An innovative community mindfulness project has been set up in Wigan to help teenagers focus on the positives amid turbulent times.
Mindfulness – which aims to improve mental health by focusing on your awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations – is often used as a therapeutic technique.
It is known to enable people to become more productive, reduce stress and anxiety, build confidence, and encourage happiness.
This new mindfulness scheme is being delivered by One Together CIC.
One Together is a community interest company delivering a variety of creative programmes to children, young people and their families, all with the purpose of developing confidence, positivity, enhancing self-esteem and promoting happiness.
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Set up over 10 years ago, One Together CIC has developed from its starting point of delivering a wide variety of grass roots community-based projects, to becoming a “respected provider of mindfulness and wellbeing workshops” in the Greater Manchester borough.
The specialist programme involves working with teenagers taking part in sessions using special headsets.
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The first part of the course was delivered online via Zoom due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and then a small group of young people were invited to socially-distanced meetings on Saturdays at a local primary school.
Hayley Kearns – a Director of Aspull-based One Together CIC along with Neil West – said: “We’re delivering the project and it’s being commissioned by community group Parents of Aspull.
“Funding for the virtual reality equipment has come from the National Lottery.
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“The sessions have been online since lockdown for about eight weeks, but the past two weeks have seen a group of young people meet up in a socially distanced way.”
The group have used special VR Oculus headsets to help them with their mindfulness.
Hayley continued: “The virtual headsets allow for the children to immerse themselves in a virtual world, so they can be sitting by a waterfall, or together in a meeting room with others and helping them build resilience.
“They are able to use their headsets from home during the time on the course [and] it’s a way for them to develop confidence and improve their mental health.
“The feedback from parents has been phenomenal,
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“[They] have said how the sessions have helped their children who had become very isolated during lockdown, and have helped them make friends.”
The teen programme is just one of many initiatives hosted by One Together CIC.
As well as a range of other groups tailored towards children, young people and families, Hayley added that the next part of the project will involve helping adults over 60 do the same thing as the children have recently.
Other similar projects will take place in the future too, so keep your eyes peeled.
You can find more information about getting involved in any of these mindfulness initiatives via the One Together CIC website here.
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A rare ‘Strawberry Moon’ will appear in the sky for the final time tonight – here’s when to catch it
Danny Jones
In the latest astronomical phenomenon to hit Britain and beyond in recent times, a rare ‘Strawberry Moon’ is set to appear once again in UK skies tonight, and you don’t want to miss it.
Put it this way: if you didn’t catch it last night, you won’t get another chance for nearly two decades.
The event only happens approximately every 18.6 years and will be the lowest it’s appeared above our part of the world that its been since 2006.
But for those who’ve never even heard of this, you might be wondering what exactly a Strawberry Moon is. We’re no experts, but this should just about fill you in.
Strawberry Moon 2025 – explained
Look up tonight for something sweet!
The full Strawberry Moon, named by the Algonquin tribes for the time of year that berries ripen, will take to the night skies on June 10-11. pic.twitter.com/GKr41bGUUV
Put in simplest terms, a Strawberry Moon occurs when the Moon reaches the extremes of its northernmost and southernmost rising and setting points on the horizon, creating a striking standstill impression to the human eye.
The name itself derives from native American culture and, in the case of June’s full Moon, it is dubbed as such not only because of its reddish hue but because it aligns with the start of summer and the beginning of strawberry harvest season.
Colliding with the summer solstice – with said standstill sometimes referred to as a ‘lunicstice’ – the moon will give more of an orange glow rather than pink or red like actual strawberries, but it’s nevertheless a stunning sight. It was already clocked across various parts of the globe since Monday:
— Veronica in the Fens 🧚🏼♀️ My Heart in Nature (@VeronicaJoPo) June 10, 2025
Why so low, moon-face?
As for why it’s going to loom so low over our skies this evening, UK archaeologist and historian Jennifer Wexler explained to BBC’s Sky At Night Magazine: “Over several years, the limits of moonrise and moonset themselves gradually change, until they reach the point where the northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset positions are at their maximum distance apart on the horizon…
“Once a major standstill is reached, the distance between northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset can be exceptionally far apart, and it stays that way for around two years.”
With all that in mind, this particular full Moon (10-11 June, 2025) will be the lowest full Moon in the sky for nearly two whole decades and won’t occur again until 2043, hence why so many have taken an interest in trying to catch it.
Speaking of…
When and where is best to see the Strawberry Moon in the UK?
Now, we won’t lie to you, Greater Manchester isn’t necessarily the best-placed area to see the upcoming Strawberry Moon in its full glory this Wednesday; the weather forecast has it that the skies are clearest right up at the top of England, as well as south-west Scotland.
However, provided there isn’t too much cloud coverage, it should still be visible across most regions, including the North West.
The moon is expected to rise around 9:30pm tonight, with the best window to see it appearing within the next hour or so following this period. It may not be as bright and bold as it appeared in some parts of the country on Tuesday, but it’ll still be something to behold.
In terms of what else meteorologists have said about the rest of this week, the weather is looking a bit all over the place, we’re afraid.
The Manchester restaurant that serves pizza with scissors is now giving FREE haircuts
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s newest scissor-themed pizzeria will be giving out free haircuts this Father’s Day… genuinely.
We know it sounds a little strange, especially as we unusually described the restaurant as ‘scissor-themed’, but stay with us on this one.
One of Manchester‘s most exciting new openings so far this year, Forbici, has aptly announced that it’ll be treating dads who dine with them to free haircuts on Father’s Day this Sunday.
Forbici – which literally translates to ‘scissors’ in Italian… get it now? – opened its doors in the heart of the city centre last month, and is already making waves in Manchester’s foodie scene thanks to the fact it serves up every pizza with a pair of scissors.
Forbici is giving out free haircuts to dads who dine there on Father’s Day / Credit: The Manc Group
The restaurant specialises in authentic Neapolitan pizza made by master bakers and fermentors, using ingredients straight from Naples, but what makes this place a little different to the norm is that, staying true to tradition, each pizza is served in quarters and snipped with pizza scissors right at the table.
Given that scissors are such an integral part of Forbici, now it provides you with a bit more context as to why its latest Father’s Day collaboration is so clever.
Forbici has teamed up with respected Manchester-based barbershop, Urban Gent, to give any dad who dines in at on Father’s Day the chance to walk away with more than just a full belly, as they’ll also receive a voucher for a free professional haircut.
After enjoying a signature Neapolitan-inspired pizza from Forbici’s curated menu this Sunday, dads will be able to redeem their stylish surprise when settling the bill.
The voucher – covering the cost of a standard ‘haircut’ service – will be valid for a full month between 15 June to 15 July 2025, giving dads plenty of time to book a trim.
Emily Sergeant -
12th November 2020 
