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More frequent trams are to be introduced again this week on Metrolink’s busiest lines. Starting today (August 31), trams on the Bury and Altrincham lines will operate at peak times (7 am-8pm, Mon-Sat) every six minutes as part of a gradual return to more frequent connections on the network.

After that, a six-minute service between East Didsbury and Shaw and Crompton will be reintroduced on September 6th. The peak traffic between MediaCityUK and Etihad Campus will be reintroduced in the coming weeks, depending on staff availability.

On August 6, a temporary 12-minute network-wide service was introduced to ensure that the Metrolink operator can provide more reliable and consistent service to its customers after a significant increase in employee absences related to the coronavirus. The return to more frequent service follows the launch of the “It’s Time” campaign, launched to help reopen the region safely, before the return to education and jobs, and when people get back to doing the things they love.

Metrolink’s TfGM boss, Danny Vaughan, said: “The temporary service change was necessary due to the very high COVID-related absences of the staff – and I would like to thank everyone for their understanding and support during this extremely challenging time. Although employee absences remain high, the picture is improving and we are now preparing to roll out more frequent services across the network.

“This will be done in a gradual approach before the new school year as more jobs welcome employees and we all start doing the things we love with family and friends again.

“We will continue to use all available trams to go to the areas with the highest demand.

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Blackpool Council’s mental health campaign Get Vocal has announced a partnership with Blackpool FC for the third year in a row, which has launched an eye-catching black and tangerine kit with the Get Vocal branding.

The campaign appears on the front of the team’s away shirt for the 2021/22 football season. Get Vocal advertisements will be displayed on Bloomfield Road and players will promote the campaign’s key messages throughout the season. It’s part of a broader sponsorship deal from the Blackpool Council, which also sees the VisitBlackpool branding on players’ home shirts.

Get Vocal’s message is particularly aimed at men in Blackpool who may be facing problems but feel unable to reach them. The sponsorship aims to raise mental health awareness and reduce stigma, and encourages all residents to take care of their mental well-being and seek support when needed. Get Vocal promotes these five tips for better mental health: Voice – Talk to people; Observe – Live in the moment; Connect – help others; Active – move around to clear your mind; Learn – try something new.

Dr. Arif Rajpura, Director of Public Health at Blackpool Council, said: “Mental health is something we all have and need to take care of. The stigma of reaching out and asking for support or letting loved ones know that we are having trouble still exists for many people and we want to change that.

“We are all aware that our physical health can be improved, but sometimes we forget that our mental health also needs attention. The Get Vocal Tips are one way to give your mental health the care it needs. The partnership between Get Vocal and Blackpool Football Club means we can reach more residents with our message and start a conversation about the importance of mental wellbeing. “

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Mercedes-Benz Stockport

Despite the challenges of the past 18 months, LSH Auto is celebrating a remarkable second trading year at its flagship location Mercedes-Benz of Stockport. The state-of-the-art, purpose-built, three-story building opened in August 2019 and has become the most popular Mercedes-Benz travel destination in the northwest, attracting an unprecedented number of new customers and sales leads.

In the past 12 months, despite the UK lockdowns, the company has grown new car sales by more than 47% and used car sales by 72%.

Martyn Webb, Managing Director of LSH Auto, said: “Mercedes-Benz of Stockport has had a fantastic first two trading years. I’m proud of our team, who have worked incredibly hard over the past 18 months to meet the challenges of the global pandemic. Our ongoing commitment to providing the best possible service to our customers has put us in good shape and we look forward to growing the business further through 2022. “

Stefan Bowett became Mercedes-Benz of Stockport’s new head of dealership in November 2020, having previously headed LSH Auto’s Whitefield business. The new head of the dealership already has an affinity for the region, having worked at the old Mercedes-Benz location in Stockport from 2013 to 2018 as Sales Manager Used Cars, Sales Manager New Cars and General Sales Manager.

He said: “I took the chance to lead the team at Stockport and return to where I originally built my career. Mercedes-Benz of Stockport is now our flagship location, which attracts more customers than you could have imagined. “

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Sara Prowse

The University Academy 92 (UA92) has announced a new academic partnership with CompTIA, the world’s largest provider of multi-vendor professional certification for IT staff. The new partnership combines the wealth of knowledge, skills and certifications of CompTIA with the modern academic offerings of UA92.

Sara Prowse, UA92 CEO, said, “Partnering with CompTIA is a very important and exciting step forward for UA92. I’m really excited to see how innovation and forward thinking grow out of this relationship, helping us train the next generation of tech workers together and make a noticeable difference in addressing the digital skills gap in the Greater Manchester area. “

Graham Hunter, CompTIA Vice President of Human Resources Development for EMEA, APAC and Canada, said, “We are delighted to be working with UA92, which will no doubt be one of CompTIA’s leading academic partners for staff preparation and certification. We are looking for academic partners who can really make a difference to help young people fill the skills gap and bring a stream of talented people into the industry worldwide. With Aaron Saxton, UA92 is the perfect partner for us. We are very excited about this partnership and will try to support us wherever we can to make a difference for the students in Manchester. “

CompTIA specializes in bridging the technical skills gap, offering entry-level, intermediate, and expert entrance exams to improve young people’s career opportunities. The association has awarded IT experts almost three million certifications worldwide.

The UA92-CompTIA partnership is the first of many new supplier relationships that UA92 is developing and reinforcing the unique and deliberately different approach of industry-led education that enables young adults at UA92 to make it a reality.

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Marc Schmid

Northwest-based Redmoor Health has been appointed to a £ 3.6 billion national health and social security framework.

Founder and CEO, Marc Schmid, said her inclusion in Crown Commercial Service’s Management Consultancy Framework Three (MCF3) was a “turning point” for the company, which was founded in 2017 in the health, social and community sectors.

MCF3 has a term of four years and includes the following services: Alternative delivery models; Business case development; Digital, technology and cyber; Health care services; and healthcare transformation, change, and delivery.

Redmoor Health, which is about to move from Preston to new offices on the top floor of the Strawberry Fields Digital Hub in Chorley, specializes in helping healthcare and social care workers use technology. The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) tendered the framework contract for management consulting services for the public sector in 2020.

MCF3 is a multi-lot framework agreement that can be used by the UK public sector and future successor organizations, including central government and their independent bodies and agencies, the public sector and the third sector. These include local government, health, education, police, fire and rescue, housing associations and charities.