News
Free school meals could be available to everyone no matter what you earn
About time…
A plan to make free school meals available to everyone has been proposed, in a bid to tackle child poverty and the rise in food banks.
This would mean thousands more children could be entitled to free school meals, as a way of supporting households on low incomes, the Mirror reports.
New research by the Mayor of London found that around 400,000 children in the capital have ‘very low food security’. This means they are, or could be at risk of being, without proper access to affordable and nutritious food.
These findings highlight the enormity of the problem, as hundreds of thousands of kids aren’t getting proper nutrition at school or at home – and that’s just in London, up here in Greater Manchester we have some of the highest levels of child poverty and deprivation in the country.
Unison
To tackle the problem, the London Assembly has approved a motion asking the Mayor, Sadiq Khan, to jointly write to the Secretary of State for Education and plead the case for universal free school meals for all kids.
At the moment, free school meals are usually given to those on low incomes who receive state support – but families could be missing out on millions.
Due to a loophole, where the money is given back to the company if a pupil doesn’t use their full allowance by the end of the day, thousands of families are losing out.
Luke Bramhall, from Children North East, said: “This is a national issue. From Brighton to Middlesbrough, from Manchester to Scunthorpe, Children North East has spoken to over 65,000 pupils in more than 180 schools across England as part of ‘Poverty Proofing the School Day’ which identifies barriers to equality of experience in education.
“Across the country we are told about how the money allocated to children on free school meals is taken off them at the end of the day – and that children are going without as a result.”
Fairholme Primary School
The charity is now calling on the Government to do something about this, by giving the allowance back to help struggling parents feed their children.
Kath Wade, at Tyne & Wear Citizens, added: “It’s simply not right that this is happening. All it requires is a simple change to an IT system to ensure the change from lunch goes to those pupils who need it most.
“A hungry child can’t concentrate, a child that can’t concentrate can’t learn, and a child that can’t learn can’t reach their full potential. And isn’t that what we all want?”
We’re pleased to announce that Proper Manchester is rebranding as Finest City Guides.
As part of this change, the Proper Manchester brand, including its social media channels, will transition to the Finest City Guides name.
This is a rebrand of the existing platform rather than a new or unrelated business. The same team behind Proper Manchester will continue to operate Finest City Guides as we develop the platform under its new identity.
Previous name: Proper Manchester
New name: Finest City Guides
Our social channels and other brand assets will be updated to reflect the Finest City Guides name as part of this transition.
More from Finest City Guides coming soon.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Find something to do in Manchester
Powered by 
Proper Manchester is becoming Finest City Guides
Famous faces to come to life in ‘groundbreaking’ new immersive National Portrait Gallery exhibition
Pub dementia group struggling to run free regular afternoon meet ups with rising costs
Ornella’s Kitchen and more coming to Freight Island as part of huge summer programme
Manchester to transform into HUGE interactive playzone for free family festival this February half term
