Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George is the seat of the Bishop of Manchester and the city’s parish church. It is on Victoria Street in Manchester city centre and is a Grade I listed building.
We visited the Cathedral last week and split into three groups, each with a very knowledgeable guide, who for one hour informed us about the history of the building.
It was a very interesting trip and some great photos can be seen here.
Free LGBT+ Manchester Walking Tours
Explore Manchester’s world-famous Gay Village on Josh’s LGBT+ Manchester Walking Tour. It’s a journey through the iconic monuments, touching memorials, secret street art and legendary pubs to answer the question: How did Manchester become so bloody Queer?
Meeting point: Vimto Monument, Sackville Street, Manchester M1 3BU
Dates: Friday 16 August, 6.00pm – 8.00pm, and Saturday 17 August, 3.00pm – 5.00pm
Cost: FREE (Usually £10.00)
Access info: The route is fully wheelchair accessible, and at the end there is an accessible toilet. Note, this is the only accessible toilet stop, as many of the venues along the route don’t have accessible toilets. This event is a sober space. There is no seating available (though there is often seating along the route.)
If you’d like to join one of these tours, simply email josh@fmwt.co.uk with the date you would like to come and mentioning Out In The City. Group sizes are capped at 35.
Pride in Ageing – Garden Party
On Saturday, 24 August we have the Manchester Pride Parade.
But on Sunday, 25 August there will be the Pride in Ageing – Garden Party. Come and relax in our urban oasis at the front of the Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL.
12.00pm – Join volunteer gardeners as they tend the garden that they designed and created. There will be sketching materials available and a relaxing and energising programme of live music from Holly Marland and Teresa Lipinski who will share songs from around the world accompanied by Kora, a traditional West African harp.
12.15pm – Workshop for people who may not even believe they can sing! – Free – No ticket required
No previous experience required – just come along to the gallery atrium and enjoy learning simple harmony songs for enjoyment and wellbeing.
1.00pm – 3.00pm – Let’s Talk about Chemsex Listening Party – Free but book via Eventbrite here.
2.00pm – 3.30pm – Prospect Cottage: Derek Jarman’s House in-conversation – Free but book via Eventbrite here.
No Winter Fuel Payments for most pensioners
It seems strange to be writing about winter fuel payments in the summer when it will be 27 degrees (Celsius) today.
However the announcement on Monday 29 July 2024 by the new Chancellor of The Exchequer affects 12.6 million pensioners across the UK, the majority of these will no longer receive the winter fuel payments as of this year.
These payments are usually between £100 and £300 per household and are tax-free.
The only exception is people who receive pension credit. They will continue to receive the winter fuel payment and are also entitled to a warm home discount of £140, which is paid directly to the energy supplier.
There are 1.4 million older people receiving pension credit, however 800,000 older people who are entitled to pension credit do not claim it. 70,000 people in Greater Manchester currently claim pension credit and it is estimated that around 36,000 people do not currently claim pension credit.
Pension Credit is a form of financial support which ‘tops-up’ the income of people over State Pension age who fall below an income threshold of £218.15 for a single person and £332.95 for a couple.
Many of those eligible could also unlock additional benefits worth thousands a year such as the Warm Home Discount, a free TV licence, Council Tax Reduction and free NHS dental treatment.
Around 10.2 million pensioners will no longer receive the winter fuel payments. Age UK have estimated that this will push around 2 million pensioners into being cold this coming winter.
If you or an older relative could be entitled to pension credit then please check out one of the links below, which offer the alternatives of phoning or checking online. You will need the relevant details of what you or the person you are helping currently receives in income.
Citizens Advice Bureau (This gives the local telephone numbers for various parts of Greater Manchester)
Age UK benefits calculator (It’s free and simple to use and the details you provide are kept anonymous)
Good luck as this will affect many people you know, around one in six of all people in the UK now receive pensions.
Charities are warning the move risks putting more older people’s lives at risk this winter and are calling on the government to find ways to mitigate the damage.
Twenty-two charities have sent an open letter to the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, calling on her to urgently review the change to the Winter Fuel Payment for older people.
If you want to voice your concerns about the proposals, we can suggest the following options:
Independent Age’s write to your MP template
Out in the City 