Inspire Magazine - Winter 2017

The right to
justice
Greater Manchester Law Centre
provides the following Employment
Support Allowance (ESA) related
services:
• Challenging negative employment
• Employment Support Allowance
(ESA) decisions (This advice service
is for people who have been refused
ESA and runs every Tuesday by
appointment only)
• Assisting with completion of the
ESA50 application form (Every
Monday by appointment only. This
is not a benefits advice service)
New homes
for Manchester
When we launched One Manchester
in April 2015, we committed to building
500 new homes for Manchester but
we are confident we can now build
significantly more new homes across
the city to meet the growing demand
for new rented homes and for affordable
homes to buy.
We were recently successful in securing
grant funding from the Homes and
Communities Agency to support the
development of 765 new homes across
Manchester. These will be a combination
of shared ownership and rent to buy, a
new offer which gives people the chance
to rent a home initially with an option to
buy after five years.
In the next edition of Inspire we’ll be
sharing more details about all of our
planned new developments but here
is a snapshot of developments currently
underway:
Stanley Grove
We are currently building four homes for
affordable rent aimed at working families
If you wish to refer to the services
ring 0161 769 2244 or email
reception@gmlaw.org.uk.
You will be asked to complete a
referral form and attach a copy
of the refusal decision.
Lees
Street
on lower incomes at Stanley Grove in
Gorton following a successful bid to
the Homes and Communities Agency.
These homes are due for completion
in February 2017.
Columbine Street and Lees Street
Working with MCI Developments, we are
making good progress on the 34 homes
on Columbine Street and Lees Street in
Openshaw, which we will be making
available for market rent (the standard
rental rate for similar properties in the
area) or shared ownership in autumn
2017. The show home will open in July
2017 - more information in the next
Inspire.
Osborne Road
Work is underway with Denton
Construction to refurbish eight
one-bedroom flats on Osborne Road in
Levenshulme. Some existing customers
will be returning to their properties and
the remaining apartments will be available
for market rent, with income reinvested
into our existing homes, communities
and services.
Share your
money worries
at Anson
Community Shop
Would you like to talk about money
concerns with a qualified debt and
benefit adviser?
• Discuss debt, benefits, budgeting
and anything money-related
• Mondays between 10am and 12pm
• Book with Anson shop staff and
volunteers
Alternatively, you can discuss your
financial situation in confidence over
the phone with a member of the One
Money team. The advice is free and
impartial, so speak to a helpful adviser
on 0330 355 1002.
Community
spirit
Since it opened in April 2016, with
funding supplied by the One Manchester
Community Fund, The Anson Community
Shop has gone from strength to strength,
with over 130 people registered for the
food saving scheme.
As well as accessing cheaper groceries,
members have been treated to six
cooking demonstrations and have started
a luncheon club. This has been made
possible by community-minded Delph
Developments Ltd from Clayton, who
kindly fitted out the kitchen with the extra
sink needed to meet the environmental
health regulations.
Need to
apply for PIP?
Call on the One
Money team
Stephen Cottier from Fallowfield had
been on Disability Living Allowance
(DLA) for the past 26 years following an
industrial accident and so didn’t think
the benefit changes would affect him.
Thankfully when he realised he would
be affected, he knew exactly where to
turn for help.
“I lost my leg in 1989 when I was working
on the oil rigs. Things were okay after
that, I got my DLA and I’ve not had a
problem with it. Then, 26 years on and
I’ve been sent this PIP form. I thought
‘what’s this?’, so I investigated and talked
to my friends who said, ‘Oh Steve you
might not get it’.
“I didn’t understand because I’ve had
it for 26 years but they were saying ‘It’s
Changing lives
Early in 2016, 19-year-old Calvin from
Hulme was sitting around feeling like
his life was going nowhere. He was
unemployed, struggling to deal with
debts and rent arrears, and neighbours
were complaining about anti-social
behaviour in the block when mates
were around making noise. Fastforward
to 2017 and Calvin has turned
his life around thanks to the support
of mentor Gareth White from our One
Manchester Youth Intervention team.
“I’d got to the stage where I just wasn’t
bettering myself; I needed to switch it up.
And that’s when Gareth came along.
“At first I thought it was just another
person to see but once I met with him
he was different. At school you don’t
have time to think properly about what
you want to do, so I’d thought maybe
construction, but then Gareth listened
“I thought, there’s
no way I can do this
because I’m quite dyslexic
in reading and especially
spelling, so I phoned
Wayne (One Money)”.
all changing, you’re going to have to go
there, do this, they’ll have to examine
you’, so I started getting stressed at this
point. Anyway, I remember seeing in
the (Inspire) magazine about the One
Money team - Wayne from the team had
helped me before with sorting out my
Housing Benefit and then my debts - so
I got in touch and he told me to make an
appointment when I got the form and
we’ll get it filled in.
“When the form arrived, it was more
like a book. I thought, there’s no way I
can do this because I’m quite dyslexic
in reading and especially spelling, so I
phoned Wayne (One Money) and made
an appointment to see him at The Place at
Platt Lane in Fallowfield, which is close to
me. I took the forms in and we sat there
interested in. He got me thinking about
what I would really like to do and came
back with apprenticeships, helped
me sort money out and showed me
opportunities that are out there.
“I used to do a bit of boxing when I was
younger and so Gareth got me some free
taster sessions. It inspired me and made
me want to become a fully-qualified gym
instructor. I pitched at the Community
Soup to help fund my Level 2 and 3 in
Personal Training so I can run a Box Safe
project for women to encourage them
to give it a go. I was buzzin’ that people
voted and I got the funding.
“I always wanted to go to uni but never
thought I could be in a good enough
position to go. Now I just want to stay
in this mind-frame and get there. I feel
like I’ve proved you can achieve stuff
no matter what with a bit of support.
for two and a half hours filling everything
in. I had to go for the interview after that
but now I’ve got the PIP payment through
and I’ve also got ESA (Employment
Support Allowance), so I’m actually a bit
better off than I was before.
“I want to say a really big thank you to
Wayne. He’s taken a lot of stress out of
my life and I can’t thank him enough for
that. I’d tell anyone who needs help with
their money or benefits to go and see
Wayne or one of his colleagues in the
One Money team. Don’t be too proud;
be open with them so they can help you.”
If you think you might be affected
by the changes to benefits then
please get in touch with our One
Money team.
“Thanks Gareth, One Manchester and
the Community Soup for helping me
turn my life around.”
The shop is open twice a week on
Gareth and Sara from our Youth
Tuesdays and Thursdays from
Intervention team
9.30am–12pm where you can find out
to me and wanted to know what I was Everyone just needs a Gareth.”
8 @onemcr
more about joining the scheme.
0330 355 1002 9