One freezing morning in Manchester, meet the people sleeping rough on our streets

In this special report Jennifer Williams catches a glimpse of the lives of those that sleep rough on Manchester's streets

One freezing morning in Manchester, meet the people sleeping rough on our streets

BY JENNIFER WILLIAMS The figure in the Royal Exchange doorway is motionless.   It’s 8.45am. Commuters are rushing through St Ann’s Square in the icy drizzle, heads bent over coffee cups as drama quietly plays out nearby. Kelly is vaguely known to the council’s homelessness team, but they don’t know her well. “I’ve not come […]

Man comes down from city centre car park multi-storey after two-hour stand-off

Emergency crews attended the scene, near to Manchester’s Gay Village, at around 8.40pm

Man comes down from city centre car park multi-storey after two-hour stand-off

BY: BETH ABBIT The man was talked down from roof of NCP car park on Chorlton Street   Police negotiators spent almost two hours persuading a man to come down from the roof of a city centre car park. Trained officers were called to the NCP car park on Chorlton Street after a man clambered […]

‘We’re really excited’: Big buzz for Manchester’s new Health and Wellbeing Service

Manchester’s new Health and Wellbeing Service ‘buzz’ has been launched, following the redesign of the sectors across the city.

‘We’re really excited’: Big buzz for Manchester’s new Health and Wellbeing Service

By Nic Marko One of only five combined mental health and social care Trusts in England and Wales, buzz has been implemented to improve the health of people in Manchester. Bridget Hughes, General Manager for buzz Health and Wellbeing Service, believes the resource will allow the local population to live in better physical and mental […]

Mental health trust forced to cut services

The three local CCGs affected - NHS Central Manchester CCG, NHS North Manchester CCG and NHS South Manchester CCGs - said they had supported the cuts but that this did not mean they were not working to improve mental health services in Manchester.

Mental health trust forced to cut services

By:Hiba Mahamadi Outside Manchester Mental Health & Social Care Trust as Trust Board Meets .   A mental health trust in Manchester has cut seven front-line community-based services to save £1m, in one of the first major decisions taken since the city was given total control over its health budget. Manchester Mental Health and Social […]

Why Manchester’s mental health cuts are an absolute disgrace

The city's mental health trust is expected to axe £1.5m in services this morning. Here's why all of us should be outraged

Why Manchester’s mental health cuts are an absolute disgrace

 BY: Jennifer Williams When cuts have gone on this long, there is a danger they can start to look a bit samey, to barely pass as news. A million from this service. Two million from that. This council has shrunk by this percent. This other public body is about to fall over. But there are […]

Manchester girl set for ‘terrifying’ Scandinavian trek to raise money for mental health in memory of brother

Manchester girl set for ‘terrifying’ Scandinavian trek to raise money for mental health in memory of brother

By Nic Marko   A brave Manchester girl is set to travel 250km from Norway to Sweden with a pack of six husky dogs to raise money for mental health issues in memory of her brother. Vaila Whittaker, 23, is attempting the six day charity challenge to raise £4,000 for Manchester Mind, which helps thousands of people […]

Former mental health worker blasts NHS after death of Natasha Wise and says she was failed by the system

Natasha's dad says she was in A&E at least four times with injuries from self-harm, yet nothing was done despite them begging for a faster process

Former mental health worker blasts NHS after death of Natasha Wise and says she was failed by the system

BY TODD FITZGERALD ,  SAM YARWOOD Natasha Wise   A former mental health worker says a young woman who fell to her death after an 18-month battle for counselling for depression was failed by the system. Natasha Wise died after plunging from a bridge in Whalley Range on Tuesday, just hours after celebrating her birthday. The 22-year-old, […]

Seven questions the Manchester Mental Health Trust refused to answer following the death of Natasha Wise

A full investigation has been launched after Natasha Wise battled for more than a year to get counselling for depression

Seven questions the Manchester Mental Health Trust refused to answer following the death of Natasha Wise

BY: SAM YARWOOD Natasha Wise A full investigation has been launched into the care of a young woman who plunged to her death after an 18-month battle to get counselling for depression. Natasha Wise, 22, died after falling from a bridge in Whalley Range on Tuesday, just hours after celebrating her birthday. Her family claim she was […]

Germanwings crash father blames airline for letting co-pilot fly

"They should be more diligent about who they employ and have more safeguards to stop people slipping through the net."

Germanwings crash father blames airline for letting co-pilot fly

  Paul Bramley, 28, originally from Hull, was one of those killed (FCO)   The father of a British man killed in the Germanwings air crash has blamed the airline for allowing the pilot who caused the tragedy to fly. Flight 9525 from Barcelona to Dusseldorf crashed in the French Alps on March 24 last […]

‘How my mental health issues helped me help others’

Tom McAlpine, who set-up the MoodSwings charity in Manchester in 1999 with a belief that it is possible for those suffering even severe mental health issues to make a good recovery.

‘How my mental health issues helped me help others’

  All this week BBC News has been looking at Britain’s growing problem with mental illness, hearing from sufferers, politicians and the professionals who are in the front line of care. But, up and down the country, there are also charities and voluntary organisations dedicated to helping those who have developed mental health problems. One […]