Small Business Grants for Superfast Connection

Manchester is one of ten super-connected cities that will benefit from faster and better broadband for small businesses, with a voucher scheme launched to contribute towards the costs of connections for those businesses.

In addition, almost all of the participating cities will deploy wireless coverage to city centres and inside public buildings with funding from Broadband Delivery UK.

Grants of up to £3,000 are available to small businesses to get superfast internet connections. This is part of the Superconnected Cities project by the government.

Details of how to apply in Manchester are available HERE

Levenshulme River of Flowers

On Thursday 7th August Levenshulme a incredible Edible have a session on planting wildflowers for pollinators with Marva from Debdale Eco centre. Everyone welcome, please come along at 18.30 to the quadrants on the Fallowfield Loop (next to Crayfield Road).

On Sunday 7th and Saturday 13th September we’ll be starting work to transform our section of the quadrants site – opposite the community orchard. Plans include a wildflower meadow, perennial herbs, a fruit bush foraging area and some raised beds for vegetable growing. If you’re free please join us from 10.30am. All help very welcome.

Finally, just a reminder that it’s the Tonbridge Road Allotment Show this Saturday 2nd August 14.00-17.00, at St. Mary’s church on Elbow Street.

Incredible Edible Levenshulme
Growing a greener, cleaner, healthier Levenshulme!

If you’d like any more information please get in touch:

Facebook – IEL
Twitter – @IELevy
Email – incredibleediblelevy@gmail.com

Arcadia’s Last Weekend in Levenshulme

Arcadia Roller Hockey and Derby end their time in Levenshulme this week. The teams will be packing up Mon-Wed as part of their move to their new home at Ardwick Sports Hall before the site is handed over for redevelopment as the new Levenshulme facilities (pools, gym, fitness/community room and library).

Open public skate sessions are taking place Saturday and Sunday from 14.00. This will be the last chance to skate at Arcadia in Levenshulme.

If you can help with the packing up then pop along Mon-Wed this week anytime from 10.30 to lend a hand (bring boxes if you have them).

Free Swimming at Levenshulme Baths

If you are 60+over or 16+under you can swim for free at Levenshulme Baths right now.

Full details are available HERE

Help the Arcadia teams move to their new home

The Roller Hockey and Roller Derby teams based at Arcadia are relocating to Ardwick Sports Hall in preparation for the redevelopment of the site for the new Levenshulme swimming pools, library, gym and community facilities. This means they need help clearing the current Arcadia building.

If you can help out then pop along to Arcadia anytime from 10.30, Monday 28th – Wednesday 30th July next week.

Levy Litter Pick Saturday 9th August

There will be a litter pick on Saturday 9th August, 11:00-13.00

Meet and start at the Crayfield Road entrance to the Fallowfield Loop cycle path, ending at the tip or secret lake.

All welcome, children must be supervised.

St Mark’s Church Summer Fair

The St Mark’s Summer Fair is on this Saturday, 19th July, 11.00-14.00.

If anyone could let them have use of a marquee because of the threatened rain let us know. They’re looking for something to cover approximately 30ft x 30ft. (Contact Debs Anderson if you can help on 07961 061 001)

Levenshulme Community Forum Public Meeting

The Levenshulme Community Forum public meeting will take place on Friday 25th July, 19.00 at the Klondyke Club (1 Burnage Range, Levenshulme).

The meeting is about the future of our current library after the library moves to the new Arcadia building in 2015.

Other issues can be raised as well. The focus is on ideas for the library as a community facility but this is an open public meeting for all residents of Levenshulme so bring your ideas and issues along.

Levenshulme Labour Councillors Release Statement On Ward Coordination Changes

Levenshulme Labour Councillors have today released the following statement on the changes to Ward Coordination Meetings:

Ward Co-ordination Meetings in Levenshulme

The current ward co-ordination meetings, which are held quarterly during working hours and are attended by the Levenshulme councillors and council officers, will now be closed to resident groups.

In order for there to be more accessibility and interaction between all groups and associations within the Levenshulme ward, it is proposed to hold a Levenshulme Neighbourhood Networking Forum in January, May and September of each year. Each association or group, or residents within Levenshulme, will be welcome to attend this.

This forum will be chaired by a Levenshulme councillor. Council officers and an Executive Member of the Council will also be invited to attend each forum.

This Forum will be held on Saturday mornings, and the first one will be held in September 2014.

If you have any questions regarding this change, please feel free to contact Nasrin, Dzidra or Aftab to discuss.”

No contact details were provided with the post but you can find these on the LCA website HERE

Levenshulme Councillors Ban Residents And Community Groups From Ward Coordination Meetings

For the past few years there has been a quarterly meeting called ‘The Ward Coordination meeting’ where Council officers, ward Councillors, residents’ representatives and other Levenshulme organisations such as the Traders’ Association have come together to discuss matters of common concern.

These meetings have been the only regular opportunity for the LCA to put Levenshulme residents’ point of view before relevant Council officers.

At the end of the most recent meeting in June, the Councillors announced that future meetings would be ‘closed’ – meaning that it would just be officers and Councillors. Residents and all other organisations will now be excluded.

This announcement came out of the blue – there was no prior consultation and no sensible explanation as to why they have made this decision! It was just a very autocratic “We’ve decided. That’s it!”

Given that none of our current Councillors actually live in Levenshulme, the LCA is most concerned that residents have lost a very valuable voice and that there is no satisfactory alternative being proposed.

As an alternative, Councillors say they will be organising forums twice a year at which residents will be able to raise issues concerning Levenshulme which they will then take to the Ward Coordination meetings.

We’d very much like to hear what people living in Levenshulme think of this development.

Peter Naughton

LCA Chair

LCA Community Forum

The LCA is holding a Community Forum meeting on Friday 25th July. This is a public meeting to discuss the future of our current library building after the library moves to the new Arcadia facilities next year.

A new community space for Levenshulme?

A real Community Centre and a home for community groups in Levenshulme?

An inclusive space for young and old, of all backgrounds and interests?

Could this happen?
How do we make this happen?
Do we want to make this happen?

Everyone welcome.

19.00, Friday 25th July @ the Klondyke Club, 1 Burnage Range, Levenshulme.

Public Meeting to discuss the future of our current library

Levenshulme Community Association are organising a public meeting to discuss the future of the current Levenshulme Library building.

Councillors have given commitments to retain the building in public ownership with access and use for residents. But how could this be done?

Could this become the Community Centre / space for community use that Levenshulme so desperately needs and that we are promised when the last Community Centre was demolished?

This LCA Community Forum meeting will also provide the opportunity to discuss other issues and raise concerns.

Meeting now confirmed for Friday 25th July, 19.00 at the Klondyke Club, 1 Burnage Range, Levenshulme.

New Arcadia Planning Application

The planning application for the new Arcadia building (swimming pools, library, gym and fitness/community space) has been submitted by Manchester City Council.

Details (reference 106143/VO/2014/N2) can be viewed HERE

Letters are being sent to nearby residents and community groups. These will advise residents and groups of the proposed development and give them the opportunity to comment, if they wish to do so.

You can see the plans and announcement from the council HERE

Photographs of the plans and site are available HERE

Levenshulme Market container mural

The shipping container provide by the council for Levenshulme Market to store equipment has now been painted with a mural.

This is part of ongoing investment to tidy up the main Levenshulme car park, around the railway station and part of the A6 funded by a £25,000 Clean and Green award to Incredible Edible Levenshulme.

It is great to see investment by Manchester City Council in Levenshulme supporting local groups with businesses such as Levenshulme Market and community groups working together to improve Levenshulme.

A lot more work is planned including a green roof on the container, new planters, bike racks and landscaping around the car park. Further information is available HERE

(Thanks to Jamie Whittaker for the photo)

market container mural