Neighbourhood Helpline

3rd September 2015

Did you know that Manchester Student Homes has dealt with just under 400 cases of anti-social behaviour in the past academic year? We’re receiving more and more complaints from students who are affected by noise nuisance and ASB caused by their peers. Ahead of the start of term, please take the time to remind your tenants of the expectations of their behaviour and also encourage  them to report any concerns to the Manchester Student Home managed Neighbourhood Helpline 0161 275 1863.

Get in touch with Poppy Humphrey, Off Campus Student Affairs Officer, at poppy.humphrey@manchester.ac.uk or on 0161 275 0750 for more information.

Important Off Campus Message 

11th April 2016

Dear students

Welcome back from your Easter break, as the nights get lighter and the weather improves (hopefully) it’s important that you are mindful of your personal safety and property security over the remainder of your time in Manchester. This includes, not leaving windows open and making sure you don’t walk home alone, at night.

Manchester Student Homes works closely with partners such as Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to ensure that students feel safe whilst living in Manchester. If you would like some advice or a free personal alarm or a fire safety check we can help arrange this for you.

In April, Manchester Student Homes will have a three week campaign looking at personal safety and household security entitled WOLF (Wary of Light Fingers). If you would like some promotional material with safety hints and tips please get in touch. 

If you require any further information or have any questions please get in touch. Manchester Student Homes works closely with landlords to ensure that support is given on a range of issues relating to student living in the community.

Yours sincerely

Poppy Humphrey

Off Campus Student Affairs Officer

Mumps - Important information for students

20th January 2016

There has been a case of mumps amongst the student population and we would appreciate your help in disseminating the ‘Protecting yourself against mumps’ information sheet to your student tenants.

Meningitis Awareness - Important Information for Students

9th October 2015

Please circulate the following poster to your student flats and households it contains some important information concerning Meningitis awareness.

There are also a number of apps which they might find useful:

http://bit.ly/1VaE7Ny

http://apple.co/1L7UFB4

http://bit.ly/1zw1nIl

If you are unable to save the picture you can also download the jpg image here.

Register to Vote

10th May 2016

Remember to Vote in the EU Referendum – 23rd June 2016

A referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union is taking place on Thursday 23rd June 2016.

British, Irish, Commonwealth and Overseas voters will be able to vote in this referendum as long as they are registered to vote.

If you are registered as a postal voter for parliamentary elections, you will also be registered to vote by post in the EU referendum (unless you have requested a temporary postal vote). The deadline for registering to vote by post in the Referendum is 5pm on Wednesday 8th June 2016.

Postal voting packs will be delivered to voters registered in the UK from Friday 27th May 2016. If you have reason to believe you will not be at your registered address between 27th May and 23rd June 2016 to receive, complete and return your postal vote, it is recommended that you appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf.

If you cannot make it to a polling station on the day of the referendum you can apply to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf. The deadline for appointing a proxy for the referendum is 5pm on Wednesday 16th June.

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11th April 2016

Local elections and EU Referendum – make sure YOUR vote counts

The countdown has begun to Manchester City Council local elections on Thursday 5 May.

Some 32 councillors – one in each of the city’s wards, representing one third of the council – will be elected by voters.

And with the crucial referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union being held on Thursday 23rd June, voters are being urged to make sure they are registered so they can have their democratic say.

Remember also that being registered to vote can improve your credit rating. Credit reference agencies use the electoral register to confirm your identity so registering to vote may help you to get credit such as loans, mortgages or even just a mobile phone contract. 

People will not be able to vote in local elections unless they have registered to vote by Monday 18th April. 

Anyone who is on the electoral register can also choose to register to vote by post. Applications for a postal vote in the forthcoming local elections must be received by 5pm on Tuesday 19th April. 

Registration is a quick and easy process. If you are not registered you can visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote to download a registration form. You will just need your date of birth and national insurance number. If you need to update your details (for example if you have moved house, or changed surname through marriage) or simply check whether you are on the register email esu@manchester.gov.uk or call 0161 234 1212. 

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23rd December 2015

All Manchester households should have received their annual electoral registration form by now. Some people don’t realise that they have to register every year. It’s a legal requirement  to complete the form and if you are not registered you can’t vote and could affect your credit rating – its quick and simple and if your details haven’t changed you can register by text, phone or online in less than 60 seconds. For more information visit reasonstoregister.co.uk.

Did you know that 60% of people who have moved house in the last 12 months are not registered to vote at their new address. This could affect your credit rating and ability to get a loan, mortgage or even a mobile phone contract. It takes just 5 minutes to register. Register to vote now at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

hidden gems

15th March 2016

The next Hidden Gems tour will take place tomorrow, Wednesday 16th March 2016 from 2pm. If you are interested in taking part or supporting as a Volunteer please send an email to Josh at joshua.payne@manchester.ac.uk or ring Manchester Student Homes on 0161 275 7756.

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1st March 2016

Hidden Gems Tours

As part of our ‘Halls 2 Home’ campaign, Manchester Student Homes have worked with student volunteers and long term residents to create ‘Hidden Gems’. The project highlights 25 of the local artistic, cultural, environmental and historic ‘gems’ that play an important part in the lives of local community members in Fallowfield.

We are organising community tours of the hidden gem sites in Fallowfield. The tour will take place on Wednesday 16th March 2016 from 2pm. The purpose of the tour is to bring together both permanent residents and students to learn more about the community and the cultural heritage of Fallowfield. Local PCSO’s will also be taking part in the tour and may have a story or two to tell as you travel between the sites. This will be the second round of tours, the first being a huge success and enjoyed by all who attended!

If you are interested in taking part or supporting as a Volunteer please send an email to Josh at joshua.payne@manchester.ac.uk or ring Manchester Student Homes on 0161 275 7756.

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24th November 2015

To launch the project, Manchester Student Homes organised community tours of the hidden gem sites, split into a Fallowfield and Withington tour, on Wednesday 11th November. The purpose of these tours was to bring together both permanent residents and students to encourage a sense of community.

The tours were a great success and would not have been possible without the help of our student volunteers from the Manchester Leadership Programme and our Manchester Student Homes accredited landlord volunteer tour guides: Ian Corcoran, Katherine Jacob and David Johnson (Johnson Homes). We would also like to thank Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council for their support in attending the tours. Their safety advice and knowledge of the local area was invaluable. Future tours will be taking place early next year and if you would like to take part or have any tales about the Hidden Gems sites please email Josh at joshua.payne@manchester.ac.uk.

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Hidden Gems begins...

As part of our ‘Halls 2 Home’ campaign, Manchester Student Homes have worked with student volunteers and long term residents to create ‘Hidden Gems’. The project highlights 25 of the local artistic, cultural, environmental and historic ‘gems’ that play an important part in the lives of local community members in Fallowfield and Withington. From this work a map of Fallowfield and Withington has been created showing the locations of these 25 ‘gems’.

To launch the project we are organising community tours of the hidden gem sites, split into a Fallowfield and Withington tour, on Wednesday 11th November from 1.30pm. The purpose of these tours is to bring together both permanent residents and students to encourage a sense of community. Through showing them the cultural heritage of Fallowfield and Withington we hope to inspire pride in our communities and add to its future. Local PCSO’s will also be taking part in these tours and would provide students/local residents with a good opportunity to ask questions about how to stay safe where they live.

Alongside the tours we are also running a selfie competition throughout November. The competition requires students to collect a Hidden Gems map from our office in Fallowfield (Manchester Student Homes, Unit 1-3 Ladybarn House, Moseley Road, Fallowfield, M14 6ND) and then visit 1 of the gem sites and take a selfie. These selfies then need to be:

1. uploaded to our Twitter page, @Man_Student_Hme, or

2. posted to our Facebook page, /Manchesterstudenthomes,

using #MSHHiddenGems. Each selfie you take at a different site improves your chances of winning (1 selfie per Hidden Gem site). The competition is open to individuals and groups and a winner/winning group will be selected at random and receive a prize.

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Hidden Gems Tours

30th October 2015

As part of our ‘Halls 2 Home’ campaign, Manchester Student Homes has worked with student volunteers and long term residents to create ‘Hidden Gems’. The project highlights 25 of the local artistic, cultural, environmental and historic ‘gems’ that play an important part in the lives of local community members in Fallowfield and Withington.

To launch the project we are organising community tours of the hidden gem sites, split into a Fallowfield and Withington tour. The tours will take place on Wednesday 11th November from 1pm. The purpose of these tours is to bring together both permanent residents and students to encourage a sense of community. Through showing them the cultural heritage of Fallowfield and Withington we hope to inspire pride in our communities and add to its future. Local PCSO’s will also be taking part in these tours and may have a story or two to tell as you travel between the sites.

To further the success of the launch we are looking for volunteers to act as tour guides and who better than the people who know Fallowfield and Withington best? You!

If you are interested in being a tour guide please send an email to Josh at joshua.payne@manchester.ac.uk or call 0161 275 7756.

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18th September 2015

As part of our ‘Halls 2 Home’ campaign, Manchester Student Homes have worked with student volunteers and long term residents to create ‘Hidden Gems’. The project highlights 25 of the local artistic, cultural, environmental and historic ‘gems’ that play an important part in the lives of local community members in Fallowfield and Withington. To promote the project, the Good Neighbours Team will be organising community tours of the different sites later in the year and will also be hosting a competition for groups of avid explorers.

If you would like to get involved or would like to find out more information please send an e-mail to Josh at joshua.payne@manchester.ac.uk.

For more information about the project visit our Community News & Projects page.

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28th April 2015

Would you be interested in working with Manchester Student Homes in finalising what will be included in our Hidden Gems maps? 

After two months researching the ‘gems’ in Fallowfield and Withington and meeting local residents, our student volunteers have submitted their ideas of what could be included into the hidden Gems maps, and we are currently looking for local community members to join us in deciding what will be included into the final version.

If you would like get involved, please contact Andrew Cross.

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join the steering group

14th April 2015

As the research stage of the Hidden Gems project nears completion, we are now looking for community members to join the steering group who will work with us in deciding what ‘gems’ will be included in the final community map. If you would like to work alongside Manchester Student Homes, community members and local residents on this exciting project, then please contact Andrew Cross.

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March 2015

Manchester Student Homes is launching a new and exciting volunteering project with The University of Manchester’s Volunteering and Community Engagement Division. This new project, Hidden Gems, aims to educate the student population on local artistic, cultural, environmental and historic ‘gems’ that play an important part in the lives of local community members.

This Hidden Gems project will form part of Manchester Student Homes’ ‘Halls 2 Home’ campaign, a project that aims to help students in their transition from on-campus to off-campus accommodation, including raising awareness of the responsibilities of living as part of the community.

This project involves producing a community map that will show ‘hidden gems’ in Fallowfield and Withington. This will be a pilot project with a view to extending the project across other off-campus areas in the future. This map will be used by long-term and student-residents to explore the community and to introduce both to new, unexplored places so as to better know the areas in which they live.

We are currently working with 6 enthusiastic students from The University of Manchester who are excited to be involved in this and they will be working on this project until completion, both in the research stage and then the subsequent production of the Hidden Gem map.

As part of this project we would be delighted to have input from long-term residents. During the initial research stage, we are asking our volunteers to meet with local landlords to discuss with them their ‘hidden gems’. These meetings would be arranged through us with supervision from staff from the University of Manchester, and will be held in public or at the Manchester Student Homes office.

If you would like to be involved to help shape this exciting project, please get in touch. We are aiming to complete the research and planning stage of this project before Friday 20^th March, so we would be grateful if you could get in touch before Friday 20^th February if you are interested in taking part. 

Student Safety Advice

MSH provide safety advice to returning students

14th October 2015

Over the last few weeks Manchester Student Homes have been welcoming students to the community by working with Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Services. We held stalls in Sainsbury’s, in Fallowfield, to talk to student and long term residents about our Neighbourhood Helpline; the answering machine service available to report any issues relating to students in the community. Visit our Neighbourhood Helpline page for more information.

The Police encouraged students on the day to register their electrical goods with Immobilise, especially their mobile phones. GMP also gave away lots of safety freebies such as personal alarms, light timers and merchandise with safety messages. We hope that this will always remind students to be careful and be more aware of their own safety. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Services gave advice to students to ensure that they had alarms fitted and reminded them that the GMFRS has a free checking service, this means a representative from the Fire Services can come round to the property  to check or fit a new fire alarm. The partnership initiatives ensured that we effectively informed students about how to stay safe both inside and outside of their home.

This exercise was carried out at the start of the academic year to target students when they first move into the area. We have had very good feedback from students and local residents about the initiative.

We hope to continue efforts for the rest of the year, if you would like to keep up with student safety news follow Manchester Student Safety on Facebook.

You can also get in touch with us on 0161 275 7680 or email manchesterstudenthomes@manchester.ac.uk should you need any advice or freebies for your tenants.

30th September 2015

The Good Neighbours Team at Manchester Student Homes have been working alongside Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Services to set up stalls in Sainsbury’s Fallowfield to promote student safety and welcome next students to the local area.

The Good Neighbours team were promoting the Halls 2 Home campaign by handing out the Neighbourhood Helpline, a 24 hour voicemail service for all members of the community (long term residents and students) to report issues or problems concerning students’ behaviour in residential areas. This was being handed out to complement the Welcome to the Community booklet sent out to all students before their arrival in Manchester. To learn more about the Good Neighbours team visit our website at http://www.manchesterstudenthomes.com/Pages/Community.

GMP were registering student electronics, such as mobile phones and laptops, on Immobilise the UK national property register. This register helps the Police to identify the owners of recovered property, whether they are stolen or lost, and combat the sale of stolen goods by alerting the second-hand trade & publicly checkable stolen goods database. To register your own electronics visit the Immobilise website.

The Fire Service were registering properties which lacked a working fire alarm and arranging appointments to fit a free alarm. If you would like to learn more visit Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Services.

These stalls have been very successful and the team managed to engage a high number of students and long terms residents.

If you would like to receive any of the information which were handed out for your tenants please email Josh Payne at joshua.payne@manchester.ac.uk or ring 0161 275 7756.

Volunteering Success

1st March 2016

Beauty of Bulb Planting

We thought you’d like to see the positive effect that Landlord volunteering is having on the local community. Thanks to our landlords for all their contributions in recent events  which have included:

• Tree base planting 

• Planting bulbs and flowers between Fallowfield & Withington

• Supporting Hidden Gems tours

• Helping out at Withington Baths!

​  

Some more events are as follows:

• Clean for the Queen 5th March

• Hidden gems

For more information on upcoming volunteering oppotunities please visit our A Plus page.

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16th February 2016

A Big MSH Thank you to Landlord Volunteers

Thank you to all our landlords and private hall representatives that have taken part in our MSH led landlord volunteers’ projects so far. Last week saw a number of our A Plus and accredited landlords help out at an Afternoon Tea event for local residents in care homes and at another event with local community members planting bulbs along Wilmslow Road. We are really pleased to see our landlords taking part and giving back to the local community!

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24th November 2015

As well as volunteering for Hidden Gems a few of our landlords have been busy and have volunteered for bulb planting at Withington Baths on Sunday 22nd November. The team did an amazing job planting daffodils, snowdrops, crocuses and mini hyacinths bulbs ready for Spring 2016. Although the general feedback was that it was very cold! It seems the landlords have enjoyed contributing to the community.

                                 Photo by Sian Astley (@Moregeous)

Landlord volunteering has been a recent addition to Manchester Student Homes; for our landlords to achieve A+ accreditation they must contribute 10 or more hours of volunteering in the community. We will be releasing many more events and volunteering opportunities in the near future. To join in, email Alice.Garside@manchester.ac.uk.

The GP and NHS

9th October 2015

We are working with the NHS in providing students with advice on their health, and information on GPs, pharmacy and dentists.  We would be grateful if you can download the leaflet 'Student Health Information' here and forward it to your student tenants.

The leaflet will also be available to landlords and agents in 'The GP and NHS' folder on Student Pad.  Click here to go to the folder.

You can also use this information as part of your 'Welcome Pack', when your new tenants move in.

It would also be a good opportunity to remind them to register for a GP.

Student Safety Initiative

19th March 2015

Last week the Greater Manchester Police team in south Manchester carried out a crime prevention initiative across the three campuses; The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and Royal Northern College of Music.

Inspector Andy Smith arranged for ad bikes to drive around the campuses and the student housing areas. They featured the Greater Manchester Police campaign artwork as well as the 60 second videos that were first publicised at the start of term. The objective was to reiterate their key messages around protecting yourself while out and about and ensuring you keep your home and valuables secure.

Below are the links of the Student Survival Guide videos for your reference:

Burglary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiZ_OV6vL4s

Theft and Robbery - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_BWZm_CL24

Bike Crime - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqCZsB8NVeM

Tail Gating - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNUdcZpZiDM

Using Cash Machines - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4oMCRxhA8s

Property Marking - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yKbzMTcsIs

Student Safety Campaign: ‘WOLF’  Wary of Light Fingers

10th May 2016

The ‘WOLF’ campaign is the safety element of our Halls 2 Home Project and focuses on educating students on personal safety both on and off campus. MSH has designed 4 mediums of promotional merchandise: WOLFIE themed masks and hand stamps reminding student to be careful when using ATM machines; WOLFIE logo bugs advising students not to walk home alone; and finally mobile phone themed mint boxes that contain information and a link to the Immobilise website. This is where you can register your electrical goods.

Throughout April, MSH in partnership with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has held safety stalls at Manchester Metropolitan University, The University of Manchester and Sainsbury’s Fallowfield. At these stalls we distributed the #WOLFIE promotional merchandise along with providing safety advice and guidance. The events were a huge success and enjoyed by both students and staff alike! Our mascot Wolfie attracted a lot of attention and we managed to capture a few of those moments below. We would like to thank everyone who took part and remember to stay wary of light fingers!

For more information about the WOLF campaign or our other projects please email Josh (Community Cohesion Intern) at joshua.payne@manchester.ac.uk.

International Student Safety Campaign at UKCISA Members Forum

16th February 2016

On the 10th February, Manchester Student Homes attended the UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) Members Forum. This was an opportunity for the team to showcase their International Student Safety Campaign which is currently being developed with internal and external partnership agencies, such as Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Services and the NHS. The event gathered members of UKCISA, a national advisory body providing information and guidance to overseas students, from Universities all over the UK and other interested organisations in order to share thoughts about issues facing international students.

The Good Neighbours Team at MSH secured funding for the project from UKCISA in August 2015 and also received match funding from the Student Safety Tactical Action Partnership. The campaign is a specific safety project that will educate and increase students' awareness on a wide range of issues relating to personal safety, property security, fire safety and health and wellbeing. The project will consist of International Student Safety Guides, tea towels with a map of the Student Safe Zones and an interactive safety video.

The forum enabled the opportunity for colleagues to discuss effective solutions and practical advice about issues facing international students, from sexual health to welfare and orientation.

Joshua Payne, The University of Manchester Community Cohesion Intern, delivered a presentation about the progress of the project, and we were delighted to receive positive feedback about our ideas and plans! The team also heard quick fire presentations for other institutions who have also received funding for their own projects.

Following a short introduction given by Alex D’Netto from Manchester's International Society, members of the forum had an opportunity to hear from a Student Panel, who discussed their own experiences about living in the UK. The students gave feedback on the ideas and initiatives that had been granted funding, and also offered some insight into how the projects could be developed further.

Interestingly, concerns raised by the Student Panel were similar to those identified by during MSH's initial consultation with international students studying in Manchester. MSH has further developed their consultation by working with The University of Manchester students on an academic research project, looking at the issue of international student safety. MSH will continue to work with partnership organisations and students themselves on this important project. We will provide further updates as the project develops!

Manchester Student Homes is now a Hate Crime 3rd Party Reporting Centre

29th March 2016

Manchester Student Homes is delighted to announce that we recently became a Hate Crime 3rd Party Reporting Centre. This was following Manchester Student Homes’ officer’s involvement in a series of events, activities and initiatives that took place during Hate Crime Awareness Week in February 2016. Hate crimes and incidents are targeted at a person because of hostility, prejudice or discrimination towards that person's disability, ethnicity, faith, belief or religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and alternative subcultures. Individuals who have been the victim of a hate crime can now come to our office and speak to a member of staff to receive support and guidance. Details of the crime will then be reported to Greater Manchester Police. All Manchester Student Homes’ officers have undertaken training delivered by GMP about hate crimes and how to support anyone who has been affected by this.

We would like to make our accredited providers aware of this new service and we actively encourage you to pass on this information to your student tenants who may wish to use this service in the future.

Cooper Healey, Manager of Manchester Student Homes advised: "We are delighted that MSH has been awarded the status of being a 3rd Party Reporting Centre. Student safety is a massive part of the work we do here at MSH and this is a service that can be extended to any person living or working in an off campus area such as students, landlords and long term residents. The Team are here to provide support on this issue and we encourage landlords to get in touch should they have any questions about the issue of Hate Crime."

For more information about Hate Crime, visit www.stophateuk.org or call 0800 138 1625.

Police can be contacted on 999 (Emergency) or 101 (Non-Emergency).

To report a hate crime directly please visit http://www.report-it.org.uk/your_police_force or click on the image below.

Afternoon Tea at Woolton Hall

16th February 2016

Manchester Student Homes in collaboration with The University of Manchester’s Pastoral Care Team and Ladybarn Community Centre organised and hosted a charity Afternoon Tea event at Woolton Hall on 3rd February 2016. The event was created for local residents in care homes around Fallowfield and Withington. Alongside the tea and cake there was music, bingo and the all-important raffle! 

The event was an excellent opportunity to bring together the communities various generations and for the younger generations to give something back. To do this we had a number of student volunteers and Manchester Student Homes accredited landlord volunteers helping out at the event, serving tea and cake and engaging with the residents socially. 

The event was a great success and we received excellent feedback from the both the residents and volunteers! In particular, the residents asked that we thank the catering staff at Woolton Hall for the exceptional quality of the food and drink provided. One resident stated:

‘We have had a brilliant afternoon and it has been fantastic to have the students involved. Events like this make a real impact and show the community that students do care!’ 

We would also like to thank the student volunteers, our MSH accredited landlord volunteers, Mark Hibbert from the University of Manchester’s Pastoral Care Team, Krysia Griffiths from Ladybarn Community Centre, MSH staff and everyone who donated gifts for the raffle. 

For more information about Manchester Student Homes and our events visit the Good Neighbours Team News and Projects page.

Community Audit

24th November 2015

This Wednesday, 25th November, we will be carrying out our monthly community audits. This time the area that we will be inspecting will be Brailsford, Braemar, Moseley and Balmoral area. We will be meeting at Brailsford Square at 1.30pm. During the audit we will be looking at various topics from housing, environment, safety and any other issues. We have also invited the Residents Association, so come along if you live in the area and want to meet other local residents. Chloe our local PCSO from Greater Manchester Police will be on patrol with us so this is an opportunity to ask any questions in regards to safety and security.

If you would like to suggest an area for the next community audit email Josh at Joshua.Payne@Manchester.ac.uk.

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10th November 2015

Join Community Audits

One of the roles of the Good Neighbours Team at Manchester Student Homes is to perform Community Audits. These audits are used to provide intrinsic street level intelligence to Manchester Student Homes and enable a holistic appreciation of localised issues facing all off campus areas. Going forward we’d like to carry these out with the people who know most about the local area - You!

The Good Neighbours Team would like to invite all members of the community to join us for our Community Audit on the Wednesday 25th November, from 1pm to 3pm, at Brailsford, Moseley, Braemar and Balmoral. Interested parties should meet at Manchester Student Homes at 12.30pm and Josh will take you over to the site.

Get in touch with Josh at joshua.payne@manchester.ac.uk for more information, to suggest an area or sign up to accompany the team on their audit.

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18th September 2015

One of the roles of the Good Neighbours Team at Manchester Student Homes is to perform Community Audits. These audits are used to provide intrinsic street level intelligence to Manchester Student Homes and enable a holistic appreciation of localised issues facing all off campus areas. Going forward we’d like to carry these out, with the people who know most about the local area - You!

The Good Neighbours Team would like to invite all members of the community to join us for our Fallowfield Community Audit on the 30th October 2015. Future Community Audits will take place on the last Friday of every month and a different area will be chosen each time.

For more information get in touch with Josh at joshua.payne@manchester.ac.uk to suggest an area or sign up to accompany the team on their audit.

Alcohol Impact

We’ve done it! We are officially NUS Alcohol Impact Accredited!

7th July 2015

On 23rd June 2015, the Home Office in London welcomed representatives from the 7 pilot institutions who participated in the NUS Alcohol Impact project. The project was created to make universities aware of their current practice to alcohol awareness and safety, and areas that they could improve through the audit process for accreditation. 

We started the day with Colum McGuire (Vice President) talking about the foundations of how this project came about. He stated that this project by no means wishes to eradicate student drinking, but instead hopes to encourage students to become more responsible. Each university was invited to the podium to receive their awards, and was asked to present three things that they have achieved from the Alcohol Impact Scheme as part of their acceptance speech. Many innovative ideas had come from various projects such as the taxi schemes, pancake pre-drinking nights, roller skating disco and even badminton in the dark! It was great to see universities suggesting creative approaches to how we can address the current drinking culture. 

We are very proud of how far this project has taken us. The video “Dangers of Large Scale Parties” created by The Union MMU with the help of Manchester Student Homes for the Alcohol Impact Project is just about to hit 10,000 views!

We will continue to work with The Union MMU to maintain our efforts with the Alcohol Impact Project; we look forward to many great things to come. 

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14th May 2015

Manchester Student Homes has been working with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) on an Alcohol Impact Project currently being run by the National Union of Students (NUS).

Funded by the Home Office, the aim of this project is to change social norms around alcohol consumption amongst students and to shape new attitudes towards responsible alcohol consumption. Ours was one of seven UK  institutions which saw partnerships between Universities and Students’ Unions to pilot Alcohol Impact.  

The main aims of the project are to promote a responsible approach to alcohol both on and off campus, improve  the health and wellbeing of students and create a more inclusive environment for students.

Over the year there have been a huge number of outcomes deriving from Alcohol Impact, including a number of  non-alcohol related events held both on and off campus including the February Community Fun Fest which attracted over 300 students.

The project resulted in the production of a 60 second video created by students, warning of the dangers of large scale house parties and excessive alcohol consumption, featuring student volunteers and local residents, receiving  over 9,000 hits on You Tube .

To see the video click here. We’ll keep you posted with further developments about the project over coming months, but in the meantime for more information about Alcohol Impact please visit http://alcoholimpact.nus.org.uk/.

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14th April 2015

Poppy and Jess from the Good Neighbours Team at  MSH have been busy working with MMU: Union on the NUS ‘Alcohol Impact’ national pilot project being funded by the Home Office. 

The primary aims are to:

• Promote responsible behaviour on campus and in the community

• Improve health and wellbeing of students

• Create a more inclusive environment for students

As part of the project there are a number of criteria that the University and the Students’ Union must work together to achieve with a ‘kite mark’ being awarded to those demonstrating success against the criteria. As part of the project the Off Campus Student Affairs Officer worked in partnership with MMU: Union to create a 60 second video looking at the negative impact of house parties in the community. To date there have been 9043 hits via You Tube. More information about the project can be found on the NUS website.

This Wednesday will see us getting audited by student volunteers to see if we can achieve accreditation-we’ll keep you posted!

Welcome your tenants to the community!

3rd September 2015

Manchester Student Homes has created a handy guide for students living off campus. The guide provides lots of useful hints and tips including, a moving in checklist, area guide, housing advice and information about how to get involved with local community groups and activities. We’ll be sending the guide to all second year students returning, to live in the private sector, at the beginning of September, that’s just under 10,000 students! If you’d like spare copies for your tenants, please get in touch with Poppy, Off Campus Student Affairs Officer, at poppy.humphrey@manchester.ac.uk.

Too view the 'Welcome to the Community' booklet please choose from the links below:

          The University of Manchester - Welcome to the Community Guide

          Manchester Metropolitan University - Welcome to the Community Guide

You can direct students to our Community pages.

volunteering opportunity

11th April 2016

Withington Campaign Day

Withington Civic Society and Southway Housing Association are hosting an event to cleaning up Withington Village. Interested parties please contact Withington Civic Society directly.

A Plus landlords will be granted hours towards their volunteering commitment but we would welcome all landlords to come and take part. This is a chance to give back something positive to the community in which you run your business.

For more information about A Plus Accreditation please contact Alice Garside, Housing Caseworker, at alice.garside@manchester.ac.uk. 

Further volunteering opportunities are available on our A Plus page.

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16th February 2016

Community Volunteering Opportunity for Landlords

Manchester Student Homes is working with student and community volunteers this week to raise awareness about security, and waste and recycling along the Braemer, Brailsford and Moseley Road areas. We are looking to recruit landlords to volunteer their time to deliver an information leaflet and speak to as many students and residents in the area about the importance of correct waste and recycling as well as keeping the secure alley gates locked so as to avoid property insecurity.

The exercise will take place as follows:

All volunteers are to meet at the Manchester Student Homes office.  There will be a briefing at 1.30pm today.

A Plus landlords will be granted hours towards their volunteering commitment but we would welcome all landlords to come and take part. This is a chance to give back something positive to the community in which you run your business.

For more information please contact Alice Garside, Housing Caseworker, at alice.garside@manchester.ac.uk. 

Further volunteering opportunities are available on our A Plus page.

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18th November 2015

planting at withington baths

We have some more volunteering opportunities open to landlords. This is a great way to be more involved in your local community and support the area in which you run your business.

A plus landlords must complete at least 10 hours of volunteering per year to retain their A plus status, however all landlords are welcome and encouraged to volunteer.

The following opportunity is available:

Withington Baths - a community led leisure facility and community space:

‘We have recently taken delivery of a mountain of spring bulbs, donated by Manchester City Council. As winter approaches, we need to get these daffodil, crocus, hyacinth and snowdrop bulbs safely in the ground and so we are having a Planting Day on Sunday 22nd November from 11am.

If you're good with a trowel and don't mind getting your nails mucky, we'd love it if you could spare us a couple of hours, to help plant a riot of spring colour in our Burton Road facing lawns. Just reply to this email if you can, with the time you can do. We're aiming to finish by 3pm.

You don't need specific gardening skills, just lots of enthusiasm, and we'll reward you with ample hot drinks and biscuits. Remember too, there's no such thing as bad weather - only bad clothing, so get those wellies, gloves and thermals out and come join us in the garden!’

To sign up please contact Withington Baths on 0161 445 1046 or email reception@lovewithingtonbaths.com.

You should take an MSH volunteer sign off sheet which is available on our A Plus page.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Alice by email on alice.garside@manchester.ac.uk to discuss further.

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4th November 2015

hidden gems tours

As part of the Good Neighbours Team ‘Halls 2 Home’ campaign, Manchester Student Homes have worked with student volunteers and long term residents to create ‘Hidden Gems’. The project highlights 25 of the local artistic, cultural, environmental and historic ‘gems’ that play an important part in the lives of local community members in Fallowfield and Withington. From this work a map of Fallowfield and Withington has been created showing the locations of these 25 ‘gems’.

To launch the project we are organising community tours of the hidden gem sites, split into a Fallowfield and Withington tour, on Wednesday 11th November from 1.30pm. The purpose of these tours is to bring together both permanent residents and students to encourage a sense of community. Through showing them the cultural heritage of Fallowfield and Withington we hope to inspire pride in our communities and add to its future. Local PCSO’s will also be taking part in these tours and would provide local permanent residents/students with a good opportunity to ask questions about how to stay safe where they live.

To ensure that the tours run as smoothly as possible, a pilot run of the tours are taking place with student volunteers on Thursday 5th November from 1.30pm-3.30pm. This will involve determining the total running time of the tours and the best route/order in which to visit the gem sites. To help support this we are looking for Landlord volunteers to help the students and to be tour guides on the 11th November. If you would like to get involved please email joshua.payne@manchester.ac.uk  or call on 0161 275 7756.

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23rd October 2015

Our first volunteering opportunity is already upon us. Manchester Student Homes works closely with the wider community and supports Withington Baths which is a community led swimming bath and leisure centre. They are currently looking to recruit volunteers to help some much needed cleaning, painting and repair work to create a new space in the centre for all members of the community to enjoy.

Manchester Student Homes welcomes all landlord who wish to volunteer for this whether they are applying for the A+ or not. If you are interested you would need to be available on Friday 30th October or Saturday 31st October, whether all day, or simply for a couple of hours. Any hours you do will count towards A+ volunteering.

Withington Baths need willing and enthusiastic volunteers to help clean, strip, paint, sort and prepare for all types of work, both light weight and heavy duty.

‘The more hands on deck, the faster we can make Withington Baths even more of a success.’

If you are interested in this opportunity please contact Withington Baths by email at reception@lovewithingtonbaths.com.

If your volunteering is in relation to the A+ standard please download the certificate, get it completed and signed by the event holder, and then send a copy to Alice Garside via e-mail or bring it into the office. 

Waste Management and Recycling

20th January 2016

Following the return of your tenants from the Christmas break we would like to send out a reminder to Landlords to encourage your students to continue recycling as much as possible. Students make a massive contribution to the recycling process and we would like this to continue. Recycling can also act as an important security measure by preventing potential thieves from being aware of what is in the property. The cardboard boxes of new and expensive electrical devices, such as those received as gifts over Christmas, can act as an inventory list to thieves and make your property a high valued target.

As a general reminder, bins should ideally be put out the evening before collection day and brought back to the property on collection day. This is vital to keeping waste levels down, including the smell that can arise with waste, and to ensure none of your bins go missing.

For more information please visit the Manchester City Council website.

Halls 2 Home receives international recognition

31st March 2015

Manchester Student Homes’ Halls 2 Home campaign, recently featured in an article in The Mancunion, has appeared in the International Town and Gown Association’s Dateline.  ITGA’s dateline is a weekly round-up of college town news from across the world.

Halls 2 Home is run by The Good Neighbours Team at Manchester Student Homes.  This project has been developed over the past three academic years and runs a series of events, educational awareness campaigns and volunteering opportunities.

Aims of Halls 2 Home include:

• Developing an awareness of the local community among students in Halls of Residence.

• Educating students of the responsibilities of living as part of a community and the practical steps they can take to become good neighbours via education campaigns, events and initiatives.

• Engaging and facilitating student involvement in local community groups and activities.

• Establishing and delivering a programme of events which facilitate students engaging with long term residents both on and off campus.

• Aiding student transition from on-campus to off-campus accommodation and ensuring that students feel supported as they begin to live in the private sector.

• Responding to challenges or issues surrounding students in the community.

Keep up to date with Halls 2 Home or follow us on Twitter (@man_student_hme).

Royal Northen College of Music

As you may be aware, MSH works closely with the Royal Northern College of Music. The RNCM offer a series of free lunchtime concerts throughout the season, with solo and duo recitals taking place most Mondays, orchestras and ensembles most Thursdays, and chamber music on selected Fridays.

You can find more information at http://www.rncm.ac.uk/series/lunchtime-concerts/.

Over 50's Sport Session

Armitage Sports Centre

(Moseley Road, Fallowfield, M14 6PA)

Fridays 10-12pm

£3 per person

Fancy having a great time playing badminton and table tennis, having fun whilst keeping active? The Over 50's session at the Armitage Sports Centre will be the perfect opportunity for you. This informal session is open to everyone, regardless of skill or experience. All equipment is provided for you in a fantastic, welcoming environment. For more information, please don’t hesitate to phone the Armitage Sports Centre on 0161 306 9988 or visit the main reception.

Alcohol Impact Video Dry Month Challenge

14th May 2015

Following the success of the Alcohol Impactvideo, Manchester Student Homes will be collaborating with The Union MMU again to make another video. For this video we also have additional support from MMU Residential Life Team and Zion Centre (The Big Life Group, Hulme). This video intends to look at alcohol and drinking culture. We are looking for landlord input on how this video may look.

We are also looking for landlords available June/August who are up for a challenge. Participants will be challenged to do a ‘dry’ month of no alcohol and record their experience through diaries and video logs. If you are interested in participating in the challenge and/or the discussion click here to sign up.

British Heart Foundation End of Year campaign

28th May 2015

Manchester Student Homes is working with the BHF and Manchester City Council to make it easier for students and long-term residents to donate unwanted belongings at the end of the academic year. Look out for the BHF donation bags which will be distributed in May and make a real difference to people living with heart disease. The Good Neighbours Team have been busy working with Manchester City Council to make sure local households in off campus areas have recycling bags for this brilliant initiative.

If you’d like to be some bags for yourselves or tenants, please register to the Give It Don’t Bin It mailing list. There is now a partnership website for your student tenants, please take a few moments to read more about this project and signpost your tenants to http:/bit.ly/McrStudents.

Keeping the Streets Clean!

1st July 2015

Manchester Student Homes has been contacted by a number of concerned community members about the build of rubbish and fly tipping that may have occurred due to the changeover of tenancies. We have received photographs of the local area where bins are overflowing and items are being left on the street. Not only does this make the area look untidy, it can also be a health hazard and attract unwanted pests to your property.

Whilst we would expect the student tenants to clear away all their own rubbish and recycle any leftover items, unfortunately this doesn’t always happen. We are sure all Manchester Student Homes landlords are complying with the Code and ensuring the exterior of the property is clean and tidy and removing any rubbish left by the tenants. However we would like to remind you that this is an important issue for Manchester Student Homes and the local community, and we expect all landlord to exercise due diligence to ensure that this doesn’t occur at their properties.

Please also be aware that Manchester City Council can also take action against any tenant/ landlord that have failed in their obligations to remove waste and recycling accordingly. If you require any advice on waste and recycling please contact Manchester Student Homes on 0161 275 7680 and we will be happy to help. We still have our collection open for any unused food at the office and welcome any donations.

Important Message for Students regarding Council Tax

9th October 2015

Are you a student? Make sure you register for council tax.

As a student, you need to register for council tax, providing full details of all residents in your property. This will ensure that you are billed properly and that any reductions or exemptions are awarded. If everyone at a property is a full-time student, no one is counted and the property is exempt. Students who live in a hall of residence don’t have to pay any council tax. Register now, or you could incur bailiff costs. Visit manchester.gov.uk/counciltax for more information and to apply for exemptions.

Hate Crime Awareness Week

2nd February 2016

Next week is Hate Crime Awareness Week (8th -14th February). To help raise awareness amongst the student population Manchester Student Homes and Greater Manchester Police will be hosting stalls in Sainsbury’s Fallowfield on Wednesday 10th February, 2.30pm – 4.30pm. Come down and find out more about hate crimes and how to report them. This information will be of great use to Landlords to help spot potential hate crimes and valuable information to pass on to your tenants.

Hate crime are any crimes that are targeted because of hostility or prejudice to disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation and transgender identity. Please share information with your tenants on how to report, should they or someone they know be a victim of hate crime:

• Call Greater Manchester Police on 101. If it’s an emergency always call 999.

• Fill in the online reporting form - http://www.report-it.org.uk/your_police_force

• Fill in the form on the True Vision hate crime reporting site for England and Wales

• Get in touch with our Partnership Teams. A list of your local experts can be found on the GMP website.

• Visit a reporting centre. These are independent, non-police centres that allow you to report events in total confidence. If you don’t want to talk to anyone, you can pick up a self-reporting pack.

Reporting Centres:

• Advice Services, The University of Manchester Students’ Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR, 0161 275 2952

• The Union: MMU, 21 Higher Cambridge Street, Manchester, M15 6AD, 0161 247 6533

phishing message

23rd December 2015

We have recently been informed by The University of Manchester’ Student Services that a number of students have received phishing emails.  A sample of the email is below:

Please kindly inform your student tenants that this message is not from The University of Manchester and that they should not click on the link nor should they provide any bank details.

Students from other institutions should be aware that such phishing emails are being sent out and they should be vigilant upon receiving similar emails.

Good Luck in your January Exams!

20th January 2016

January is a very busy time for students and Manchester Student Homes would like to wish all students the best of luck with their exams! We would like Landlords to be aware of this critical period of time and to pass on to your tenants the link below to an exam support page on The University of Manchester Library website. This highlights revision support and wellbeing sessions during the exam period which may be of use to your tenants. To all MMU students we would like to congratulate you on finishing your exams and to ask that you continue to show consideration for the UoM students who are in their exam period.

http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/services-and-support/students/support-for-your-studies/my-learning-essentials/revision-support-sessions/

The University of Manchester Fallowfield Student Village

20th July 2015

Please find here information regarding a number of events scheduled over the next few weeks, which will detail plans for the redevelopment of the Fallowfield Campus.

These sessions will be an opportunity for local residents and community stakeholders, including local landlords, to learn more about proposals for the site.

There will be representation from the University of Manchester and Manchester City Council to answer any questions you may have about the redevelopment.

If you have any problems opening the attachment, the dates are as follows:

Thursday 30th July 2015
8am-11am and 4pm-7pm
Source Café, Fallowfield Student Campus

Wednesday 12th August 2015
8am-11am and 4pm-7pm
Source Café, Fallowfield Student Campus

Saturday 15th August 2015
9am-12pm
Sainsbury’s, Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield

Landlord Volunteering Opportunity with Manchester Fire and Rescue Services

11th April 2016

An opportunity to volunteer with our partners at Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Services (GMF&RS) has become available. This is available to all landlords but for our A+ landlords you will need to contact them on the details below to take part and take an MSH volunteer sheet with you to have your hours signed off whenever you volunteer and return these forms to alice.garside@manchester.ac.uk. The volunteering certificate is available to download here or by request from MSH.

Message from GMF&RS

COME AND JOIN US at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

Hope you all had a great Easter break, and are ready for a bit of sunshine

We have a number of opportunities that may interest you:

1)    Thinking of Volunteering with us?

Volunteering is a great way to contribute to the work we do in our many communities across Greater Manchester; join our internal pathways for opportunities; and gain valuable experience to enhance your CV. 

We are on the look-out for Community Fitness Volunteers to help promote fitness activities across Greater Manchester. Fitness and sporting activities are a great way of bringing together communities of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, and we are looking for highly motivated individuals who can use all their determination and ability to make a big impact. 

We are also looking for people to join as Volunteer Cadet Instructors in Stockport, Irlam, Bolton and Hyde, who have an enthusiasm, drive and passion for working with young people. Our Cadet programme is a key part of our support for young people to develop skills and knowledge to become great role models in their communities. 

You can find more information about these and all opportunities with GMFRS on our website at www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/jobs.

2)    We are holding a series of Firefighter Taster events, which gives those of you interested in Firefighter roles, an insight into what it takes to be a Firefighter. Our Firefighters are central to helping keep our communities safe, and we're really keen to support you in developing your career with us. 

The events are held at our Training and Development Centre in Manchester, and we have a session left on Saturday 23rd April. We are currently at capacity for these sessions, and have a waiting list, so if you would like to add yourself to the list then please email jobs@manchesterfire.gov.uk with ‘Firefighter Taster’ in the subject area.

We'd also love you to stay in touch, so please follow us on Twitter and Facebook where you can find out what we’re up to and hear more about the latest developments in the Service.

If you have any questions about any of these opportunities then please contact us on 0161 608 4244 or jobs@manchesterfire.gov.uk.

welcome milena

16th February 2016

Manchester Student Homes recently welcomed a new member to the Good Neighbours Team, Milena Pretko. She is the Manchester Metropolitan University’s Community Cohesion Intern. As a part of The Good Neighbours Team and MMU she will be working on the Halls 2 Home Campaign supporting students during their transition from Halls of Residence to living in off campus areas.

Having experience in undertaking community work she understand its importance and values, hence, she is looking forward to contributing to the effective delivery of this project. Milena would be really keen to hear from students, long term residents and partner organisations about the campaigns we have planned for rest of the year and how we can work better together.  She would also be grateful for any thoughts or suggestions you may have about future events we could organise to improve community cohesion. You can email her at milena.mandziuk@manchester.ac.uk.

Increasing problem with Litter

2nd February 2015

Manchester Student Homes performs community audits once every week around the local area to gain street level intelligence. An increasing problem that has been noted is the levels of litter that surround a number of properties. These properties have been recorded and persistent offenders will be contacted for further action.

We would like Landlords to remind their students to dispose of waste correctly and recycle whenever possible. Students may also need reminding that they must also maintain the appearance of the outside of the property, not just the inside, if they fail to do so it then becomes the responsibility of the Landlord to take action. Please refer to sections 1.17g and 1.19 of the Code of Standards which highlight this responsibility. In particular 1.19 e states ‘the exterior of the property, including boundary walls, paths and gardens, are properly and safely maintained, in accordance with Housing Health and Safety Rating System (“HHSRS”), so as not to detract from the appearance of the area’.

Caketober

10th November 2015

caketober conclusion

On the 29th of October we had our first ever Caketober. Thank you to those of you that came along on the day and made donations. Also a big thank you for those special landlords who also baked a cake!

On the day we enjoyed lots of cake, tea and coffee and discussed various community projects. Talking with residents about different community projects has really inspired us. Manchester Students Homes hopes to continually support Forever Manchester and to raise even more money in the future.

The amount raised totalled £130; this will go into the big pot at Forever Manchester. Forever Manchester is currently at £7,930 (including that raised at Manchester Student Homes) this means they are only £2,070 off their target of £10,000. Any further donations however big or small will make a difference. The money will fund many community projects all over Manchester.

If you would like to donate directly please visit:

http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/forevermanchester/caketober2015

To find out about more please visit:

http://www.caketober.com/

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14th October 2015

BAKE, DRESS UP, RAISE MONEY

Following the success of Manchester Student Homes' recent Macmillan Coffee Morning we have had a huge amount of requests from landlords and community members for a further, similar event.  Thank you to those of you that came along on the day and made donations. We will be releasing the final amount we raised when we receive our certificate from Macmillan.

To continue the good work, Manchester Student Homes invites you to its first ever Caketober. The Caketober event will comprise of the community, tea, coffee, cake and then some more cake. To coincide with the Halloween celebrations our Caketober event will be held on Thursday 29th October 10am - 1pm, at Manchester Students Homes' Office (Unit 1-3 Ladybarn Road, Moseley Road, Manchester, M14 6ND).

Although fancy dress is optional, we dare you to try and scare us in the spirit of Halloween celebrations, and we’d be grateful if you could extend the invitation to your tenants too! The most important part of the day will be having fun and raising lots of money for the community.

“Forever Manchester Funds and supports thousands of community projects across Greater Manchester. Over the last 24 years Forever Manchester have delivered over £35 million into local communities benefiting 1.1 million people”

Manchester Student Homes fully support all the great work that Forever Manchester does; Community Cohesion is something we really strive for here and is within our Good Neighbours Team ethos.

Maybe event Captain Manchester will drop by for a flying visit! To find out about more visit the Caketober website.

Farewell to Jess

20th January 2016

We recently said goodbye to Community Cohesion Intern Jessica Cheung. Jess has been a most valued member of the Manchester Student Homes Team and brought her creativity and enthusiasm to everything she did. Jess has been responsible for leading on a plethora of innovative and exciting projects such as Community Fun Fest, Brunch at Birley, International Student Safety, Caketober, NUS Alcohol Impact and many more.

Chill Fest - Success of Event Held to Promote Community Cohesion

28th May 2015

On Sunday 17th May in Old Moat Park, Manchester Student Homes held Chill Fest, a free one-day event themed around relaxation open to all in the community.

Chill Fest was a great opportunity for all local residents to come together in a relaxed and family-friendly environment.

As part of this event, all attendees had the chance to take part in sport sessions, yoga tutorials and mindfulness sessions, as well as to indulge in some delicious free health food and drink. “It was a fantastic opportunity to expose all the positive things students do for the community and to open up dialogue between students that live in south Manchester with local residents and community groups. There was a real mix of students and local residents there and it was really clear to anybody there that south Manchester is a vibrant and diverse neighbourhood.” – Ellen McLaughlin, Community Officer, The University of Manchester Students’ Union.

Chill Fest was organised by a partnership between The University of Manchester Students’ Union, The Union MMU, RNCM Students’ Union and Manchester Student Homes, demonstrating how all partner organisations with a commitment to the local community are working together to achieve community cohesion.

Chill Fest was the second in a series of one-day events which aims to improve cohesion in key off-campus areas. This series, which started with Community Fun Fest in February 2015, provides a valuable opportunity for students to learn more about the off-campus areas in which they live as well as helping to support agency partners in delivering health, household security and personal safety information and advice.

Thanks to those landlords who popped down to support us on the day. For more information on Chill Fest and the series of one-day events, please contact Andrew.cross-2@manchester.ac.uk or jessica.cheung@manchester.ac.uk

Manchester Student Homes MacMillan Coffee Morning

30th September 2015

Manchester Student Homes held its annual Macmillan Coffee Morning on Friday 25th September to bring together people of the community to have a good catch up over coffee and cake. It was wonderful to see many of our Manchester Student Homes accredited landlords at the event. Thank you to all who had donated and made or bought cakes for the event.  All the left over cake was sold to students living in Owens Park Halls of Residence and donated to a local housing shelter. The morning raised £200 pounds so far, we are still collecting money for this great cause. Last year we raised slightly more, so please dig deep!

MacMillan Coffee Morning is such a worthy cause supporting many cancer patients throughout the UK. Here are a few things that your money could go towards:

• £27 could pay for a MacMillan nurse to spend an hour with someone who has just been told they have cancer.

• £62 could help someone with cancer claim the benefits that they are entitled to. 

• £175 could enable a person living with cancer to heat their home when they really need to.

If you would like to help this worthy causes come into Manchester Student Homes office and donate in one of the donation boxes. Alternatively you can buy a raffle for £1, the winner will get £8000! Ask a MSH receptionist for more information. Lastly you can donate via text by texting ‘CUP 8AF’ to 70550, each text will donate £5 and will be added to the total. 

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18th September 2015

Come along to Manchester Student Homes office on Friday 25th September, from 10am to 1pm. Last year’s Macmillan Coffee Morning provided a great chance for people who love and care for the local communities to get together in an informal setting to discuss their work. Not only was it a good chance to meet people involved in community relations, we also managed to raise over £290 for a good cause! So this year we are doing an even bigger event in hopes to raise more money to continue the support of cancer patients. Bring a mug (and/or a yummy cake) and let’s get donating! 

If you are unable to attend and still would like to support Macmillan you can in your donations by sending CUP 8AF to 77050 (One text will donate £5).