Irish Dancing at Irish Centre - Get Moving
Looking for a little motivation to move more in 2026? Why not get the new year off to an active start by joining an afternoon of Irish dancing for over-55s at the Irish World Heritage Centre on 20 January.
This fun, free social event is part of the Get Moving campaign, run in partnership with Yakult and First Time for Everything. First Time for Everything is a community health and wellbeing initiative designed by Royal Voluntary Service to give people the chance to try something new for free in their local community. The program encourages participants to socialise and stay active, particularly those who are older or less mobile.
To register for a place or for more information, contact: Karen Kennedy on: 07795 450 563 or karen.kennedy@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
When: Tuesday, 20 January, 2pm to 4pm
Where: 1 Irish Town Way, Cheetham Hill, Manchester, M8 0AE
For those unable to attend in person, Get Moving with Yakult is also happening at the Virtual Village Hall - a free, online activity hub and community designed by Royal Voluntary Service to help people stay physically and mentally active while having fun.
RHS Announces New Curator at RHS Garden Bridgewater
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has appointed Tracy Snell to the role of Curator at RHS Garden Bridgewater in Salford, Greater Manchester the newest of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) five prestigious gardens.
Tracy Snell begins her new role in February having been Garden Manager, Woodland and Estate at RHS Bridgewater since October 2018, taking over from Marcus Chilton-Jones, who has held the role since January 2017. Both Marcus and Tracy have played a pivotal role in the creation and development of RHS Garden Bridgewater and its transformation from a once lost historic site into a welcoming and inspiring Garden steeped in horticultural history.
In her role as Garden Manager Tracy has led on the concept, visuals and designs for some of the key areas in the garden’s development including the Chinese Streamside Garden.
About starting her new role, Tracy says: ‘I’m excited to be given the opportunity to develop my career at the RHS. As a young garden, there is so much still to develop and maintain in terms of the horticulture on offer and how we can better connect the garden spaces to enhance the experience of our visitors which makes this such an exciting prospect. I am also keen to draw on my background in ecology and ensure biodiversity continues to be an essential part of our practices, a focus that aligns with the RHS’s Bringing Biodiversity Home theme for this year and is more important than ever.
“I’m looking forward to working with a fantastic team to ensure the garden continues to grow from strength to strength. It’s about much more than maintaining a beautiful garden, it’s about creating one that continually evolves and inspires our visitors.”
Marcus Chilton-Jones remains at RHS Bridgewater in his new role as Head of Site, overseeing the garden’s continuing development and leading on the strategic planning of its future.
Richard Green, Director of Visitor Experience & Estates, said: “Tracy’s wealth of experience and passion for horticulture along with her involvement in the design and creation of key areas at RHS Garden Bridgewater makes her the perfect person for the role. Her experience as Garden Manager gives her a unique understanding of Bridgewater's past, present and future and we are excited to see how she will guide the garden’s continued development. I would also like to thank Marcus for his outstanding leadership as Curator and congratulate him on his new role as Head of Site, where his experience and knowledge will continue to be invaluable.”
Manchester In Bloom: Winners announced
Manchester is booming with opportunity as the city’s In Bloom initiative invites residents, community groups, and local businesses to transform neighbourhoods through gardening, environmental care, and community collaboration.
Part of the national Britain in Bloom initiative, it empowers community groups to reimagine their surroundings - whether it’s a neglected alleyway, a small patch of greenspace, or a bustling urban corner. The goal is to create cleaner, greener, and more connected communities that inspire pride and wellbeing through the benefits of gardening.
The projects intend to foster a stronger sense of belonging in neighbourhoods. Research shows greener spaces can reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, boost biodiversity, and improve mental health. Councils, businesses, and residents are working together to build lasting partnerships, unlock new funding streams, and grow a vibrant volunteer network making a real difference. Last year, Manchester proudly achieved outstanding results in the Britain in Bloom awards.
Some of the winning groups for the In Bloom awards are:
Fletcher Moss Park, Didsbury – Gold (Large Park)
Didsbury Park – Gold (Small Park)
Parsonage Gardens, Didsbury – Gold (Small Park)
Manchester City Centre – Gold (Large City/MBC)
Didsbury Ward – Gold (Urban Community)
Gorton Ward – Gold (Urban Community)
Blackley Ward – Silver (Urban Community)
Broad Oak Primary School and St Anne’s RC Primary School – School Awards
Withington – Gold (Urban Community)
Levenshulme – Silver Gilt (Urban Community)
Overall, 115 entries were submitted, with an impressive 86% scoring Level 4 (Thriving/Silver Gilt) or above, which is a testament to Manchester’s commitment to sustainability and community pride.
More information about In Bloom can be found out at Manchester In Bloom.
A spokesperson from BAQ Alley, who won Best Newcomer, said: “We were thrilled to be bestowed the RHS IYN - Best Newcomer 2025 award. The process of developing our community garden was a perfect conduit for establishing links with neighbours of old and new.
“In less than 12 months, this ordinary Northenden alley went from desolate wasteland to floral garden, thanks to support from the Manchester In Bloom. team, William White and Felix White. ‘Together We Can’ and ‘Together We Will Continue' was the motto we worked with."
Community Expert: Finance Cutting Out The Noise
by Claritas Wealth Management
At the time I’m writing this blog it feels like there are multiple seismic world events happening at roughly the same time.
Turmoil in Iraq, the President of Venezuela forcibly removed by the US, rhetoric from the US regarding Greenland, the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict and the troubles in Gaza.
There are obviously many more but these are the headlines dominating the news at the moment.
Where does this leave people trying to plan their financial futures?
The temptation is to focus on current world events and let that influence decisions that can have a lasting impact on your long term wealth.
World events may make you reluctant to invest and leave surplus funds in cash accounts that over the long term are likely to lose money relative to inflation. It might feel like a stock market downturn is inevitable bearing in mind everything that‘s going on at the moment.
The truth is that no-one knows but let’s focus on what we do know.
Stock market downturns do occur every so often. There’s no real pattern to it and there’s no reliable way of predicting them in advance in order to gain some kind of an advantage, i.e. coming out of the market at the right time and then re-entering.
In the long run, the stock market has been an incredible source of wealth generation and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t continue to do so in the future. Caveat – in the long run and with bumps in the road along the way. It’s how it has always been and how it always will be.
It’s really important to ignore the ‘noise’ of current world events when it comes to your own financial planning.
Focus on how much money you need to live a fulfilling life and when you are going to need it. This then informs how much should be retained in cash or other defensive assets. The rest can be in longer term stock market related assets and, because you know that you don’t need this money any time soon, you can relax around any short term fluctuations.
This is where an adviser can really help, firstly in the construction of the initial plan and, even more importantly, helping you stick to it when current world events cause you to have a bit of a wobble. You’re a human being and this is all completely normal. We can help.