Schools across Greater Manchester may have just broken up for the summer holidays, but that means parents only have a few weeks to prepare for the new term.
After six-weeks of no homework, late nights, and plenty of summer fun eventually comes to an end, the new school year serves as a fresh start for millions of school children across the UK, but for some parents, guardians, and caregivers, it can end up being a pretty expensive time – with the cost of school uniform often being a bit of a burden.
Luckily though, plenty of local councils nationwide – including a few right here in Greater Manchester – are on hand to offer some financial support.
The School Uniform Grant 2022 is now open to applications.
Unfamiliar with what it’s all about? Well, the School Uniform Grant is government-run scheme ran by local councils that was introduced a few years back with the aim of helping low-income families purchase school uniforms for their children.
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You can get a £200 maximum non-repayable grant, however amounts depends on your local authority and individual circumstances.
Who is eligible?
If your local council does offer the School Uniform Grant, then you should be able to claim it if you can prove that you’re on a low income, or receive at least one of the following benefits:
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Child tax credit
Income support
Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
Income-related employment and support allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guaranteed element of pension credit
Universal Credit
Working tax credit run-on
The School Uniform Grant 2022 is now open to applications / Credit: Flickr
Which councils offer grants? And how much can I claim?
As of 2022, unfortunately only three councils in the Greater Manchester region have School Uniform Grants open to apply to.
Bolton Council, Bury Council, and Stockport Council each have running grant schemes.
Bolton Council – Up to £30 per child
Bury Council – Up to £50 per child
Stockport Council – £40 per child
How do I apply?
Once again, applications for the 2022 School Uniform Grant differ depending on the local council you’re applying to.
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Bolton
If you already receive housing benefit or council tax support, help towards school uniform will be given automatically and you don’t need to apply, and similarly, if you have already applied for free school meals, then Bolton Council will look at help with school uniform at the same time, so you don’t need to apply separately
But if you don’t receive housing benefit or council tax support, then you’ll need to apply for help with school uniform here.
Bury
Payments will be made to eligible families during May and June.
There is no need to apply, as the scheme will be administered through schools to those eligible in the same way that the Bury Council-funded food voucher scheme has operated in the last two years.
Stockport
In Stockport, the School Uniform Grant is for children in years 7 to year 11 at secondary school who receive free school meals.
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You can apply for the grant at any time if you’re eligible and you or your children live in Stockport, but if you do not meet the criteria, you may still be able to apply for the grant if the uniform has been damaged in a fire or flood, or your child has changed schools and they need a new uniform.
If your child is in year 7, they’ll receive the compulsory badged uniform, and if they’re in years 8 to 11, then you’ll receive a £40 credit to spend at the nominated school uniform supplier.
Three councils in the Greater Manchester region have School Uniform Grants open to apply to / Credit: Elton High School
What do I need to apply?
When applying for the School Uniform Grant, you’ll need your proof of address (a utility bill or council tax statement, etc), proof of identity (a driver’s license or passport), and proof of guardianship of your child (birth certificate or adoption papers).
You’ll also need a recent bank statement that proves your income or confirms that you are receiving one of the benefits required for eligibility.
Alternatively, you can use a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
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Can’t get a grant from your council? Ask your school for help
With only three Greater Manchester councils offering School Uniform Grants in 2022, this will inevitably leave many people still struggling to cover the costs, but MoneySavingExpert explains that plenty schools across the UK still offer support to families who need financial assistance with uniforms in a number of ways.
The most common example of financial support schools take is by allocating vouchers towards the cost, and you are encouraged to check in, ask for help, and see what’s available.
It’s also worth checking if your school has any second-hand uniform sales too.
Green Island returns for 2026 with ‘best lineup’ yet, featuring A Guy Called Gerald, DJ Paulette and more
Danny Jones
Green Island Fest, a.k.a. one of our favourite live music events on the entire planet, is back for 2026 with its biggest and what is, arguably, on course to its best lineup to date.
And this is just the first wave…
The annual series of outdoor parties is about as literal as grassroots celebrations come, with the performances taking place at none other than Hulme Community Garden Centre.
After an incredible debut a few years ago, its popularity and overall reputation have only grown taller like the trees the punters will be in amongst when Green Island ’26 kicks off its first edition this summer.
In addition to continually platforming rising artists across multiple genres and other up-and-coming projects within the industry, they’re now attracting some serious real music legends, too.
As well as Moss Side and original Manc music tastermaker A Guy Called Gerald topping the bill, festivalgoers are set to be treated to a dedicated 808 State DJ set too, though it remains to be seen if others from the iconic collective will be joining Gerald on stage.
Fellow house and dance veteran turned radio host, DJ Paulette, will also be rolling through the sea of plants and ravers for the first time ever.
Split over three ‘chapters’ as always – June, July and the closer in September – this is perhaps one of the most electronic-driven lineups to date as they look to celebrate the city’s rich heritage within the genre, but as always, there’s so much more going on at Green Island.
With street food traders setting up next to the bushes and barrels of beer, the stages spilling out onto backstreets once again, and afterparties each month, festival season simply can’t come soon enough.
This year, not only are the organisers committed to making this an ‘anti-algorithm programming’ initiative, ensuring that they have full control over their acts, selectors and beyond, but they’re also looking to cater for all ages and better than ever.
With a brand-new family area and dedicated daytime programme curated by Z-arts, a nearby arts centre for children and families, ‘The Imaginarium’ is inviting families to “make, move, and explore together through nature-inspired creative activities.”
Promising a “relaxed, joyful space for curious minds and shared moments of creative play, expect drop-in art workshops, nature-inspired storytelling and magical nature adventures”, it’ll serve as a tangible reminder of how both music and the wider Community Garden Centre fit into the arts world.
It’s grassroots pioneers like these guys that make us truly proud of the Greater Manchester live entertainment sector and overall cultural scene, and we promise that if you’ve never been to Green Island Fest before, you WILL NOT be disappointed.
For those who fancy going on either 6 June, 25 July or 5 September, you can grab your tickets HERE.
Bolton Wanderers sign young Celtic striker on loan
Danny Jones
Bolton Wanderers have signed young Celtic forward Johnny Kenny on loan for the rest of the season, rounding off a busy January transfer window with a final bit of business on deadline day.
All told, that’s seven new arrivals brought in this month as the League One side looks to continue their promotion push.
The Republic of Ireland international Johnny Kenny is just the latest among a number of offensive reinforcements, with Steven Schumacher looking to both increase his side’s goal output and further shore up the defence.
Still just 22, Kenny has already shown plenty of potential back in the Scottish Premiership, and now the fans will see how he takes to life in the English third tier.
Already scoring six times and registering a couple of assists in 22 appearances across all competitions so far this campaign, the Sligo-born striker is just a couple of contributions away from chipping in with his best overall tally in the league over a full term.
His best senior spell overall came on loan in the Republic of Ireland, where he scored a baker’s dozen of goals and assisted three times for Shamrock Rovers.
While perhaps not the most competitive league, he’s certainly taken some of that form back to his parent club in 2025/26, and now Celtic will get an even better sense of where his level is at right now – as will Bolton Wanderers.
Addressing the supporters deal in a club statement, Schumacher said: “We’re delighted to have signed Johnny to continue a really strong month. He is a player who we rate very highly and is someone we identified last summer as someone who would really strengthen our attacking options.
“He’s since played regularly and scored goals at a high level, so [he] will be a big addition for us. We didn’t think he would be available during this window, but once we were made aware Celtic would allow him to leave on loan, we acted really quickly to get the deal done.”
With other acquisitions such as attacking midfielder Ruben Rodrigues and winger Corey Blackett-Taylor, who has already scored on his debut, there’s suddenly some real squad depth to draw from.
As for Kenny, the promising youngster has every intention of quickly becoming the main man at the Toughsheet Stadium, taking on the number nine shirt.
Speaking in his first full interview as a Trotter, Kenny admitted that the interest has been there for some time and that the deal has been a longer process than the eleventh-hour nature might suggest, but reiterated that Bolton “reached out to [him] a lot during the summer.”
He’s made it clear that his aim is not only to increase his regular first-team minutes but also to make sure he is well and truly in the final national team picture.
Ireland are yet to find out if they qualify for the 2026 World Cup – pending a tricky playoff tie this March – but Kenny clearly wants to make sure there’s no doubt in terms of selection should they make it through the challenge.
Elsewhere in the EFL, another big attacking loan deal was done by local promotion rivals Stockport County, who have managed re-sign Louie Barry for a third spell.
Emily Sergeant -
27th July 2022 
