it “cost [them].”
“I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly [the targets are], in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option”, he continues.
More importantly, he goes on to add: “We’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift. Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”
He also suggested the flurry of activity this past January was not just atypical of the administration, but felt the squad fell into a crisis state with the number of injuries, insisting they “had to act.”
City have already been linked with a hugely talented and highly-rated European target in the wake of Kevin De Bruyne‘s departure and a lack of strength in depth in midfield.
An initial bid is said to have been received already and will likely be the first of many City summer signings.
He also insisted that the players who joined last season weren’t scattershot, emergency transfers (perhaps barring the resigning of İlkay Gündoğan) but were the start of the rebuild and “gives [fans] an idea of what’s coming this summer.”
Another player linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who scored in big moments during their Europa League run this year, registering 32 goal contributions across all competitions throughout the 24/25 campaign.
Who would you like to see added to Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, then, Man City fans?
You can watch Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s interview in full down below:
Danny Jones -
10th May 2023 
