The Inspire Taskforce at Levenshulme Inspire is running a crowdfunder. Find out more and donate HERE
Why are we raising money?
This winter is going to be a hard one for us all, but none more so than for our older people. As energy prices and food prices sky rocket, older people on fixed incomes will have to make difficult choices in order to keep themselves healthy and warm over the winter. Older people are at increased risk of hypothermia when the room temperature drops below 16 C. As costs continue to increase we want to help older people avoid the difficult decisions that would otherwise mean they are left without heating or food this winter and our Warm Spaces project would allow us to reduce the living costs for many older people by giving them a warm, safe environment with food options over winter.
What will we do with the raised money?
The Inspired Taskforce already provides activity sessions on 3 days a week and we would like to expand this to 5, so that every weekday throughout the months of winter, there is an option to come and sit in a Warm Room and drink a Hot Brew with friendly companions. We will have many options of activity on the day, from Sewing, Knitting, board games, arts & crafts and much more – Similar to our already currently running Happy Mondays Social Group.
The Inspired Taskforce’s mission is to make the world a better place for older people – starting with our own backyard in Levenshulme and Gorton.
Manchester City Council has launched a consultation on proposals for Selective Licensing in parts of Levenshulme. This would affect private rented properties.
This is the area proposed in Levenshulme. It would Include flats, suffixed and sub-addresses in this area.
The consultation will run for 10 weeks from 5th October – 14th December 2022.
Please see link below to Manchester City Council’s website, which provides background information about the proposals and includes details of how residents and landlords can have their say, by completing an online questionnaire or by attending an in person drop-in event.
Further information from Manchester City Council is available HERE and below:
Why are we considering selective licensing?
We have introduced a revised Private Rented Sector Strategy (2020-2025) with a detailed implementation plan. This sets out the Council’s approach to the private rented sector over the next five years. The new Housing Strategy (2022-2032) reaffirms our commitment to improving the safety, quality and management of private rented sector homes.
There are approximately 90,000 private rented properties which is 38% of the total housing for the City of Manchester. We know that many PRS (Private Rented Sector) properties provide good quality accommodation, however there are areas of Manchester where PRS properties are not managed to a good standard.
We work with teams across Community Safety, Compliance and Enforcement regularly and work with landlords in the private rented sector in dealing with complaints about anti-social behaviour, poor property management, waste issues and proactively work to remove any concerns in these areas.
Despite this, we have not seen sustained improvements in areas unless additional interventions are introduced. Enforcement against individual properties alone will not improve standards to the level required across each area.
Manchester has previously had an accreditation scheme, and we have considered voluntary accreditation as part of our work in Manchester. However, our experience is that these schemes inevitably attract landlords who are already providing a good service to their tenants and do little to engage or improve the property conditions of those landlords who are not.
The Council has the power to introduce ‘selective licensing schemes’ in areas of Manchester. In these areas private landlords, or their managing agents, would need to have a licence for each house that they rent out. There are approximately 3,200 private rented properties in the current selective licensing schemes and the proposed selective licensing schemes would affect 1,100 private rented properties.
Selective licensing ensures that:
The proposed licence holder is fit and proper to manage their properties.
The licence holder complies with the conditions of the licence, leading to improvements in property management and reductions in anti-social behaviour
Property inspections can be targeted
Landlords provide necessary certification
Unlicensed landlords can face an unlimited fine if prosecuted through the courts, or up to £30,000 if issued by the council.
To make sure that selective licensing helps to improve social or economic conditions, we want to introduce designated zones within the ward areas of Cheetham, Levenshulme, Longsight, Moss Side and Whalley Range, and Rusholme.
When a Selective Licensing designation is being considered an area has to be experiencing one or more of the following conditions:
Low housing demand
A significant and persistent problem caused by anti-social behaviour
High levels of migration
Poor property conditions
High level of deprivation
High levels of crime
Before identifying any areas for selective licensing a ‘hotspot’ mapping exercise was undertaken looking at levels of anti-social behaviour, crime and service requests relating to housing and environmental issues, as well as levels of deprivation across the City. This data was overlaid to identify areas where challenges were likely to be concentrated.
Updated statistics for each of the areas can be found on our key statistics page.
Views were then sought from local Neighbourhood and enforcement teams on boundaries for potential selective licensing areas within these ‘hotspot’ areas based on their local knowledge of the issues within each area.
The proposed licence fee is £800. The licensing fee is split into two parts, the application fee and the grant fee which is payable before any licence is issued. Non-payment of the grant fee will result in an application being delayed.
Once we have set an area for selective licensing, landlords will have three months to get their licences.
Income generated from licensing fees will be used to pay for the consultation process, administration, management and running of the scheme.
The Council does not generate surplus funds from selective licensing schemes. The income generated, the bulk of which is collected in years one and two, is required to manage and resource the scheme for its full designation.
Manchester City Council wants to understand how it can improve its website so that it is easier and quicker to use. The Council is seeking views about what works well on manchester.gov.uk, what doesn’t work well and what you want to use the website for.
There are two options to take part as a resident or as a business.
Residents
What will be involved
The feedback sessions will be events (in-person and online) taking place at a number of locations in Manchester between October 2022 and April 2023. Other residents will attend, and we will gather feedback from everyone in a group setting, with structured discussions facilitated by our team.
These events will be run specifically to gather feedback about manchester.gov.uk, we won’t be able to answer specific questions about council services, such as bin collections etc.
How to sign up
Complete the Manchester Resident Website Feedback Group Sign Up Formbefore 14 October 2022, with your name and contact details. Places in the feedback group are limited, but we may invite you to take part in other feedback sessions in the future.
In this form, you’ll be asked to provide some contact details so we can share details of the Website Feedback Group events with you. See Manchester City Council’s privacy policy.
Businesses
What will be involved
You will be invited to attend feedback sessions (in-person and online) taking place in Manchester between October 2022 and April 2023. Other businesses will attend and our team will facilitate structured workshop discussions.
Places in the feedback group are limited, not everybody who registers will receive an invitation to the first feedback event but we may invite you to take part in future sessions.
Your feedback will help us improve our digital systems so that they are better in the future.
The Friends of Highfield Country Park will be holding its AGM on Tuesday 18th October, 7-8pm at The Baptist Church, Elmsworth Avenue, Levenshulme, M19 3NS.
The LOL Arts Clubs return next Monday with another fantastic Collage Club from the mighty @LHP_collageart
The LOL Art Clubs are free to attend, materials are supplied and all adults are welcome. So next Monday head down to Levenshulme Old Library.
LOL Art Clubs are intended to put our community space to good work for the local artist community here in Levenshulme.
We’ll be running the following weekly sessions
Collage Club – first Monday of the month
Come down and create a collage, using photos, magazines, postcards and, well, pretty much anything to express yourself. Run by Katie AKA LocalHotelParking, a local artist whose studio is in the Old Library building and whose incredible collage work will be familiar to regular customers at Levenshulme Market and beyond.
Crotchet Club – second Monday of the month
Join Sophie Benson to learn about crochet and clothing repairs. Bring along your knitting, embroidery, dressmaking, macrame, cat’s cradle or anything else fabric-related for a stitch’n’ditch (the fast fashion) experience.
Zine Club – third Monday of the month
A zine is a DIY book, designed, created and bound by its maker and usually produced in small batches, giving people the means of producing a publication dedicated to their passion. These sessions are run by our very own Levy zinesters Hette and Adam from Let’s Make Zines. Come and learn techniques for repurposing paper into a range of sketchbooks and booklets, and expect to be challenged to fill them!.
Art Club – fourth Monday of the month Hosted by a range of facilitators, come down for these sessions to talk about art, debate or learn about an element of art or art history, or a practical topic such as preparing for art markets. Bring among your own expertise and share with the group!
Everyone is welcome to attend – whether you’re a total novice or a professional artist, come down to Levenshulme Old Library for some top notch community creativity.
Ever thought about singing with a group of lovely people once a week? Levy Choir is launching the start of their autumn term on Sunday 11th September with a free open evening for anyone who is thinking of giving it a go
We explore all genres of music in a relaxed, fun and inclusive environment – no audition required. Previous performances have included music from the Beach Boys, Lady Gaga, Fleetwood Mac and Kate Bush, along with many other styles of choral music.
Come along for an evening of uplifting singing that will fill you with positivity whilst meeting a group of likeminded individuals!Why not come and give it a go – you may surprise yourself! There may also be some free biscuits thrown in – what have you got to loose?
Please share and spread the word to anyone who may be interested!
A message from the new Manchester Library of Things at Levenshulme Old Library.
We need a bigger team of volunteers! If you have some free time and want to help us open Manchester’s first Library of Things, please come to our next online meeting on 27th July at 7.30pm.
Drop us a message or email info@mcrlot.com for the link, or to find out more.
Coming soon to #Levenshulme…MCR’s first Library of Things!
MCRLoT is your community shed: full of things you need, but don’t want to buy. You can borrow everything from power tools + pizza ovens to carpet cleaners + jet washers.
Manchester City Council is holding a consultation on its “Integrated Communities Strategy”.
The council wants views on:
How [the council can] strengthen the ways Mancunians could get along even better.
Your experiences of how different communities interact where you live.
Summary information is below or you can see more detailed information and respond to the consultation HERE
The consultation closes on Friday 15th July 2022.
Manchester Integrated Communities Strategy Consultation
Getting along with each other is key to making Manchester the best it can be for everyone who wants to call our city home.
The Council is currently running a consultation so that residents can tell us about how we strengthen the ways Mancunians could get along even better, and their experiences of how different communities interact where they live.
These views will be used to create the city’s first Integrated Communities Strategy. This strategy will support communities and relationships within them to become stronger – it’s about improving everyone’s chances of a good life.
There is a yard sale at The Klondyke on Saturday 16th July, 11.00-16.00.
daytime tunes
serving wood-fired pizza
offer on Aperol Spritz
various stalls including clothing, decorative items, baby clothes, toys, household items …
An endless array of products offer a more sustainable way to consume based on recycling and saving money. If you are searching for originality at a low price then don’t miss it. Someone’s junk is someone else’s treasure!
Manchester City Council is making additional £150 payments to people via a council tax rebate.
This is a further payment from the government that Manchester City Council has decided how to allocate from the government’s £1,626,150 discretionary fund allocation to Manchester.
Manchester City Council says:
“We’ve made discretionary Council Tax Energy Rebate payments of £150 to some of our residents most in need. For some families and residents aged 80 or over, this is a second payment of £150. If you pay your council tax by Direct Debit, we’ve paid the £150 directly into your bank account and sent you a letter. If you don’t pay by Direct Debit, or have no council tax to pay, we’ve sent you a Post Office Voucher.”
Manchester City Council
People who qualify for these payments should receive them by 11 July 2022.
St Marys RC Primary School have been working with a group of 8 Year 5 children for this project, based in our local nature reserve, Highfield Country Park, alongside the Friends of Highfield Country Park.
The children have been making woodland crafts, and Martin Maudsley has told the group nature stories over the 4 seasons and been filmed there.
The whole project will be at The Whitworth Art Gallery for the day on Saturday 2nd July. The children will have stalls to tell visitors about the woodland crafts (foraging, whittling, coppicing, charcoal making, willow bark weaving, wreath making and clay), and Martin is telling stories.
The £2.6m Greater Manchester Green Spaces Fund supports community-led projects that increase the amount and quality of accessible, nature-rich green space in the city region, particularly in the areas where people need it most.
The first round of applications will close at 9am on August 22nd, 2022.
The awards were announced at a dinner in London last night. Congratulations, Paul. The judges said of the winning story:
“Paul Magrs’ story, ‘Flesh of a Fancy Woman’ is a wonderfully evocative mix of the Dickensian and the Ealing black and white films. The sparkling dialogue of Lily Mahon slowly unveils the dark, and sometimes comedic experiences of Lily’s bizarre marriage to her husband, Patrick.”
Flesh of a Fancy Woman is one of 14 stories published in the collection Criminal Pursuits: Crime Through Time in support of the charity PoHWER.
Information from Manchester City Council and Transport for Greater Manchester.
Three days of strike action across the country’s railway networks are due to take place this week on Tuesday 21, Thursday 23 and Saturday 25 June, resulting in very few services running.
Disruption is expected to spill over into non- strike days and services that do run are expected to be extremely busy. Local rail operators Northern and Transpeninne Express are encouraging passengers not to travel with them.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is working with operators to provide enhanced services across the bus and tram network, where possible.
Additional double trams will be running across Metrolink on strike days and will be prioritised in areas of greatest demand to help passengers get around, with thousands of free park and ride spaces available at dozens of sites across Greater Manchester.
A dedicated travel information page has been set up to help people plan their journey HERE
The Bee Sanctuary has got together an amazing group of people with specialist knowledge to help them make as comprehensive as possible record of the wildlife on the Bee Sanctuary and Highfield Country Park in ONE DAY.
Birdwatchers, Bug hunters, Bee botherers, Slug lovers and all nature watchers welcome.
Volunteers needed! We need all hands on deck at Levenshulme Old Library on Saturday 11th June 10.00-14.00 to help us get the grounds ready for our shipping container.
This is where we’ll keep all of the lovely Things for MCRLOT, and planning permission has now gone in – woohoo!
While we wait to hear back, we’ll be clearing and levelling the ground, and tidying up the library garden while we’re at it. We’d love as many people as possible to help us, so please come along and share this event!
What is the Manchester Library of Things?
Coming soon to Levenshulme… Manchester’s very first Library of Things!
MCRLoT is your community shed: bursting with things you need, but don’t want to buy. It works just like a normal library, you can borrow whatever you like – from power tools and pizza ovens to carpet cleaners and camping equipment.
Together, we can have more, save money and protect the planet.
There will be a School Street Event followed by lots of family activities in the park, supported by MCC Parks, Friends of Chapel Street, Bluebell Gardens, Bee Sanctuary Movement and Grounded MCR CIC.
The new Lidl supermarket on Fallowfield Retail Park has been approved by the council.
All buildings on the right side of the retail park will be demolished to make way for the new store with the exception of the Doctor’s Surgery that will remain.
The range of shops will be dramatically reduced which is unfortunate when the aim is to have people travel less and stay local. For example after losing Gay Lyfe a few years ago the area has now lost Jollye’s Pet Store.
It also seems likely this development will generate more traffic in the area at a location known for its congestion.
Further information is available on the Place North West website HERE.
Join the Friends of Highfield Country Park for their monthly walk around the park on Saturday 28th May!
They will be exploring different areas of the park and discovering the range of nature and wildlife that can be found. This will also be a chance to find out more about the Friends group and their future plans.
Everyone is welcome to join and the walk will be suitable for all ages and abilities. Meet by the Bowler Street entrance (postcode: M19 2UA) at 11am with the walk lasting until around 12.30pm.
That’s right! With support from Arts Council England we’re proud announce Levenshulme Market is funding two local artists to work in the heart of Levenshulme’s local high street, creating an artistic project which connects with the community.
As regular customers know, each week Manchester’s artists can be found at the market, selling their incredible work directly to the warm and welcoming people of Levenshulme.
Now two of those artists, both of whom are Levenshulme locals, have been appointed as the market’s artists-in-residence.
This spring their joint project A Portrait of Levenshulme will see Laura Deane and Ciara Leeming popping up at a market stall offering FREE photographic portraits and drawing and collage workshops, and inviting participants to reflect on what makes this neighbourhood special.
This initiative has been made possible by Arts Council England’s Let’s Create Jubilee Fund to mark the Queen’s 70 year reign. Similarly, this project aims to celebrate the resilience, longevity and diversity in Levenshulme.
You’ll find Laura and Ciara at the market 11am-3pm this Saturday (23 April) at Levenshulme train station car park.
Levenshulme Old Library has set up Levenshulme Community Hubs group, consisting of a range of community organisations in the area, and have been working behind the scenes to secure funding to improve volunteering in the area. They are currently conducting research into what is available in the area and what is needed, to support volunteer programmes.
As people working in and around the community, it would be really helpful to have your input in this survey, which should only take a couple of minutes to complete:
The Boundary Commission for England has proposed changing the parliamentary constituency boundary that includes Levenshulme. It is also proposed that the constituency is renamed to Manchester Longsight. It is currently the Manchester Gorton constituency.
The current consultation is live now and ends on 4 April 2022.
The existing (dark blue) and proposed new (bright red) constituency boundaries are shown below. You can switch between these views more easily on the Boundary Commission website via the link above.
There is a full time job advertised for a full time Lifeguard/ Leisure Assistant at Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre. Anyone interested please see details below to apply.
Details are also available on the GLL website HERE (scroll to the bottom of the page and do a search for jobs in Manchester).
Friends of Highfield Country Park are looking for new committee members. Message below:
We are looking for two volunteer roles to fill in the committee and we would be extremely grateful if you could let us know if you are interested by emailing janesebire@yahoo.co.uk
We would also be very grateful if you could send this opportunity to anyone in your networks who might be interested.
Treasurer
As treasurer, you have responsibility for looking after our group’s money. Your role will be to keep transparent accounts including receipts and report to the committee. This role will require approximately 4 hours per month and is ideally suited to someone with financial or accounting experience.
Social Media Volunteer
We are looking for a creative and technologically savvy individual to help the Friends of Highfield engage the local community with the park, including through our new website and social media. We think this will require approximately 4 hours per month.
If you are interested drop us a line and let us know why you would like volunteer for your local green space. Let us know by 19th April, and we look forward to meeting up for a walk around the park,
Best wishes,
Alec, Jane, Vicki and Lillian
Committee of The Friends of Highfield Country Park
The UK Government has introduced a Bill into Parliament, seeking the power to build and operate the next section of the HS2 railway between Crewe and Manchester, with a connection to the West Coast Main Line to serve stations in Scotland and the North West.
HS2 Ltd are holding a webinar on Thursday 17 March 2022, 18.00-19.00 to discuss the Crewe to Manchester section of the new railway.
During this webinar we will give a brief presentation on the Bill and point out some of the main features of the proposed new railway in Manchester. The majority of time, however, will be set aside for questions – giving you the chance to ask the team about the Bill and what it means for Manchester.
A message from the fabulous Vicky Richardson at AllFM.
“Listen up to ALLFM on Tuesday March 8th. Its International Women’s Day and the ladies of ALLFM take over the airwaves from 7a.m-2a.m with interesting interviews, great guests brilliant banter and top tunes.
Check out the schedule and join me on the late shift at midnight for a special edition of NIGHT MOVES when I’ll be chatting to my friend the champion videographer documentary maker and soundtrack composer and musician JO GENDLE about her life and many careers. She will also be premiering her new compositions and bringing in her favourite tunes!”
“Hello, Jen Savaris and I are flying out to Poland on the 8th of March to bring selected items from the refugee appeal list to Medyka bordering Ukraine where over 50,000 refugees are arriving every day. We are self-funding the trip and limited with what we can bring as we are flying over, we want to give directly to those in need and see what other assistance we can offer whilst there to the amazing volunteering groups already out there and build a relationship with the organisations so we can share that with the people in the UK who want to further support them.
We have an allowance of 160kg to fly out with and the items we need the most to take with us are:
Sanitary pads
Toothpaste and toothbrushes
Miniature First aid kits
Bandages
Sudocrem
Gloves
Warm Hats
Packaged soaps
We also have a fundraising page if anyone would like to financially support our efforts whilst out there, after emptying the luggage on Day 1 we will then go and refill a further 160kg each day we are there by purchasing things needed such as food, baby goods and anything else the charities request. Where we can, we are going to try and pass some of the stuff on to those still in the Ukraine and especially those being denied entry into the bordering countries.
BACS bank transfer: Jennifer Savaris, Sort Code: 09-01-28, Account number: 64195110
All donations will be made transparent, and we will be keeping all receipts as proof of where donations are going. If you can support our efforts, we would be extremely grateful. Thank you so much. Jamie & Jen (The Gherkin & Perry’s Pantry Foodbank).
Please drop off at The Gherkin. Let staff know it’s for Ukraine not the kindness kabinet.”
The MEN also has an article about Jen and Jamie’s trip HERE
Northern Rail Services Update & “Do Not Travel” Advice
Northern are advising customers NOT TO TRAVEL on Friday 18 February 2022 due to severe storms across the network
STORMS – DO NOT TRAVEL FRIDAY 18 FEB
Do not travel between 0900-2100 on Friday 18 February.
Storms Dudley (from Wednesday 16 to Thursday 17), followed by Eunice (on Friday 18, into the weekend) are expected to bring high winds and heavy rainfall to the Northern network.
The storms will cause significant disruption across the network. Customers should expect delays and cancellations and are strongly advised not to travel on Friday 18 and to check before you travel for the rest of the weekend.
Please check your trains as close to the time of your departure as possible and we urged you to consider whether your journey is necessary.
Northern tickets dated for Friday 18 February will be valid on Northern services on Thursday 17 and Saturday 19 February.
Other train operators are also affected by these disruptions. If travelling further or using other train companies, make sure you check the latest info before travelling.
Due to the projected extreme weather which is forecast for Friday 18 February in the form of Storm Eustice, we will be operating an amended timetable on a number of routes and have issued a ‘Do NotTravel’ notice.
Please be aware that the following service amendments will take place on these routes:
Blackpool – Manchester Airport via Bolton
All Blackpool – Manchester Airport via Bolton services will be suspended. The hourly service between Blackpool and Hazel Grove via Bolton will continue to operate
Liverpool – Manchester Airport via Warrington Central (Express)
Liverpool Lime Street – Crewe via Newton-le-Willows/Manchester and Liverpool Lime Street – Manchester Oxford Road via Warrington Central are planned to operate as normal. Liverpool – Warrington Bank Quay services will be suspended
Liverpool – Wigan North Western
All Liverpool Lime Street – Blackpool North services via Leyland will be suspended, Liverpool – Wigan North Western services are planned to operate as normal
Lancaster – Morecambe and Heysham Port
All services will be suspended
Lancaster – Leeds via Bentham
All services will be suspended
Manchester Piccadilly – New Mills Central will be reduced
Manchester Piccadilly – Sheffield via New Mills are planned to operate as normal. Manchester Piccadilly – New Mills Central services will be suspended
Manchester Piccadilly – Hadfield
A service is planned to operate on this route every 90 minutes
Southport – Wigan – Alderley Edge
No services will operate Southport – Alderley Edge. Southport – Stalybridge trains are planned to operate as normal
Kirkby – Blackburn via Manchester Victoria and Todmorden
Service will operate Kirkby – Wigan Wallgate only
Calder Valley
Manchester Victoria – Leeds services will reduce to two trains per hour, one service from Chester via Bradford and the other Wigan – Leeds via Brighouse.
The amended services will appear in Journey Planners shortly. All other routes are timetabled to operate subject to weather conditions.
