COVID

Here, we aim to create the best information resource for Greater Manchester residents to find out how to thrive during the COVID–19 pandemic. We will share local businesses, cultural institutions and community groups operating during this time. The aim is to be a mutually beneficial operation, first helping residents stay active, healthy, learning and engaged, and secondly helping local businesses attract new clients during this time.

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Keep safe, keep distant and keep happy!

Find paid opportunities

Employ GM connects employers who have urgent temporary vacancies with individuals across Greater Manchester, who are available to start working straight away during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Greater.jobs lists jobs in the public sector. The Hut group anounced 100s of new positions. 

Call out in case of an emergency

Here you can find a list of COVID-19 emergency helplines. Read essential advice.

Find work in the creative sector

The Manchester International Festival has curated the GM Artist Hub.

Get advice on mental health

Join Kooth, an mental wellbeing community.  Check out well-being tools shaped around your life experiences.  Check out new mental health services introduced in response to COVID-19. Access crisis suport. 

Be Happy

Grow your garden with RHS Bridgewater. Meditate with mediStation. Connect with wellbeing Manchester.

Have (socially distanced) fun!

Every weekend United We Stream will feature musicians from Manchester and across the UK. On May 21st, Manchester's Jazz Festival goes live! See students from Chetham's perform. Here live recordings from Band on the Wall and dive into arts and culture at Home. 

Explore the local culture!

Listen to guided museum tours with Meet me at the Museum. Watch breathtaking plays at the National Theatre. Check out Manchester's Homemakers.

Read 😊 stories

Check out Good News Manchester for daily positivity. See examples of tech innovations to support people during COVID-19. Get inspired by the technicians who built 3D printed PPE for NHS staff. Read Tortoise media for slower, wiser news. 

Learn something new

Udacity is offering one month of free access! NVCO offers training for voluntary organisations. PyData and Open Data Manchester offer online workshops.

Entertain kids

Check out 5 great virtual events for kids to try at home and Z-arts, an arts and theatre for children and families.

Access community support and funding

Forever Manchester is giving out funding of up to £5000 to community groups around Manchester responding to Covid.


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Digital Pi Project

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Our Digital Pi fundraising project has now come to an end. Thanks to many people’s kind donations, we have raised £1001, which we have used to buy and deliver Raspberry Pi devices to Intouniversity Students!
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Below you can find a brief history and some pictures of our project, as well as the Digital Inclusion organisations we have worked with to make this project happen.

First we say thanks...

- Thanks to GMCA Digital for putting together the Digital Taskforce to help collaborative efforts amongst NGOS, businesses and schools to enable digital inclusion in Greater Manchester.

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-  Thanks to the Raspberry Pi Foundation for the work they continue to do in providing affordable and powerful computers and free training to those wanting to learn coding.

 

-  Thanks to IntoUniversity for guidance on the needs of their students and ideas that we went on to use for our fundraiser. 

 

-  Thank you to everyone who got involved in our Euros sweepstake and 100km in 20 days running challenges, your contributions have made a difference to students in your home, Manchester.

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Our Projects History

 

Our project idea was sparked in September 2020 by Flaviu sending a DM on Twitter to the founder of Raspberry Pi Foundation to ask if we could source cost price devices to provide to students who did not have access to computers at home in Manchester, England. They replied that this would be possible, Flaviu explained this opportunity at the following MCR shapers hub meeting and myself, Jenny and Vishal joined the team. 

 

We met up to plan how we can deliver this project and who we would give the devices to. We connected with Intouniversity North Manchester, which supports young people to attain university places and to pursue their career aspirations, who were happy for us to work together to decide the nature of our fundraiser, and so our Digital Pi project was born!

 

Our Project Goals

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We decided the core of our project would be to raise the funds necessary to buy the devices and to deliver them to the students. We also wanted to connect the students with the free learning opportunities that are available online and spotlight local Digital Inclusion work on our social media channels. With details to be decided and research to be done, both these goals seemed achievable and exciting to partake in.

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Project Outcome

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- Raised £1001, bought and delivered 15 Raspberry Pi 400 devices to IntoUniversity students.

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- Promoted the free local online training resources through our social media channels and website. 

Our Project team

Flaviu

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Jenny

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Vishal

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Jamie

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Why Digital Inclusion matters in Greater Manchester?

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Click their logo for more research on the effects of digital exclusion in the UK

The Good Things Research point out: A lack of digital skills and access can have a huge negative impact on a person’s life, leading to poorer health outcomes and a lower life expectancy, increased loneliness and social isolation, less access to jobs and education.

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It can mean paying more for essentials, financial exclusion, an increased risk of experiencing poverty. People who are digitally excluded also lack a voice and visibility in the modern world, as government services and democracy increasingly move online.

 

What’s more, it’s those already at a disadvantage – through age, education, income, disability, or unemployment – who are most likely to be missing out, further widening the social inequality gap.

In 2020, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) identified that there are around 20,000 young people in Greater Manchester schools and colleges that will fall within the gaps of support and be left behind.

Click their logo to see and join their Digital Inclusion Taskforce 

Our Project Partners

IntoUniversity North Manchester provides academic support, mentoring and programmes that promote young people’s aspirations. Our project's priority is to raise the money to buy and deliver 20 Digital Pi 400 devices to their students this July. Click their logo to find out more about the great work they do!

The Raspberry Pi 400 is a complete personal computer, built into a compact keyboard, and is significantly cheaper than most of todays computers. This creates an opportunity to connect young student who do not have access to a computer at home to get access by receiving a Raspberry Pi 400.

Click the link to see their products and projects!