The Woodland Trust is planning to plant a huge forest of 50 million trees around major cities right across the north of England.
The North of England is home to around 13 million people, but this beautiful part of the country that us Mancunians call home has just 7.6% of woodland cover – which is significantly lower than the England average – and this is why the trust wants to transform the landscape of the area for years to come.
The Woodland Trust is working together with City of Trees Manchester, The Mersey Forest, White Rose Forest, HEYwoods, and the Community Forest Trust to drive forward this government-backed initiative.
Stretching from Liverpool across to Hull, with the M62 as its spine, The Northern Forest will comprise of 50 million trees planted over 25 years.
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Spanning over 120 miles across the cities of Bradford, Salford, Hull, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool, The Northern Forest – which is already currently in progress – will help provide natural flood management, boost wildlife habitat for woodland birds and bats, and protect ancient woodland areas and iconic species – such as the red squirrel.
It will also improve health and wellbeing by providing a tranquil space for millions of people living in the area, and will generate more than £2 billion for the country’s economy.
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The Northern Forest will both “accelerate the creation of new woodland” and “support sustainable management” of the existing woods right across the area.
According to the Woodland Trust, many more trees, woods and forests will deliver a better environment for all by “improving air quality in our towns and cities, mitigating flood risk in key catchments, supporting the rural economy though tourism, recreation and timber production, connecting people with nature, and helping to deliver improvements to health and wellbeing through welcoming and accessible local green spaces”.
City of Trees is one of the Community Forests, and is the Greater Manchester part of The Northern Forest.
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There are plenty of ways that those with a green thumb or an interest in eco matters can get involved too, and as the Woodland Trust says: “we can’t create a new Northern Forest without you”.
If you’re a landowner interested in helping grow The Northern Forest, you can apply for subsidised trees or a grant for planting. If you’re keen to provide additional investment to The Northern Forest scheme, to ensure a project of this scale receives continuous funding and meets the target of 50 million trees planted over the next 25 years, you can apply to become a Woodland Trust Partner, and if you’re looking to help grow The Northern Forest, the Woodland Trust and Community Forests will be hosting regular public tree planting events that you can be involved in.
You can find out more information about The Northern Foresthere.
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Five places to watch The Traitors finale live on the big screen in and around Manchester
Danny Jones
With this year’s The Traitors finale just around the corner, Greater Manchester and the rest of the UK are preparing for one very big United Kingdom watchalong, including live viewing parties on the big screen.
Some places showed the grand finale last time around, and with the conclusion of series four fast approaching, even more have organised their own Traitors screenings in central Manchester and further afield, too.
We know plenty of you will be more than happy watching it at home, but there’s something about the idea of watching it in a room with a load of excited people over a few pints that just gets us buzzing.
All that being said, here are some places in town and beyond that are hosting screenings of The Traitors’ grand final this coming Friday, 23 January.
Live screening of The Traitors finale in Greater Manchester
1. Nell’s – Northern Quarter
First up on our list is the pizza palace that is Nell’s, specifically the one located inside beloved neighbourhood bar Common in NQ.
The place will be filling up from 8pm, ahead of the show starting half an hour later, and the full food and drinks menu will be available as normal. It’s selling out fast, so book your spot at ‘the roundtable’ now, whilst you still can.
Heading across the city centre to Gay Village, just a road over from the main throughfare of Canal Street, Richmond St’s Cockatoo Club is also holding a Traitors watch party.
Not only being played on the large projector, but also being hosted by cult favourite drag queen, Annabelle Hecter, this one should be a hoot and a half.
3. Fairfield Social Club – Greengate
Next up is one of the first ones not only to announce this year, but hop on the bandwagon of The Traitors watchalongs to begin with.
Fairfield Social Club (also the home of GRUB) are one of the experts when it comes to events like these, and it’s no surprise tickets are also disappearing rapidly. Find out more down below.
There are freebies for quiz winners, as well as the best fancy dress and Claudia Winkleman doubles.
4. Cultplex – Cheetham Hill
Our penultimate spot on the list is fellow royalty when it comes to grassroots events and championing alternative entertainment – they also happen to be the toast of Red Bank.
The Cultplex cinema team are used to smaller screenings, and if anything, this might pull in one of the most mainstream crowds all year, but they always deliver no matter what’s on the box. You can reserve your seats HERE.
5. The Light – Stockport
Last but not least, if you want to see how this season’s drama ends on a REALLY big telly, then you can always book yourself in for a trip to your nearest Light cinema location.
The Stockport branch has great food and drink, comfy recliner seats, plus plenty more – and if you’ve never done one of these live screening events before, this is a great place to start.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied)/BBC
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An interactive jury experience is happening in Manchester – and it’s selling out FAST
Danny Jones
Yes, you might have heard about different bits of ‘immersive theatre’ here in Manchester before, you may have even tried some of them before, but have you ever been part of an interactive jury experienceinspired by true events?
Didn’t think so.
We’ve come across some pretty unorthodox performance art in our time – the soon-to-arrive Star Wars burlesque show being just one recent example; having said that, this might be one of the coolest concepts around right now.
Calling the next case into court, we have ‘The Jury Experience: Diamonds, Lies, and a Dead Man’, which combines a live crime thriller with the classic jewel heist format, whodunnit tropes and more.
Organised by Fever Events and scripted and staged with help from award-winning creative directors, Les Enfants Terribles, this latest edition of The Jury Experience is one of just many in a long line of intriguing courtroom dramas that YOU get to take part in.
We don’t want to give too much away and spoil the magic, but let’s just say you get to play a key role in seeing who goes down for the theft or a multi-million dollar family treasure.
Using your phone and/or paddles to cast your votes and sway decisions, there aren’t just key moments – the audience themselves are the final verdict.
Think you handle the responsibility, or better still, will you relish the sense of power?
As for ‘Diamonds, Lies, and a Dead Man’, here’s your teaser: “You’ve been called for jury duty. Scandal brews as a disgraced ex-driver stands trial for stealing global superstar Lana Tonneti’s $20m necklace.
“But is Lana telling the truth? Throughout the show, analyse witness testimonies, examine the evidence, answer complex questions, and try to uncover what really happened.
“Every word matters. Every detail counts. And at the end, you must cast the vote that determines the fate of the accused.”
Taking place at the stunning Stoller Hall and lasting just over an hour, this strictly 12+ event (kids under 19 must be accompanied by an adult)
While tickets to the first two productions this month have already sold out, tickets for the March and April nights are still available. You can find out more about dates, timings, and other cases, as well as grab your tickets right HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
18th January 2021 
