Tributes have been paid to Peter Mossman who campaigned tirelessly to get justice for victims of a NHS treatment disaster which led to the deaths of thousands of people.
Mr Mossman, from Baguley, Wythenshawe was one of about 7,500 patients, who had been given blood transfusions infected with contaminated blood products. He died last month, aged 78.
The scandal, in which victims contracted hepatitis and HIV as a result of the contamination, was described as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS. A public inquiry into the scandal was set up by the government.
Mr Mossman was treated with contaminated blood and infected with hepatitis C in 1985 after discovering bruising on his leg. Immediately afterwards he became desperately ill and later suffered worsening bleeds and severe liver damage.
Wythenshawe Amateurs FC are hosting a new series of comedy nights kicking off with award-winning Stockport comic Steve Shanyaski topping the bill this month.
Steve has wowed audiences with TV appearances on Live at the Apollo and Comedy Rocks and is described as a “mixture of Eddie Izzard and Peter Kay with a guitar.”
The Ammies have teamed up with Plane Comedy to host the live comedy nights, to be held on the final Thursday of each month, from their clubhouse.
Tickets are£10 and the opening show is on Thursday, September 30th. Doors open at 7:00pm and food will also be available on the night.
MC for the opening night is the Colin Manford. Colin will be joined on stage by the hilarious Nina Gilligan and Callum Oakley before handing over to headline act, Steve Shanyaski.
Tickets can are available from the Ammies Clubhouse or online by clicking HERE.
TALKTALK: Manchester Baseball club train in Wythenshawe
Two Wythenshawe based sports clubs are to receive a cash boost following donations to support development plans.
TalkTalk has donated thousands of pounds to Manchester City Tennis Club and Manchester Baseball Club, both based in Wythenshawe Park
*TALK TALK – Manchester City TENNIS CLUB* Coach Will Banks (C), tennis coach with Manchester Tennis Club members.
The telecoms company’s support for the two clubs accompanies their long-standing sponsorship of Salford City Football Club. The Manchester City Tennis Club is planning to use the money donated to purchase new kit for players as well as invest in new equipment, whilst the Manchester Baseball Club is using the money to buy new jerseys for next season.
Will Banks, Tennis Coach at the Manchester City Tennis Club said:“We are a welcoming, social and friendly club open to anyone looking to get involved in tennis. The money donated by TalkTalk will go a long way with supporting and developing the club.”
Ian Marchment, Club President at Manchester Baseball Club commented: “We’re thrilled to have received this donation from TalkTalk. Last year was challenging for the club, but we’ve since seen a massive increase in new players coming to the sport which is exciting for us as a club and Baseball in the UK. The money donated by TalkTalk will help us buy the team new jerseys for next season”.
Becki Smith, General Manager, Ultrafast at TalkTalk, added: “With lockdown restrictions easing, there has never been a more important time to make sure sports clubs can continue the amazing work they do to bring the local community together.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve worked with sports clubs – here in Greater Manchester, we have a long-standing relationship with Salford City Football Club having sponsored them for three years. Not only is the work we’re doing with local sports clubs across the city a welcomed extension of this partnership but it’s also a celebration of TalkTalk’s new Future Fibre plans coming to the city.”
Wythenshawe’s Marcus Rashford has urged the government to keep the £20 top up to Universal credit in his ongoing battle to end child hunger.
The Manchester United and England footballer says the government should be focussing on practical solutions to tackle child poverty instead of removing social security support.
Instead of removing support through social security, we should be focusing efforts on developing a sustainable long-term roadmap out of this child hunger pandemic…
“What is it going to take for these children to be prioritised,” he said. “Whilst we’ve come a long way in the last 20 months, placing the issue of child food poverty at the forefront, devastatingly, the issue is getting worse not better.”
“Whilst we’ve come a long way in the last 20 months, placing the issue of child food poverty at the forefront, devastatingly, the issue is getting worse not better.”
It is estimated that nearly one in six families with children experienced food insecurity during the past six months, meaning they struggled to afford to eat healthy food regularly.
And according to figures produced by Greater Manchester Poverty Action there are 200,00 children living in poverty in Greater Manchester.
The removal of the £20 Universal Credit uplift is due to be implemented in October and Labour MPs are planning to force a House of Commons vote on the issue tomorrow.
Labour’s work and pensions pokesperson, Jonathan Reynolds, said: “Labour is giving Conservative MPs the chance to do the right thing, stand up to the prime minister and defend their constituents from this devastating cut. Once again, this government’s rhetoric doesn’t stand up to reality. They promised investment in the north and Midlands but are instead pulling billions out of local economies.”
A government spokesperson said: “As announced by the chancellor at the budget, the uplift to universal credit was always temporary. It was designed to help claimants through the economic shock and financial disruption of the toughest stages of the pandemic, and it has done so.
“Universal credit will continue to provide vital support for those both in and out of work and it’s right that the government should focus on our plan for jobs, supporting people back into work and supporting those already employed to progress and earn more.”
The trade union, UNITE, staged a day of action yesterday at Manchester Airport in support of the hard-hit travel industry.
The union is calling for tailored support for the industry brought to its knees by the Covid 19 pandemic and is demanding greater transparency in the government’s traffic lights travel restriction scheme.
Unite also wants the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to be extended for the aviation sector beyond the current cut-off date of September, while government restrictions are preventing travel, to protect jobs, routes and airports and to ensure that the UK still has a viable industry when travel can safely return to normality.
Unite members and their supporters also took part, with other unions and the TUC, in a lobby of parliament organised by trade association Airlines UK, and the travel industry.
The protest was backed by Wythenshawe MP Mike Kane, Labour’s spokesperson for aviation. He said: “1.6 million jobs depend on the UK’s aviation sector which contributes £22 billion to the UK economy. This is why I am supporting #traveldayofaction.”
Unite assistant general secretary Diana Holland said: “It is totally unprecedented for all areas of the aviation sector and the travel industry to come together with a joint call of action for the government.
“Hopes of a gradual recovery in the aviation sector have been placed in the deep freeze as a direct result of government policies. Therefore the government has a moral duty to act and act swiftly.
“Aviation is essential to the long-term success of the UK’s economy, and to keeping people connected. If a meaningful, sustainable and resilient industry is going to be in place when travel can return, then the government must provide immediate support for the workers who will make this happen.”
