A weekly newsletter has launched to round up some of Manchester’s best free activities for residents to take part in without leaving the house.
While the city’s buzzing galleries, theatres, libraries and leisure centres are temporarily closed, behind the scenes, staff have been busy finding ways to help local people of all ages to benefit from culture and leisure opportunities from the comfort of their own homes.
Manchester City Council’s All Sorts to Do at Home newsletter is the place to find out about the best of digital and virtual offers from the council’s venues and other top Manchester institutions, including the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Museum and Band on the Wall, with many organisations streaming live and recorded performances and talks, or hosting online exhibitions..
Manchester residents are invited to sign up and to receive their ‘all sorts to do’ email every Friday. Visit www.manchester.gov.uk/allsortstodoathome to join the newsletter and find out more about what’s on offer.
Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure, Councillor Luthfur Rahman, said: “The city’s cultural and leisure venues may be closed to help limit the spread of coronavirus, but that doesn’t mean our creative spirit isn’t still burning.
“Staff are working hard to offer ways in which culture and leisure can be brought into your home and, during these difficult times, we could all use some tips on activities we can access at home, for free.
“Sign up to our weekly All Sorts to Do from Home newsletter and we’ll bring you some of the best ideas from across our vibrant city, to help keep you and yours entertained and active.”
Here are some of the highlights from the first weekly newsletter, which was issued to subscribers on Friday 24 April: –
Zumba with Greg – Manchester’s own Greg McHugh is running free online Zumba classes at 4pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is an ideal way to stay active and have some fun from your own living room.
Withington memory box – Take a trip down memory lane and see what your local area used to look like decades ago! Each week, The Archives+ team, from the centre for local and family history based at Central Library, is publishing a memory box, with photos from a different area of Manchester. Withington is up first.
Read Manchester – Reading for just ten minutes a day has been proven to help you get a better night’s sleep, improve your mental wellbeing and help children and teenagers get a head start in their development. The Read Manchester team has collected together an amazing array of online resources to make it easier for children and young people to get stuck into a good book or reading activity while they’re indoors.
World of Music Choir – Storied Northern Quarter venue Band on the Wall has taken its World of Music choir online, bringing interactive sing-alongs and music lessons into your home. Join folk singer Bella Hardy to sing traditional and modern songs every Tuesday at 6pm.
ENDS
