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In this issue you will find
Manchester Central Library and Town Hall Extension to temporarily close for major ICT investment - closed 2 to 24 August 2025
Manchester Central Library, along with the Town Hall Extension, are closing temporarily in August for the replacement and upgrade of ICT networks and Wi-Fi systems.
Find out more
Events
Manchester Pride Friday 15- 25 August 2025.
- Gay Village party, 22 to 25 August 2025 - 4 days of celebration in the heart of the Gay Village.
- Mardi Gras, 23 to 24 August 2025 - takes over Depot Mayfield.
- Candlelit Vigil in Sackville Gardens, 25 August - brings Manchester Pride 2025 to end with a quiet moment of reflection and remembrance by candle light.
- Manchester Pride parade returns on Saturday 23 August 2025. If your business is along the parade route why not decorate your venue and be part of the celebrations.
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Visit Home – Manchester Pride for full details of Manchester Pride events and locations.
There will be a number of road closures during these events, these will be on our website Road closures | Road closures | Manchester City Council
SCENE: Manchester LGTBQ+ Film and TV Festival celebrates the city’s queer clubbing culture and LGBTQ+ comedy creators. Alongside the best new narratives, top documentaries and short films.
SCENE will take place in various spaces across the city, from outdoor screens to traditional cinemas and pop-up spaces in iconic venues across Manchester.
Friday 15 - Thursday 21 August 2025
Visit SCENE Manchester LGBTQ+ Film and TV Festival for more details.
This event is brought you by the Manchester Accommodation BID and CityCo
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Travel Advice During Events
Events across the city means the transport network will be busier than usual. Plan your journey during these busy times.
Updates on road closures during events Road closures | Road closures | Manchester City Council
Visit Events | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM for travel information.
Whitworth Street West – new bus gate operational from Monday 11 August 2025
As part of the work to make walking and cycling on Deansgate and Whitworth Street West easier and safer, we are introducing a new bus gate.
The bus gate will be coming into operation on the bottom of Whitworth Street West from Monday 11 August 2025.
Bus gates are used to make journeys by public transport quicker and more reliable on congested routes. They are clearly signed, including advance notice signs before vehicles reach them.
This change will mean that vehicles (except buses, hackney carriages and cycles) which are travelling west will not be able to travel along Whitworth Street between its junction with Albion Street (near the City Road Inn) to its junction with Deansgate (near Atlas Bar). General traffic will still be able to travel eastbound along Whitworth Street West, from Deansgate to Albion Street.
Where bus gates have been introduced in other areas of the city centre, we have had positive feedback. Bus services have been on time and journey times have been quicker, making public transport an attractive way of travelling through the city centre.
To find out more about the Whitworth Street West bus gate visit manchester.gov.uk/busgate
Metrolink Engineering Works
Essential engineering work to renew tracks started on Saturday 19
July and lasts until Monday 11 August 2025. Due to these works, until the end of service on Sunday 10 August, no tram services will operate via Piccadilly Gardens.
Read more on these works at City Centre Metrolink engineering work
Work and Skills
Are you a business based in the Strangeways or Cambridge Street area? Discover the wide range of fully funded support available to help your business grow and thrive.
Book a one-to-one appointment to explore:
- Access to business finance and expert mentoring
- Strategies for growth and workforce development
- Fully funded training, including digital and online skills
- Opportunities to connect with other local businesses
- Free access to market and consumer research databases
- Guidance on navigating changes from the Strategic Regeneration Framework
Appointments are available in person or via Microsoft Teams.
To book your session, or for more information, please email:strangeways@manchester.gov.uk
Read the latest bulletin from our Work and Skills Team Work and Skills Bulletin - 4 August 2025
GM Business Growth Hub
Join our growing community of freelancers
The next Freelancer Friday event will take place on Friday 29 August 2025. These popular events give an opportunity for freelancers from all sectors to come together to network, share business ideas and collaborate in a relaxed and informal setting.
This session Dr Sara Ramzan will be a guest speaker. A multi-passionate pharmacist with over a decade of experience across academia, primary care and community pharmacy. Dr Ramzan has a strong focus on educating individuals and communities on how to reclaim their health through better eating and dieting with her "Health with micro-steps" sessions
Attendees will gain clarity and understanding of personal health and identity the habits which contribute to poor eating habits in order to break the chain cycle.
Date: Friday 29 August 2025
Time: 9.30am - 12.30pm
Location: To be confirmed
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BGH Match is the GM Business Growth Hub’s free business connector network, providing opportunities for businesses.
Businesses are invited to Sister for a morning of creating new contacts, encouraging collaboration and opening the door on future opportunities.
Events are focused on what matters most: the people. That means plenty of time dedicated purely to networking, with minimal formalities. Grab a coffee, introduce yourself, and make the morning count.
Representation from GM Business Growth Hub and Manchester City Council will be on hand to explore the bespoke business support available to your business too.
Date: 7 October 2025
Time: 9.30am - 11.30am
Location: Sister, Renold Building 32a Altrincham Street Manchester M1 7JR
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Skills opportunities at all levels. Increase Your Impact; Invest in Your People.
GM Business Growth Hub, Greater Manchester’s Business Support Organisation, is encouraging Greater Manchester workers to strengthen their skills position and take control of free skills solutions to overcome their barriers to learning, solve workplace pain points to achieve skills success.
And it's not just for businesses. Whether you run a business or a non-profit organisation you can empower yourself and your team with the relevant skills your organisation needs at no cost to you!
Ready to find the solutions to suit your needs? Start now!
Call: 0161 359 3050 or visit: GM Business Growth Hub | Skills Development
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AI for Business: How to Start Smart and Stay Secure
This in-person workshop will give you a clear, practical roadmap to start using AI in your business. You’ll learn how to adopt AI tools with confidence, focus on value, and put the right controls in place from the start.
Date: Wednesday 10 September 2025
Time: 1pm - 4pm
Location: Manchester City Centre
Manchester Digital Strategy
Launched in 2021, Manchester's Digital Strategy sets out four key priorities for collaborating with people and organisations to help Manchester become a world-leading digital city.
The Regional Start-Up Landscape Report: Where Next Report? is a new piece of research commissioned by Manchester's Digital Strategy and delivered in partnership with industry body Manchester Digital and technology investment network Manchester Angels. The report offers a detailed overview of the challenges and gaps in Manchester's start-up ecosystem, and the actions we can take to address them.
If you're eager to understand how we can take action to help more businesses in our city to flourish, download the full report to read our 7 recommendations to create opportunities, investment and connections for start-ups and scale-ups in Manchester.
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DiSH Accelerator Programme
The DiSH Accelerator is designed to give early-stage startups and entrepreneurs everything they need to grow and succeed. The three-month accelerator is open to early-stage companies based in Greater Manchester or those looking to establish operations in the region and able to attend the programme in person one day per week.
Benefits of the programme include:
- Free workspace at DiSH Manchester during programme days.
- Tailored business masterclasses designed to strengthen both digital, cyber and operational strategies.
- 1:1 mentoring with business growth and cyber resilience experts.
- Coaching to help refine sales and investment pitches.
- Investment readiness support and potential funding opportunities.
- Facilitated introductions to key industry players.
Application closing date Sunday 24 August 2025
Zero Carbon and Climate Change
Demystifying Green Funding and Finance
Are you looking to reduce your carbon footprint but unsure how to fund the journey? Join an expert-led webinar designed to help businesses navigate the path to decarbonisation.
Explore how to build a compelling business case for energy efficiency and renewable technologies.
Guidance through the green finance landscape, including:
- Grant schemes
- Incentives
- Finance options
This online session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to take the next step.
Date: Tuesday 9 September 2025
Time: 12noon - 1pm
Help us support the #ReuseRevolution 🌍
Local food and drink businesses across Greater Manchester are invited to take part in an exciting new study exploring refill and reuse.
Take part in an hour focus group this summer (hosted by City to Sea) to share experiences, challenges, and ideas around reuse. Your insights will help shape future strategies to make reuse more accessible and impactful across the region.
The session will be arranged at a time and location that suits participants, with the option to join online if preferred.
Sign up below if you’re interested in taking part in the focus groups,
Resources you might find useful
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