In the recent weeks of England’s third national lockdown amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 14-year-old Chorlton High School pupil Rob has been lending a hand at his town’s local foodbank to do all that he can to help feed some of the most vulnerable people in his wider community at a time when they truly need it more than ever.
The Year 10 student has not only been praised by the foodbank’s owners and those who know him, but also by hundreds of members of the Greater Manchester public too after he took it upon himself to put together some food parcels for families and individuals assisted in need.
Rob has collected food donations from his neighbours in West Didsbury, and from his Grandparents neighbours in Heaton Chapel too.
In total, this “amazing young man” has put together 40 pre-packed and ready-to-go food parcels.
Barakah Food Aid’s social media post shining a light on Rob’s incredible efforts last week has since received an overwhelmingly positive response, with hundreds of interactions and shares helping to spread the word, as well as comments from people commending his selflessness and expressing how wonderful it is to see the community’s young people striving to make a difference.
He has been named “a credit to himself, his school and his community”, an “absolute superstar”, and “a remarkable young man” all by members of the public choosing to pile on the praise.
Chorlton High School also commented: “Well done Robert. Very proud to have one of our own making a difference in the community.
“Keep up the good work everyone.”
And Barakah Food Aid owner Manzoor Ali was keen to say a special thank you to Rob “and all those who’ve supported you in this”.
Barakah Food Aid was established in 2009 by husband and wife duo, Manzoor and Aiysha Ali, alongside their three children, Asim, Zahra and Abdul-Rehman, and was set up “to help those in need of food in our local communities”.
Manzoor and Aiysha were first the friendly faces behind former curry business Barakah Foods – which was launched from their own kitchen in Whalley Range, before going from strength to strength and eventually moving into its own premises on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton – with Barakah Food Aid being launched alongside the business to help Manchester’s homeless and those living on the breadline.
But in August of 2018, the family decided to bid a fond farewell to their food business in order to put their full focus on their community work.
Barakah Food Aid may be based in South Manchester, but it is “willing to assist wherever we can”.
And this is a sentiment that has never been more powerful than over the past 11 months of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, where ongoing restrictions, sector closures and subsequent economic struggles have meant that more people have relied on, or required the use of foodbanks than ever before.
A report by charity The Trussell Trust – which runs a network of 1,300 foodbank centres across the UK – last November confirmed a 47% increase in support needed during the pandemic, with a record 1.2 million emergency food parcels being handed out in the first six months.
From April to September of 2020, more than 470,000 of the food parcels were delivered to children, which on average came to around 2,600 every day.
“We don’t do what we do for any attention in anyway.” Manzoor Ali tells us.
“But if what we do encourages others to lookout for their neighbours, then that’s our job done.
“It’s been a difficult 11yrs+ of doing what we do, but the last year has been off the scale, and mentally it’s really tested us [so] we feel so mush for those with diagnosed mental health issues and we can’t begin to imagine what they’re going through.”
He continued: “As a group, we sometimes feel that we’re part of the problem, but we want to be part of the success, and success will only be acknowledged when we our service is no longer needed [and] when foodbanks are shut.
“Until then, it feels like we’re just not doing enough, and much more needs to be done in order to bring foodbank numbers down.
“A society where registered foodbanks outnumber McDonalds restaurants, is a society that’s failing.”
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Can you help Barakah Food Aid help the local community by donating non-perishable food items, or even your volunteer time?
You can call 07506 527523, or email barakahfoodaid@gmail.com to find out more.
And don’t forget to keep up to date with all of the latest Barakah Food Aid updates throughout the duration of lockdown and beyond on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well.
Feature
Review | Snow Patrol roll back the years at Co-op Live for a mini-Manc’s first gig
Danny Jones
This weekend we enjoyed a new kind of live music experience: rediscovering the joy of listening to a childhood favourite by watching it through the eyes of the next generation – that was how we witnessed a fully-fledged arena return to Manchester for Snow Patrol at Co-op Live.
And it was special for lots of reasons.
Taking a little one to their first gig is something you’ll never forget and sharing a new-found connection with a band that you loved when you were their age is one of those magical things about music that we’re eternally grateful for.
You might assume the Snow Patrol crowd one skews a little older for the most part but we were pleased to see there were more than a few kids and teenagers donning tour tees, looking wide-eyed at the sheer size of the Co-op Live arena, and singing the words back better than Gary Lightbody at times.
Sees the sign: ‘Race you there!’ (Credit: Audio North)
Yes, the Belfast-born frontman made a few mistakes on the night, but it did add a rather laid-back quality to what many acts might have found a daunting performance: playing a sell-out night to around 23,500 fans inside the enormous state-of-the-art venue.
But, obviously, there wasn’t even a whiff of nerves from these lads.
You don’t get to have been around for this long and become as successful as they are without being able to relax on stage and lean into those idiosyncratic perfections that feel more like private moments shared between the artist and the crowd.
The young lad sat watching it with us certainly got a kick out of it and though we might not have been able to cover his ears in time to censor some light but ever-charming swear words (it always sounds better in Irish, don’t you think?), it made for some nice banter between him and the crowd.
Big props must go to Johnny McDaid on the keys too, who besides having written for the likes of Ed Sheeran, Robbie Williams, Alicia Keys, Biffy Clyro and countless others over the years, also managed to impress by playing the majority of this entire tour after having trapped his hand in a train door. OUCH.
Credit: The Manc Group
Not only was that little interlude up there with one of the most applause-worthy parts of the entire show, but we were always pretty blown away by what we saw, as we all as what we heard.
Be it watching a digital tree come to life, shed its leaves and then fall as petal confetti, two sheer semi-opaque paper-thin screens swirl to create the album cover art for their latest album, or kicking the gig off with ‘Take Back The City’ as a multicoloured skyline appeared behind them, it was all pretty incredible.
We even got to hear a personal favourite of ours, ‘Set Fire To The Third Bar’, complete with a virtual performance from the voice that truly makes the song: Martha Wainwright.
It was in moments like this when we turned to see a 10-year-old’s face not quite sure of what it was seeing but an open-mouthed expression confirming they were finding it as stunning as we were.
We thoroughly enjoyed going through the back catalogue and working our way right up to plenty of the songs from The Forest Is The Path – which Gary himself firmly believes is their best work yet when we interviewed him – but it was as visually stunning as it was to the gorgeous sonically.
Both proved to be a brilliant way to see the contemporary rock, indie and alternative veterans, but there’s something about giving them a stage as big as this that reminds you of just how much they deserve it.
Up there with one of the prettiest gig snapshots in our memory.Not quite a hologram but very cool nonetheless.The production levels are always top-tier at Co-op Live but the Snow Patrol set was much more impressive than we expected.
Last but not least, thanks to Co-op Live not just for having but for creating a little boy’s memory that he’ll never forget.
Flashbacks: The timelapse of the Trafford Centre construction that’s gone viral
Danny Jones
The Trafford Centre might look like some decadent Roman emperor’s palace or as if it was plucked from the heart of Ancient Grecian city, but as anyone old enough to remember it’s opening and/or construction will tell you, it seems strange to think its not even been around for three decades yet.
As Greater Manchester’s and one of the North West’s most famous shopping centres full stop, the iconic attraction first began being built back in 1996, when John Major was Prime Minister, Manchester United were still Premier League champions, Britpop was at its peak and George Michael was number one.
It’s fair to say that a lot has changed since then and although Oasis might be back come 2025, The Trafford Centre and surrounding area are pretty unrecgonisable compared to nearly 30 years ago.
All told, it took approximately 27 months to erect the neo-classical epicentre of all things shopping, leisure, food and fanciness – and here’s what the process looked like:
With the initial 14 million sq ft shopping centre being completed in September 1998 following approximately 810 days of work, The Trafford Centre debuted to the Manc public and beyond.
It took more than 3,000 builders to bring the 60 hectare site to life at the peak of construction and since then the plot has only grown bigger, bolder and more ambitious over time.
Present day, it has everything from cinema screens and a mini Legoland to a Sea Life location, multiple bowling alleys and countless other forms of entertainment beyond just rows of shops and restaurants – hence why it remains busy pretty much year-round.
Back then, British celebrities, popular local names of note, politicians, dignitaries and prominent figures from the retail industry got to visit as part of exclusive preview events in the days before its launch date.
You can see the spectacle and fascination surrounding the official opening event here:
Seems surreal watching this today but the construction of the Trafford Centre was a huge moment not just for 0161 but all of the North.
But of course, the entire complex itself has seen multiple extensions over the years, including massive developments such as Barton Square and The Great Hall.
At the outset, it cost more than £600 million to build The Trafford Centre; the major renovations mentioned above which took place in 2008 cost another £100m and the Trafford Palazzo revamp around a decade later came in at around £75m.
There has and always will be lots of money put behind this intruguing monument to modern consumerism, and big brands will continue to flock to open units within the huge expanse whenever they can: some of the most recent being Archie’s, Flying Tiger, Sephora, Tiffany, Gymshark and more.
We’ll admit the aesthetic still makes us double-take from time to time (though not as much as confused Londoners visiting for the first time), but it’s not like this part of the world hasn’t boasted plenty of other curiosities in the past…
Emily Sergeant -
17th February 2021 
