A newly-conducted study has revealed that Manchester is ranked among the student towns and cities which have experienced some of the most significant cost losses due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
University towns and cities have also experienced a loss of income when students were forced to move off campus.
There’s no hiding the fact that the extended lockdown period has been financially challenging for all areas of the country, but for places that have a large student population – due to one or more major universities situated there – the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been economically catastrophic.
High streets up and down the UK also saw an 18.8% drop of non-food purchases in the three months leading to August, demonstrating the true cost that COVID-19 had.
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Remove a huge proportion of a town’s student population, and the financial impact was even worse.
Now, this latest research – as released by educational consultant Studee – is highlighting the true cost of the pandemic for university cities and towns over the last six months.
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As a whole, the UK lost £3.5 billion during lockdown, but how much has Manchester been affected?
Pixabay
The study has revealed that the city of Manchester will have sadly lost a staggering £106 million+ in income in total over the past six months of lockdown.
This figure can also be broken down to show the different causes of income loss in the city.
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£3.3 million not spent on gifts and charity.
£5.5 million lost in the Health & Wellbeing sector.
£15 million lost at Manchester takeaways.
£16 million was lost through a lack of socialising.
£17 million wasn’t spent on public transport, or other transportation services.
£13 million not spent on clothes (or in the retail sector).
£35.6 million wasn’t spent on food and non-essential groceries.
When looked at nationally, it’s estimated that over £1 billion will have been lost in student towns and cities from grocery stores alone, £418 million may have been lost out on takeaways, £574 million lost from the transport industry over the last six months, £347 million lost from students not revamping their wardrobes, £172 million is likely to have been withheld from the health and wellbeing sector, and over £156 million is predicted to have been lost from students not giving to charities and buying gifts across the UK.
The largest overall loss nationally lies in the lack of socialising / social activities.
With nightclubs still closed and bars recently being told to restrict their opening hours, a night out on the town hasn’t been an option for students and freshers weeks this year have looked different indeed, meaning that a huge £577 million will have been lost in the UK from students not going out over the last six months.
So, how do the university towns and cities in the UK rank overall?
Biggest Overall Losses
According to the summarised research by Studee, the following towns and cities will have lost the biggest amount of money in total due to the number of students who live there.
When it comes to the towns and cities which will have felt the greatest impact from their losses, the city of Manchester doesn’t feature, nor do any towns with universities located within any of Greater Manchester’s 10 boroughs.
The top 10 list in this instance has been worked out by the percentage of the population likely to be lost when students leave, and how much money they would have spent.
Egham in Surrey – home to Royal Holloway University – comes in at the top spot on this particular list of most impacted towns.
It’s then followed by Warwick, Farnham, Hatfield and Bangor rounding out the top five.
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The closest place to Manchester on the list is the town of Ormskirk – situated in West Lancashire and bordering Merseyside with around a 30-minute journey to Liverpool – which is home to Edge Hill University and could have lost income of over £15.5 million during the last six months.
That’s nearly £2.5 million every month.
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If you would like to read the full study and research methodology to find out more information, you can do so via the Studee website here.
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Greggs renames one of its bestselling bakes after Andy Burnham says it’s his favourite
Emily Sergeant
Greggs has decided to rename one of its bestselling bakes in honour of Andy Burnham.
In case you didn’t know, the new Number 10 North offices in Manchester’s Heron House share a building with lots of other businesses, some independent, some chains – and one of those businesses is the ever-popular high street bakery Greggs.
And we wouldn’t put it past Andy Burnham, being the northerner he is, to have chosen those offices specifically for that reason.
Okay, we’re obviously kidding, but considering the Prime Minister really doesn’t have to venture that far for a Greggs when he’s at work in Manchester now, he’s been asked in a recent interview this week what his go-to order is from the bakery chain.
When asked to name his favourite Greggs bake, Andy replied: “That sausage, bean, and cheese thing,” which, of course, refers to the popular Sausage, Bean & Cheese Melt.
Greggs has renamed one of its bestselling bakes after Andy Burnham said it’s his favourite / Credit: Supplied | gov.uk
According to Greggs, sales of that bake have doubled following the interview, particularly at the Heron House store, as curious Mancs and Number 10 North staff queued to sample the PM’s preferred pasty – so naturally, Greggs has decided to rename the item the ‘Sausage, Bean and Cheese Thing’ in his honour.
Workers at the Heron House shop were photographed changing the signage of the bake yesterday morning, and digital screens in the shop were also updated following the interview.
Andy himself has approved the change, taking to Instagram to say: “Has a nice ring to it tbf. Thanks [Greggs], that’s my order baked in for life now.”
Warren McCarrick, shop manager at the Greggs outside Number 10 North, said: “Our shop has been buzzing with Mancs getting their hands on Burnham’s favourite bake. Sales have gone through the roof this morning – cheers, Andy.
“We thought we’d repay the favour and rename it to what the Prime Minister seems to fondly know it as, that Sausage, Bean and Cheese Thing.
“We’ve also dropped off a few outside Number 10 North, in case he’s too shy to be seen in the queue.”
Featured Image – Supplied
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Manchester City’s Stadium Tours are back for the summer and bigger than ever
Danny Jones
Manchester City stadium tours are back for summer 2026, with more to see from the home of the Blues than ever, and with 15% off all tickets until the end of August, too.
It’s safe to say that Man City are going through a HUGE period of change right now: embarking on a new era under Enzo Maresca following the dynasty of Pep Guardiola, vast redevelopments of the wider Etihad Campus, a new club hotel, and the expansion of the North Stand – now named after said Catalan coach.
With that in mind, there’s so much new stuff going on over in East Manchester and arguably more of it all happening in one place than we can recall in recent memory, making it the perfect time for Cityzens to return to the famous home ground – indeed, your Etihad debut if you haven’t made one already.
Giving you greater access to areas usually reserved for players and staff only than ever, this exclusive, interactive and virtual tour will take you through the very bones of the storied sporting arena, all the way through to pitchside.
Fans can explore the dressing room and follow in the footsteps of their favourite City players as they walk through the iconic glass players’ tunnel, before walking out into the open air and sitting in the dugout to take in that incredible view.
You can also try out the latest ‘Beyond the Blue Moon’ experience – an immersive VR adventure that sees supporters journey through Manchester City’s past, present, and future.
Following on from Pep lending his likeness, using innovative technology, you can now even have the chance to put your questions to Erling Haaland in the Press Conference Room.
There aren’t many teams on the planet that offer this level of stadium tour, let alone just here in the UK, so it’s no wonder they remain award-winning almost every single year.
Whether you’re a lifelong City fan, a football lover or visiting this wonderful place we call Manchester for the very first time, there’s something for everyone.
For instance, with The Medlock Hotel and accompanying Medlock Square already lining up its maiden events, the City Football Group (CFG) are once again committing to make the wider Etihad Campus an all-year-round entertainment destination.
That being said, plenty of people online have been generating a lot of buzz about the aforementioned Medlock’s new stadium-view rooms since clips appeared on social media.
Pitch view rooms coming to the Radisson Blu Medlock Hotel at #ManCity’s Etihad Stadium. 🤯
As for the tickets themselves, the club have also taken steps to keep the cost affordable.
Standard prices start from just £32 for adults and only £20 for under-16s, with larger family packages available from £60.
BUT, with the 15% discount mentioned earlier, adults currently cost just £27; kids go for just £17, and those family passes start from just £51.
You can find all the options when it comes to stadium tour passes and grab the type of admission that suits you right HERE.
Speaking of tickets, City have also been met with praise for the introduction of new discounted seats for local residents; find out all the details below.
Emily Sergeant -
8th October 2020 
