A 10-year-old schoolboy from Denton has hit his target of raising over £2,000 for a local foodbank after completing a fitness endurance challenge.
After being inspired to take on the challenge thanks to seeing social media star and TV fitness guru, Joe Wicks, complete a 24-hour PE marathon last November, Theo Dunphy hatched a plan to “raise vital money” for the St Mary’s Haughton Green Foodbank in Denton.
“This is something we try to support regularly as a family.”
So, in order to raise “as much money as possible”, the 10-year-old Denton West End Primary School pupil decided to do 12 Joe Wicks’ HIIT fitness sessions back-to-back in a day, which would total almost four hours of exercise.
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And on Saturday, he achieved just that.
Ahead of undertaking the fitness challenge, Theo said he trained for 10 weeks to prepare for the big day and admits there were a few nerves as the preparation was “quite hard”, but halfway through his challenge, he was given a boost by a video message from his hero after his dad reached out on Twitter.
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Theo you are a legend mate. What a kind and inspiring young man you are. Let’s all get behind him today on his challenge to do 12 body coach HIIT sessions in a day ❤️😀 pic.twitter.com/QNfug8B5ju
As well as completing the 12 fitness sessions, and receiving the motivational message from Joe Wicks himself, Theo has also smashed his fundraising target by almost 10 times the £250 he was first looking to raise.
His JustGiving fundraiser now clocks in at over £2,440 and counting.
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That’s not all either, as if a shoutout by Joe Wicks wasn’t brilliant enough as it is, he was also cheered on by Wythenshawe-born Manchester United and England star, Marcus Rashford – who’s own mission to end child food poverty has helped thousands of children throughout the UK over the last year, and won him widespread praise in the process.
Even though the 10-year-old admits his loyalties actually lie with the blue side of the city – being both a Manchester City and Everton supporter – having an iconic local footballer name him a “superstar” is still an amazing achievement.
Theo was said to be “overjoyed” by Rashford’s message of support.
Theo’s parents, James and Kathryn Dunphy, said the youngster’s achievements have “brought a bit of positivity to the world at a time we all need it”.
Well done, Theo.
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You can donate to Theo’s mission of raising “as much money as possible” for St Mary’s Haughton Green Foodbank via his JustGiving page here.
Tesco officially unveils Christmas Meal Deal menu for 2026 and confirms launch date
Emily Sergeant
Tesco has officially unveiled its Christmas Meal Deal menu for 2026, and has revealed when it’ll be arriving in stores.
Spooky season may not have even arrived yet, but it won’t be long before the most wonderful time of the year is here and most of the UK’s major supermarkets have already started stocking their shelves with Christmas food, drink, and gifts galore.
Tesco has now unveiled all the sandwiches and snacks forming part of its iconic lunchtime meal deal selection.
10 new seasonal mains and sides have been launched this year, as well as some classics and returning fan favourites too.
The retailer says its food on-the-go experts have worked hard to bring a variety of festive flavours and great-quality ingredients together this year, with something on offer to cater to all tastes and preferences.
Tesco officially unveils Christmas Meal Deal menu for 2026 / Credit: Tesco
Available in stores and online from next week, with Tesco Clubcard members paying just £3.80 or £5.50 to upgrade to a Premium Meal Deal, some of the all-new main options you can choose from in 2026’s festive lineup include the Fully Loaded Chicken, Stuffing, Braised Red Cabbage & Cranberry Sauce Sandwich, the Christmas Triple Sandwich, and the Pork Meatball Wrap with smoky sage and onion mayonnaise.
Other returning favourites include the Brie and Cranberry Sandwich, the Currywurst Sausage Sub, and the absolute classic Turkey & Trimmings Sandwich.
For veggies and vegans, there’s a new Tesco Plant Chef Christmas Veg Fest Wrap, and for those who follow a gluten free diet, you can grab the Gluten Free Festive Chicken & Trimmings sandwich.
When it comes to snacks to accompany those mains, the festive Mini Pork Pies and Pig in Blanket Sausage Rolls are returning to the lineup this year, alongside some new additions like the Pretzels with Salted Caramel Soft Cheese Dip, and Mini Cheese Twists.
The 2026 Tesco Christmas Meal Deal range will be in stores across the UK from Monday 12 October, and there’s thousands of combinations to try.
Featured Image – Tesco
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Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK – this is why
Emily Sergeant
A list of the top 10 most affordable cities in the UK has been revealed, and Manchester has made the cut for one very specific reason.
On a bit of a budget? Aren’t we all.
The cost of living crisis has been raging on for quite a few years now, and unfortunately, despite how much we all wish for it to, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down – with prices for everyday items, especially typical fridge and cupboard stables, shooting up by the day, even though supermarkets are showing efforts to prevent it.
And it’s the noticeable price increases in groceries that led delivery insurance provider, Street Cover, to uncover which UK cities don’t strain your food shopping budgets too much just yet.
As it was found that food and non-alcoholic drinks inflation reached 1.3% this past summer, a new study has revealed that Sheffield is officially the most affordable city in the UK, with several other northern locations on the list.
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK / Credit: MCC | Aldi
The study compared the 2026 Grocery Index for the largest UK cities with the UK average, as well as available 2025 Grocery Indices, to track the changes in food affordability.
The cities are ranked by the index difference from the national average – which is 67.3 – but the report also uses direct monetary values for a grocery basket to provide some additional context too.
Manchester took sixth place on the list, with an average grocery basket price of £23.08, while some of the other northern cities in the top 10, besides Sheffield at number one, include Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle.
Top 10 Most Affordable UK Cities For Groceries
Sheffield
Milton Keynes
Liverpool
Reading
Newcastle
Manchester
Leeds
Bristol
Cardiff
Southampton
As the only other North West city in the top 10, Liverpool may have come in third place overall, but the study found that the grocery bill here is the smallest in terms of actual monetary numbers – with it setting shoppers back £22.08 for a regular supermarket basket, which is a whole £1 cheaper than in Manchester.
“Data shows households in the North East of England have the lowest average food spend in the country, around 11% below the UK average, while Yorkshire sits 6.6% below,” Al Taylor, who is the Head of Street Cover, commented on the study’s findings.
“Sheffield’s position at the top reflects lower property costs for retailers, less competition from premium chains, and a supermarket landscape dominated by value-led options.
“The practical implication for household budgets is significant – the difference between budget and premium shopping can easily be £1,000 or more per year for a family, which can be spent on other things or saved for future plans.”
Emily Sergeant -
29th March 2021 
