The Branch Nov 2017

Winter 2017

This is our festive edition of The Branch for the 2017/2018 academic year.

Manchester Student Homes’ Good Neighbours Team has had a very busy and eventful Autumn so we have picked out the highlights.

National Hate Crime Awareness Week National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2017 took place from 14th to 21st October. Manchester Student Homes ran a host of stalls and events at the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University to educate students about Hate Crime and how to report. Under the banner “Equality Street” the Community Cohesion Interns, MSH Accredited Landlords, and Manchester City Council set out to see how much students of Manchester know about Hate Crime.

Armed with Quality Street and promotional freebies, we provided advice and guidance about Hate Crime and signposted students to relevant agencies who deal with these types of incidents’. Throughout the week Manchester Student Homes spoke to over 250 students about the significance of Hate Crime Awareness.

"Manchester Student Homes are proud to have delivered a number of stalls in line with National Hate Crime Awareness Week and we are extremely grateful to have worked so well with partnership agencies in delivering a plethora of events” Cooper Healey, Manager of Manchester Student Homes Anyone who is a victim of a hate crime should call the police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Alternatively, report it online or use the True Vision App, and always call 999 in an emergency.

Here is a list of Hate Crime reporting centres both on and off campus: Manchester Students Homes, The Union MMU Advice Centre, MMU Birley Student Living reception, and the University of Manchester Students’ Union Advice Service.

Any crime that is committed based on an individual’s prejudices’ whether this is race, religion, transgender identity, sexuality, disability or alternative subculture is considered to be a Hate Crime and should be reported immediately.

Our staff have worked in partnership with Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council; attended specialised training to help victims of Hate Crime, we would be happy to help and support anyone who has been affected by Hate Crime.

MSH Podcast Manchester Student Homes has a brand new podcasting service available on Soundcloud.

The podcast will offer advice and support, while providing a channel for community wide dialogue between all those who live, study and work in Manchester.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be talking to Students, Landlords, Long Term Residents, University Departments, Greater Manchester Police, Manchester City Council, and many more about key issues, so stay tuned.

Manchester Student Homes (MSH) is a free, university-run housing service for students. MSH runs a landlord accreditation scheme and offers support to students in relation to property searches, providing housing advice and contract checking. MSH also works with students, long term residents and partner agencies to respond to issues in off campus areas.

Student Safety 2017

Community Fund

Manchester Student Homes recently undertook a door knocking exercise to provide safety advice and materials to students living off campus, in Fallowfield, Withington and Victoria Park. We door knocked hundreds of properties to hand out personal alarms, light timers and replica food tins to keep valuables safe. The MSH team carried these out in partnership with Greater Manchester Police as part of our ‘Wary of Light Fingers’ campaign to raise awareness of personal safety and property security

Do you have a project that will improve the local area but don’t have funding to make it happen?

In addition, MSH have been holding safety stalls with the Residential Life Teams on campus at Manchester Metropolitan University and The University of Manchester to provide free promotional material in line with the WOLF campaign to create awareness about safety amongst students. These include: WOLFIE themed masks and wristbands reminding student to be careful when using ATM machines; WOLFIE logo bugs advising students not to walk home alone and mobile phone themed boxes of sweets that encourage students to keep their belongings safe.

The University of Manchester and its main construction partners – Balfour Beatty, Laing O’Rourke and Sir Robert McAlpine - have established a £20,000 fund to support neighbourhood initiatives in areas closest to the University’s construction sites around Oxford Road and near Owens Park, Wilmslow Road.

The fund is open to established non-profit groups, voluntary groups and other community groups, as well as groups of residents and community members working together for the first time.

There are two categories of funding: small awards for amounts up to £500 and large awards for amounts between £500-£2,000. Projects or initiatives must show clear evidence of potential community benefits and begin before 31 July 2018.

To apply please download an application form and guidance notes.

More information regarding the fund is available here.

We are delighted to have provided information and advice to more than 300 students, with more stalls and events planned for the rest of the academic year. We have a light timers and personal alarms available at Manchester Student Homes Office in Fallowfield (corner of Mosely Road and Wilmslow Road) for any student, long term resident or member of staff that would like to pop in.

Wishing all those who live, work and contribute to our community a happy and safe festive break, Poppy Humphrey MSH Off Campus Student Affairs Officer