Firefighters, volunteers, and staff from across Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) have raised thousands to support the people of Ukraine.
And they say it’s all thanks to “the generosity of people” across the region.
Last weekend, fire stations across Greater Manchester held charity car wash events, and colleagues from across GMFRS as well as Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) all chipped in to wash cars and collect donations from members of the public, which eventually tallied up to an impressive £32,000.
15 different fire stations across Greater Manchester held events across the two days.
GMFRS says all of the money raised will be shared with Greater Manchester-based frontline medical aid charity UK-Med – which has launched an emergency appeal backed by the Mayor of Greater Manchester.
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“I’m incredibly proud of the hard work of all our firefighters, support staff and volunteers over the weekend [as] together we washed thousands of cars and raised thousands of pounds to go towards vital supplies for Ukraine,” said Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel on the success of the event.
He continued: “We stand in solidarity with Ukraine and will do whatever we can to support all those affected by the devastating and tragic events that continue to unfold.
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“The car washing days are just one of the ways the service is helping this vital cause.
WOW! What a day 🇺🇦🚒🧽
Thanks to all our colleagues and volunteers who washed cars today and all those who brought their vehicles along and donated for @UKMed
— Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (@manchesterfire) March 12, 2022
“I’d like to thank everyone that came along to the car washes, whether that be to wash cars, bring food supplies for our staff, or have a vehicle washed for a donation.
“We are overwhelmed by the support and generosity of the people of Greater Manchester.”
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The car wash events came as firefighters continue to support local charities with the ongoing humanitarian effort, which has also included crews helping with the sorting and distributing of donations at the Bury Polish Centre, and distributing aid to warehouses in Trafford Park before they are shipped to Poland.
GMFRS said they had heard plenty of “heartwarming” stories of the community’s generosity and support over the weekend.
At Marple fire station, local residents Alan and Joyce donated the £100 that they would have spent celebrating their recent 50th wedding anniversary, and Rochdale fire station, emergency service colleagues from Greater Manchester Police and North West Ambulance Service helped firefighters and GMFRS staff to clean cars.
When firefighters at Farnworth fire station were called out to an emergency incident, members of the public took it upon themselves to wash cars and still donated generously.
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15 different fire stations across Greater Manchester held events across the two days this past weekend / Credit: GMFRS
GMFRS also received thanks from local residents and organisations with links to Ukraine.
At Whitefield fire station, a resident from Ukraine dropped by to thank crews and volunteers, while at Agecroft, members of the Eccles Polish Centre also gave their thanks and sandwiches to GMFRS staff, who have recently been helping to sort donations at the centre.
The fire service’s fundraising efforts aren’t ending there either.
Later this week, a team of volunteers from GMFRS will join a national convoy to deliver fire and rescue equipment to support firefighters on the frontline in Ukraine.
One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right about now.
With just under two weeks to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Clearly, the moral of the story here is , enjoy yourself… but just not too much.
Featured Image – The OurWhiskey Company (via Pexels)
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
Emily Sergeant -
16th March 2022 
