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The boss tasked with turning Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) around following the aftermath of Awaab Ishak's inquest says that ‘lifestyle’ will no longer be blamed for damp and mould.
The two-year-old died in December 2020 following prolonged exposure to mould at a property on RBH's Freehold estate. Yvonne Arrowsmith, who was brought into RBH as interim chief executive last December, says Awaab’s legacy will lead to a real change to the way housing associations approach reports of mould.
As reporter Stephen Topping notes, RBH inspected the Freehold flats following an MEN inspection which ound a staggering 80% of homes affected by damp and mould - more than 18 months after Awaab had died. Ms Arrowsmith said: "It wasn't until [the MEN] went to Freehold that RBH went to Freehold.
"I think the MEN led on this and I think that's been great. It has been that catalyst for change. Awaab's Law, for me... it means that no one can ignore it anymore.
"And I think that as a sector, not everyone, but a lot of us did. We just said, oh it's lifestyle, open your window - it was that kind of [attitude], and nobody thinks that anymore."
The Housing Ombudsman has already been urging social landlords to abandon laying blame on tenants for damp and mould. His inquest heard how assumptions were made by RBH workers about the bathing habits of Awaab's family, ultimately leading to damp and mould, based on their religion. Yet the family were never asked about it by RBH, and Awaab's dad told the court how they took showers instead.
"We can never forget what happened and we shouldn't," Ms Arrowsmith said.
"But we need to look forward to make sure that we carry on improving things for people. That shift of getting people out of the way they used to work, to the way they need to work, and we just keep plugging away at that every day."
As mentioned yesterday, the House of Lords approved a bill this week setting out Awaab's Law. The law will mean that social landlords face stricter time limits to inspect and repair damp and mould.
In today’s Mancunian Way, we’ll be looking at those being forced to celebrate Eid differently this year, mobile phone swipes, increased police patrols in the Gay Village and a distinct lack of bikes.
'Eid is not an option for us this year'
This week, millions of Muslim families around the world will celebrate Eid al-Adha.
Unfortunately, as Community Reporter Hakim Hafazalla writes, the families of Sudan will have their Eid celebrations blighted by the constant barrage of missiles and the eerie sound of gunfire.
The civil conflict in Sudan broke out in April following disagreements between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and The Sudanese Army. Sudanese families living in Manchester have been nervously watching what is happening in their home country from 3,000 miles away.
Hakim spoke to two Sudanese families in Manchester about how they would be celebrating Eid with the constant worry for their loved ones hanging over them.
Salim Elfazir, 32, lives in Manchester with his wife and two children and has family members in Sudan.
He said: “Just like Ramadan, it was not really a moment we can celebrate. Yes, we will gather together and eat together but it’s not the same. We will go do our prayer as usual and pray for the best for the people in Sudan.”
Salim, who lives with his wife and two children in Manchester, says he would normally travel to Sudan to see family there during Eid, but the conflict means he doesn’t know when he will next be able to see them.
“The mood is completely different," he explains. "It is like two opposite ends of a seesaw. We can maybe forget about the conflict for a few minutes or hours but it will ultimately come back at the end of the day and it’s just tiring.
“Even when we have friends over, our discussions always end up talking about the conflict in Sudan, you can’t escape it and we don’t want to, but celebrations are just too difficult at the moment.”
It’s a similar situation for 65-year-old Ahmed Mustafa. The single father-of-three has many family members in Sudan who are caught up in the conflict, with one nephew who unfortunately passed away last month.
"Eid is not an option for us this year,” Ahmed tells Hakim. “We will celebrate and eat as it is a Muslim holiday but it doesn't feel like it. The loss of my nephew was one of the worst moments in my life, my kids were also very sad.
"I still have hope to visit my family in Sudan no matter what the outcome of the conflict is. Eid is not the same and will not be for a while and that is the unfortunate truth."
You can read more on Salim and Ahmed’s thoughts on this year’s Eid here.
A top priority
People attending upcoming events in Manchester’s Gay Village have been told that tackling hate crime in the area remains the 'top priority' for police after a series of ‘despicable’ attacks took place on an adult store in the last few months.
Clonezone, on Sackville Street, was attacked four times between March and May with the perpetrators approaching the store on a motorbike and then smashing up the windows each time. Nobody has been charged in connection with any of the four incidents yet, with 'fatigued' manager Richard Tropez previously saying he feels he is now a 'sitting duck for future attacks'.
GMP said it was continuing to ‘investigate several lines of enquiries’ regarding the incidents, reports Ashlie Blakey.
Ahead of Sparkle Weekend, the world's largest free-to-attend celebration of gender diversity, on July 8-9, police say patrols have been stepped up in the areas around Canal Street and that the Village remains 'one of the safest places' in Manchester city centre.
Chief Inspector Stephen Wiggins, of GMP’s City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "Everyone is welcome to come to the Village and enjoy it for the wonderfully vibrant place it is.
"I would like to reassure the community that we have the resources available to ensure people are safe in the Village. We have conducted numerous high-visibility patrols and used plain clothed officers through the evenings to ensure the night-time economy remains a thriving environment, and we will continue to use these tactics.
"Hate crime in the Village remains our top priority. We know that statistically hate crime remains relatively low however we encourage members of the public to feel confident in reporting hate-related crime and this is our city centre focus within our overarching Village plans.”
Off the chains
More than half of the bikes in Manchester’s cycle hire scheme are now out of action following incidents of ‘wilful and malicious damage’.
Just 379 out of 1,000 of the bright yellow pedal and electric ‘Beryl Bikes’ are currently in use. A huge 564 of the bikes, part of Transport for Greater Manchester’s Bee Network, are currently awaiting repair or maintenance.
Users visiting the online app for Beryl, the bike provider, to find their closest bike have found most stands registering zero available options in recent days. The app records 62,563 active users.
TfGM said it plans to take ‘targeted enforcement’ against those involved in the damage of the bikes, reports the M.E.N’s Ben Arnold.
In a joint statement, Transport for Greater Manchester’s cycling and walking director Richard Nickson, Greater Manchester Police’s chief superintendent Mark Dexter and Beryl’s CEO Phil Ellis, said: “Unfortunately, a small minority have wilfully and maliciously damaged bikes over recent weeks.
“This has meant there has been fewer than normal available for hire, and we’re sorry to anyone who has not been able to get one when needed. We will not tolerate this type of behaviour and are working closely together to increase availability of bikes and prevent and deter criminality.”
20 seconds to swipe
CCTV footage showing just how easy it is for criminals to steal phones from unassuming members of the public has been released by GMP.
The footage shows a thief distracting a couple with a piece of paper before stealing a mobile phone with just a sleight of hand. The theft was committed by a member of a ‘phone dipping’ pair who were behind distraction thefts worth in excess of £16,000 in January this year. Crime Reporter John Scheerhout reports they were later jailed.
The two men were jailed for a series of mobile phone thefts at bars and restaurants in Manchester city centre. The first was responsible for thefts reaching a value of £10,000, and the second £6,300, say GMP.
Superintendent Dave Meeney, force lead for theft from person offences, said: "The pair were responsible for around 21 thefts in the city centre during January 2023.
"These two men had a clear set-up, they planned their offences carefully and they continue to have no remorse for the victims, who were understandably affected by these incidents.”
GMP said they hoped that by releasing the footage, they would allow members of the public to understand how quickly these types of offences can take place and to remain vigilant.
Supt Meeney added: "It’s so easy to prevent this type of crime – whilst you are out and about, please keep your phone hidden away in a bag which is placed under your table when in a busy restaurant or bar or even in your pocket, making it harder for criminals reach.
"Mobile phones or valuable items left on a table can be easily spotted by criminals as they look for a victim.
"Please be aware of your surroundings, these type of thefts happen so quickly with some instances only taking around 20 seconds for the offender to approach the victim and steal the phone away.
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Weather etc
Friday: Cloudy changing to light rain by late morning. 17C.
Road closures: Park Way, in Trafford Park, closed westbound until June 30 due to roadworks from A5081 (Parkway Circle) to B5211 Barton Dock Road.
Temporary traffic lights due to roadworks on A56 Manchester Road, Bury near the BP petrol station until June 30.
Manchester headlines
- Towers: The iconic Seven Sisters towers in Rochdale could be saved from demolition. Housing bosses have said that saving the towers would mean 'not increasing the housing crisis' in the borough, signalling a new direction ahead of plans being confirmed in the coming months.
‘Disarray’: A primary school in East Manchester which was deemed 'Outstanding' when it was last inspected by Ofsted in 2009 has now been downgraded to 'Inadequate'. Education inspectors criticised St Francis RC Primary School in Gorton for its curriculum, which was described as being in ‘disarray’, ‘poorly designed' and 'weakly implemented'.
Orbit: A school in Stockport has sent their own 'astronaut' 36,000 metres into orbit as part of science week. A doll, named Chelsea, took part in the journey which saw it launched into the air around three times higher than the summit of Mount Everest. Students at Heaton School were able to ensure the doll then made a safe landing three hours later thanks to help from experts at Manchester University.
Worth a read
A set of eerie photographs show what remains inside of an unusual church in Rochdale that's been 'frozen-in-time'. Perched on a hill near Hollingworth Lake, St Hilda’s CE Mission was built in 1878 and became known locally as the 'Iron Church' as it was made from metal sheets.
But the building was closed in the late 1990s due to structural damage. But the church still exists in abandoned form, with a wooden pew mostly untouched, rotting floorboards and a crumbling piano. Have a look at the pictures here.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me. If you have stories you would like us to look into, email beth.abbit@menmedia.co.uk.
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