In Council today – encouraging active travel to school

Cllr Angeliki Stogia speaking in Council today (click to view)

The increase in car journeys to and from school over recent years is harmful to the environment, raises the risk of accidents, and damages the health of schoolchildren, parents and public alike. But the reasons why more parents are choosing to drive their children on the school run are complex – shortage of time, longer distances to travel and ironically concerns about road safety can all be factors.

At today’s meeting of full Council, Whalley Range Labour councillor Angeliki Stogia seconded a motion on this important issue, and noted the action to encourage more active travel to schools led by some of our local volunteer groups including Whalley Range Climate Action and WalkRide Whalley Range.

The latest action will be a ‘school street’ (where cars are prevented from going up to school gates at drop off and pick up times) on College Road in the vicinity of Manley Park Junior School. It will be taking place this Friday 15 July at the start and end times of the school day.

Celebrating Whalley Range – back at last

Angeliki, Aftab and Bano at Celebrate today

Like so much else, it’s been badly missed during the last two years of lockdown and bans on public gatherings, but today it was finally back, better than ever. The Whalley Range Celebrate Festival is 25 years old, and Manley Park was filled with music, stalls, food, activities, workshops, entertainment and information from a wide range of supporters and contributors.

Whalley Range Labour councillor Angeliki Stogia said “It is so nice that this festival has returned, and the weather this year was lovely too! Everyone seemed to be having such a good time, and Bano, Aftab and I were able to catch up with quite a few people we haven’t been able to see for a while. As always, it is thanks to the hard work of the volunteers and helpers who have organised and managed the event, that it has been such a success.”

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Aftab wins Whalley Range for Labour

Angeliki, Bano, Afzal Khan MP and local supporter Jaffar with Aftab at the election count

The Labour Party candidate Aftab Razaq has won another four year term as one of three Manchester City Councillors representing the ward of Whalley Range. The full result of the election (on a turnout of 30%) was:

MCGUINESS, AndrewLiberal Democrat Party174
POTTER, LauraGreen Party721
RAZAQ, AftabLabour Party2,318
SHAHID, M OmarConservative Party173

Aftab says “It has been a great honour to serve the residents of Whalley Range for the last eleven years, and thanks to the help of many friends and supporters, it is a privilege to have been chosen as councillor for another term. My colleagues Angeliki and Bano and I work as a team for the whole community. We do not take anyone for granted. We work hard, but we know that problems still arise, and there is always more that we can do. Please contact me or my fellow Councillors if there is anything you would like to discuss with us”.

Vote Labour, vote Aftab Razaq in Whalley Range today

Today is election day. The Whalley Range Labour candidate, Aftab Razaq, says “A vote for Labour is a vote for a strong council in Manchester which can stand up to the Tory government in Westminster. I hope you will support me, and my fellow Labour candidates across the city today – but whoever you support, for the sake of our democracy please remember to vote!”

More information about how to vote, including returning a postal vote if you haven’t sent it back yet, can be found in yesterday’s post.

Thursday is Election Day – vote for Aftab RAZAQ

Tomorrow – Thursday 5 May – is local election day across Manchester and much of the country. The Labour candidate in Whalley Range ward is Aftab Razaq – a vote for Aftab is a vote for a strong Labour council in Manchester standing up to the Conservative government in Westminster. Remember:

  • Polling stations are open from 7am in the morning until 10pm at night
  • You don’t need your polling card or any ID in order to vote – just go to your polling station and give your name and address
  • If you don’t know your polling station, visit manchester.gov.uk/pollingstations
  • If you’re a postal voter and you haven’t returned your postal vote yet, you can complete it now and take it to any polling station in Manchester on election day before 10pm