Stay informed. Take action.
We’re committed to keeping you in the loop…
We’ll be publishing regular updates containing just some of the latest policy developments in Greater Manchester and Lancashire that align with our charity’s core objectives.
In addition to policy updates and news, we’ll also spotlight our ongoing campaigns and upcoming events, so watch this space.
Hopefully these updates will inspire you to actively participate and make a difference in your community. We’d love to hear from you if you do, so get in touch and let us know what you’ve been up to.
Housing and homelessness:
Manchester City Council invests £50m in ‘transformational upgrades’ to social housing
We believe everybody deserves a safe, secure and decent home and firmly advocate for investment into social housing to help us end homelessness and tackle bad housing.
Manchester city council recently announced that people living in social housing are to receive a ‘transformational investment’ to their homes before 2026. Funding has been approved to improve more than 2,000 homes including new bathrooms, kitchens, boilers etc. Some of the budget will also be reserved to enhance safety across high rise blocks and invest in essential adaptations for disabled residents to improve accessibility.
Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said: “This is one of the biggest investments in Council-owned homes in many years and is a clear commitment to our residents to deliver a social housing sector that our tenants can trust – and homes they can be proud to live in”.
Find out more about this here.
Children and families:
‘One-stop-shops’ to support children and families opening in Burnley, Pendle and Ribble Valley:
A network of ‘family hubs’ has been designed to offer comprehensive local support to young people and their parents or caregivers in Burnley, Pendle, and Ribble Valley. The primary objective of these facilities is to make support easily accessible for those who need it.
The range of support services provided is extensive, covering everything from baby feeding guidance and family counselling to assistance for youngsters with special educational needs. The goal is to combine accessibility with simplicity, making these hubs the first point of contact for families seeking assistance.
This comes from the idea that people needing support shouldn’t have to retell their story to several different services and should be able to access all the assistance they need from one place.
These family hubs are a significant step toward creating a supportive and integrated network for families in our community, ensuring they receive the assistance they need with ease and efficiency.
Hub locations:
Pendle: Brierfield Family Hub, Tunstill Square, Brierfield, BB9 5GZ.
Burnley: Tay Street Family Hub, 21 Tay Street, Burnley, BB11 4BU.
Ribble Valley: Clitheroe Children and Family Wellbeing Services, Wesleyan Row, Parson Lane, Clitheroe, BB7 2JY.
Access to essential services:
Ribble Valley MP gives backing to mental health campaign:
Increasing access to essential support such as mental health services is one of Caritas Salford’s core advocacy objectives, and we work to remove the barriers to accessing such services.
In the wake of Suicide Prevention Week in September, Nigel Evans, Member of Parliament for Ribble Valley, joined calls urging people in East Lancashire to openly discuss their mental health and reach out for support. Engaging conversations have been held to assess the ongoing efforts to aid those in need and to prevent suicide.
This campaign’s primary goal is to shine a spotlight on various mental health charities and organisations. Creating an atmosphere where individuals feel empowered to share their mental health challenges and seek assistance when necessary.
We believe in communities where mental health is openly discussed, stigma is removed, and support is readily available for all who need it.
Accessibility:
Northern trains to trial British Sign Language (BSL) announcements:
At Caritas Salford, we’re also fighting to remove the need for any barriers that exclude people from participating fully in society. The introduction of BSL announcements on train services is a great example of how services can be designed and delivered in a way that can be accessed and understood by as many people as possible.
According to census data, British Sign Language (BSL) is the primary language for 22,000 individuals. Recognising this diversity, Northern Rail has recently unveiled plans to trial BSL service announcements on screens between Leeds and Manchester Victoria, with implementation set to be completed by the end of the year.
This initiative is aimed at enhancing the rail travel experience for their customers and instilling greater confidence in train travel within the local community.
By embracing BSL in their announcements, Northern Trains is taking a significant step toward inclusivity, making travel more accessible.
This initiative aligns with our vision of creating a society where no one is excluded due to communication barriers.