The centre, for up to 20 youngsters, would aim to ‘reintegrate pupils back into education, employment, or training’

A former office building is set to be used as an education centre for children who find it difficult to attend mainstream schools.

Crown House, Walmesley Road, Leigh is the subject of plans submitted to the council in the past week by Intervention Academy, an Atherton-based education provider who aim to reintegrate pupils back into education, employment, or training.

They plan to educate and support up to 20 children at Crown House. A supporting letter from Lisa Alston and Yvonne Miller, directors at Intervention Academy has been published on Wigan council’s planning portal.

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It said: “We are an alternative provision, providing part-time, alternative education to students who find attending their usual school full-time difficult.

“There will be a maximum of 20 students attending on any one day and a maximum of eight full-time staff. “We currently only have five students per day and have three members of staff, which includes the directors.”

Intervention Academy opened premises at Church Street in Atherton in September, 2024.

At that time director Yvonne Miller, said: “We want to create a supportive and inclusive environment that empowers children to reach their potential academically, socially, and emotionally.

“Our dedicated team will work closely with each student to develop a bespoke learning plan that aligns with their individual needs and goals.

“Whether a student excels in hands-on activities, creative arts, or needs support to become more independent, we are committed to creating a tailored educational experience that empowers them to thrive.”

The change of use application for Crown House states that ‘we are proposing no changes, internally or externally, to the building’.

Previous marketing for Crown House describes it as an ‘extensive, detached and single storey office building’ of approximately 0.28 acres, which includes car parking for 15-20 vehicles.

It is next to Sacred Heart RC church and Sacred Heart Catholic school and opposite Leigh St Mary’s CE primary.

Planners at the council will decide on the proposals in the coming weeks.

Monniky Fraga, who claimed she and her husband Lucas were ambushed by three armed men outside their home, has now been arrested for allegedly trying to stage her own kidnapping

An influencer has been arrested over claims she staged her own kidnapping – all to boost her followers online.

Monniky Fraga, 27, claimed she and her husband Lucas were ambushed by three armed men outside their home in Igarassu, Brazil, last April. But now, almost a year since the incident, she has been arrested in a dawn raid by cops – who have said her husband, who was beaten and robbed, was unaware of the plot.

At the time, Fraga told her 48,000-plus followers it was a terrifying ordeal. In a video she said the gang threatened to torture them unless a ransom was paid and that Lucas was assaulted as they handed over their belongings. The pair were allegedly dragged to a wooded area, held for hours and only freed once cash was handed over.

Police now believe she staged the kidnapping to gain media attention. She secured coverage in several outlets to tell her story. Detective Cley Anderson told local media: “As the investigation progressed, it found indications that the alleged kidnap-for-ransom was in fact nothing more than a plot between the supposed victim and one of the perpetrators.”

Thirty police officers took part in the operation, dubbed ‘Smokescreen of Likes’. Officers said three people, in addition to Fraga, were involved in the fake kidnapping.

Detective Anderson said: “The investigation suggests she not only knew about it, but agreed things in advance and stayed in contact with one of those involved afterwards.”

In a bizarre twist, Fraga’s husband, Lucas – who was also kidnapped, assaulted and robbed – was reportedly unaware of the plot. Detective Anderson said her husband knew nothing of the plot: “At all times, he has maintained that he genuinely believed it was a real kidnapping.”

Fraga’s lawyers have requested she be released from custody and placed under house arrest, citing that she has young children. She maintains she was genuinely kidnapped.

She is expected to face charges of blackmail, perverting the course of justice and wasting police time. At the time in an online video she said: “I spent hours in the woods.

She add: “I didn’t know if I’d make it back. There was a river there, and the whole time I thought they were going to kill me and throw me in here, and I’d never see anyone again.

“All I could think about was my children. They beat up Lucas. They were after some gold chains I had posted about. And I said, ‘Those gold chains weren’t mine’.”

Manchester United have enjoyed a resurgence since Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim at the helm, climbing into the top three and with only Arsenal and Manchester City having now lost more league games this term

Michael Carrick has been backed to be given the Manchester United job on a permanent basis by Harry Maguire.

United have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround since Carrick was installed as interim boss following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim. The ex-Middlesbrough boss has led them to seven wins in 10 Premier League matches, pushing them into third in the table and closing in on a return to the Champions League.

It is clear that Carrick, who spent over a decade at the club as a player, making 464 appearances, winning five titles and the Champions League, has strong backing from the dressing room. Maguire insists it is down to the players to ensure they reclaim a spot at European football’s top table, before trusting the club’s hierarchy to make the right decision.

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And he believes that Carrick deserves to be “right in the mix” when it comes to appointing the next permanent manager – while predicting another “big summer” in terms of recruitment.

United defender Maguire said: “Listen, Carrick coming in, he’s been amazing. He speaks really, really well. He’s tactically very, very good. He’s brought in some amazing staff. Steve Holland, amazing to bring his experience in and someone he can lean on.

“He’s got Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans there helping the younger defenders at the club and all the defenders giving us tips.

“Listen, it’s not up to us. I think there’s seven games left. We’ve put ourselves in a great position. I think we’ve got to finish the season strong, and I think he should go right into the mix of the other candidates and let the process begin.

“I’m sure it will do and I’m sure it’s going to be a thorough process, and it’s going to be a big summer. We know that for Manchester United. We need bodies in, bodies to help the squad. We know that. We need improvement in the squad. We need more bodies.

“It’s going to be a big recruitment in the management department, and I’m sure that the hierarchy will get it right.”

READ MORE: Kobbie Mainoo Manchester United turnaround sums up ‘magnificent’ midfielderREAD MORE: Harry Maguire breaks silence on Ruben Amorim with surprise statement on ex-Man United boss

Despite the impressive way Carrick has led United, it is far from certain he will become the club’s next boss, but other candidates have fallen by the wayside.

Thomas Tuchel, much admired, committed himself to England until 2028, the chances of Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner have faded and Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique – a dream appointment for some – looks set to stay in the French capital.

They are also planning to spend big in the market with United keen to sign midfield talent with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson at the top of their hit-list.

England’s 2026 World Cup kits

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On Tuesday, Trump signalled the US may pursue both strategies at once. In a matter of hours, the Pentagon ordered ground troops to Iran, and US negotiators sent the Iranian regime a new 15-point peace plan. By Wednesday, the White House was urging Iran to accept the deal while threatening to hit the country harder than ever if it didn’t, stoking further confusion about Trump’s intentions.

Train services between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport are affected due to the incident near Mauldeth Road.

⚠️Services between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport are being disrupted due to Emergency Services dealing with an incident near Mauldeth Road.

🎫You can travel on the following train operators and routes at no extra cost:
-Number 43 Bee Network bus between Manchester…

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Northern say passengers can travel oon the following train operators and routes at no extra cost:
-Number 43 Bee Network bus between Manchester Airport to Manchester Piccadilly
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Northern also announced this morning that yesterday’s disruption caused by trees falling on the lines at Lostock has now ended. Trains were cancelled throughout the day, with passengers being urged to check before travel yesterday.

A spokesman said: “Disruption caused by damage to the overhead electric wires at Bolton has now ended. Services are no longer affected by this problem.”

She was soon put right. In one of Harvard’s lecture theatres, the women’s rugby captain Maya Learned put on a video of a United States’ match.

“They were running at each other, hitting each other, full tackle professional paid athletes,” says Jarrell-Searcy.

“And I was like ‘whoa, that looks awesome’.

“My brother was a wrestler. Growing up, I loved to wrestle, but girls weren’t allowed to do that – it was a very vindicating experience as a little tomboy athlete.

“Our first practice started by just getting the new recruits to run at a tackle pad and seeing how we reacted.

“My team-mates still make fun of me now because I was just grinning, getting a full run up, and sprinting at this stationary girl holding a pad.

“After that, it was it was rugby or bust.”

Which was fine when Jarrell-Searcy was at Harvard.

Harvard had a dedicated rugby pitch, a state-of-the-art weights room, indoor facilities and a slate of fixtures against other college sides.

Title IX – a landmark piece of legislation – stipulates that all educational institutions in the United States spend equal amounts on women’s sports provision as they do on men’s.

However when she graduated, the reality of life outside the college bubble bit hard.

Jarrell-Searcy would go to a public gym before 5am, work a 12-hour ambulance shift transporting non-emergency patients to hospital, before travelling to training at night under shonky floodlights.

On her days off, she would find parks and tracks to do solo speed work. At the weekends, she would gather with the few national-standard players in her state and do some contact work at a mutually inconvenient central location.

“It was almost impossible,” she says. “If I wasn’t obsessed, I would have just been like, ‘alright, time to grow up, let’s get a real job’.

“That is what it is like to be a developing player in the USA, it is total bootstrap stuff.”

It is that reality which has made the PWR – the biggest domestic women’s rugby league anywhere – a magnet for talented players around the world.

As soon as Jarrell-Searcy left Harvard, it was her aim. In January 2024, just before her 25th birthday, she made it, signing for Sale Sharks.

“I remember coming to Carrington [Sale’s training base] and just hearing them say ‘we are on pitch four’ which meant there were four pitches,” she says.

“Just little things like that, people here don’t even think about.”

The change was big, and the curve was steep.

“I was watching these girls smashing each other into the mud on and thinking I’m a United States international but I’m not actually as good as the average person here,” she says.

“In my first season, it was very much like trial by fire. In my first game involvements, I was just getting smoked. I think I lost the ball in contact every other time I carried.

“But just being in a practice squad with Holly Aitchison, Courtney Knight, Morwenna Talling, Amy Cokayne, – I could list the entire team – it is iron-on-iron stuff.”

At the Women’s Rugby World Cup in August, England were cut apart by those sharpened skills.

From just inside the opposition half, Jarrell-Searcy shrugged off Jess Breach and scorched in for the Eagles’ only try of the tournament opener.

The mental health effects of climate change are receiving growing attention, including how children and young people are uniquely affected. Supporting young people to build and sustain good mental health and wellbeing, and to feel prepared for life and work in an uncertain world, has never been more urgent. However, action is still lagging behind need – including in education.

My colleagues and I at the Compass Project, coordinated by the Climate Cares Centre at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London, are exploring how combining climate change education with consideration of mental health and wellbeing can better equip young people for their futures.

We wanted to know how students and educators experience climate change education now, and what they want to see change. Through focus groups and a survey, we heard from over 200 students aged 16-29 and their educators in schools, further education and sixth form colleges and universities in England. They told us why and how emotional resilience – the social and emotional skills to build and sustain good mental health and wellbeing in the face of challenges – should be part of climate change education.

Status quo: disconnected and disempowered

For many young people, climate change education is disconnected from solutions, and from what they see as helpful to everyday life and enjoy learning about. Students report lacking agency, meaning they don’t feel they have the ability to make change. These are not only barriers to meaningful climate change education. Our study highlights this is also driving both distress and disengagement, and missing opportunities to protect and promote mental health and wellbeing.

Students described a wide range of emotions associated with climate change, including worry, fear, guilt, anger and powerlessness. We heard that education can exacerbate these feelings. One university student said:

[My education] increases my worry because despite being a biology course, and many of my modules being based around ecosystems, the environment, animal behaviour, climate change is not a central theme or something brought up regularly in my learning.

What surprised me was just how much students spoke of climate denial and disengagement, mental health stigma, and stigma around engaging with climate action. Students highlighted these as barriers to discussion and community building. One said:

There seems to be a passive feeling amongst my age cohort and, despite most accepting the truth of climate change, they feel removed and disempowered. This is obviously quite demoralising.

Educators spoke of feeling unsupported and lacking time and resources when it came to teaching about climate change and navigating diverse emotional responses. “We want to teach about climate change,” one said, “but there’s anxiety for the educator to say, what if I set some sort of chain reaction of concern amongst these children, how do I deal with that?”

Such experiences have been reflected through a film by the Climate Majority Project, highlighting the emotional reality of climate change education through the eyes of a teacher.

Change is possible, and already underway

Students and educators had clear, aligned, views on action to better prepare young people for a climate-changed future. This included strengthening connection with nature and curriculum reform to include psychologically informed climate change education in every subject.

Students wanted support to cope with their emotions, and opportunities to take part in meaningful and collective climate action. More time, funding, training and support for educators underpins these actions. A school student said:

It gets to a point where it’s like, this statistic, this statistic. These animals are dying. This country’s just had a flood. If you give [young people] concrete ways, more opportunities to do things that genuinely would help a lot of people, and it also does help the environment, but it takes away that powerlessness and frustration and fear.

Many initiatives are already putting these actions into practice, alongside a growing bank of resources on how to do so.

I was struck by examples students and educators gave of initiatives that did anecdotally support climate change education and build emotional resilience, but hadn’t been designed this way. Inter-school climate action competitions built community, agency and joy. General peer support systems for university assignments led to discussions about climate emotions.

Insufficient attention on the links between climate change education and mental health and wellbeing may mean wider, perhaps unintended, benefits of what schools, colleges and universities are already doing are missed. Particularly given scarce resources and overburdened educators, learning about and investing in how to enable these positive ripple effects – and consistently embed such practices across the education system – is a crucial opportunity.

The transformational societal changes that the climate crisis demands can only take place by considering the emotions, thoughts and beliefs that shape our actions, including support to minimise burnout. Our actions, in turn, shape our emotions and can influence our health and wellbeing. Recognising and resourcing these connections in education systems is critical to truly equip young people for life and work in a changing climate.

Holyrood wrapped up on Wednesday after a dismal five-year session which saw two first ministers resign and little in the way of substantial legislation passed.

The Scottish Parliament election campaign kicks-off today with party leaders setting out their opening pitches to voters left feeling disillusioned with politics.

Holyrood wrapped up on Wednesday after a dismal five-year session which saw two first ministers resign and little in the way of substantial legislation passed.

MSPs were frequently left scrambling to react to major events like the end of a covid pandemic which hammered businesses, while rampant inflation and soaring fuel prices triggered by the war in Ukraine caused misery for households across the country.

The NHS has continued to struggle since the pandemic and serious questions have been raised about the safety of the £1bn Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

Roz Foyer, STUC general secretary, said: “This past session of the Scottish Parliament can point to some successes, most notably legislation to pardon striking miners, implement safe access buffer zones and the aim to develop community wealth building across Scotland.

“But this Parliament, like those before it, is still falling short of delivering the change that Scotland’s communities are desperately seeking.

“For too many workers, power remains concentrated in the upper echelons of society, with wealth and resources in the hands of the few.

“As parties formally launch their campaigns, candidates should be cognisant of the demands of Scotland’s workers.

“There is a clear and viable call from our movement to the political class for far greater action on redistributing wealth, delivering a credible industrial strategy for our national infrastructure, and standing with those in Scotland targeted and persecuted by divisive forces in our communities.”

A change of government at Westminster in 2024 has done little to help Scottish Labour which has not won a Holyrood election since 2003.

And despite multiple resignations of senior figures since the last time Scots went to the polls in 2021, it’s the SNP who remain clear out in front in all recent opinion polls – with John Swinney on course to lead the Nationalists into a third decade in power.

The First Minister will make a speech in Glasgow at 10am to officially launch the SNP’s campaign, where he is expected to insist his party offers a “fresh choice” – despite having been in office since 2007.

Anas Sarwar will also make a speech in Scotland’s largest city this morning with Labour left trailing in the polls.

READ MORE: Tory MSPs plan taxpayer-funded trip to Paris just days before quitting Scottish ParliamentREAD MORE: Meet the Reform UK candidates standing for election to the Scottish Parliament ‘who don’t think Tories are extreme enough’

Speaking ahead of his speech in Glasgow, Sarwar said: “After 20 years of SNP government, Scotland needs change, and this is the only party that can deliver it.

“This is the first opportunity in a generation to change the Government in Scotland and it is not one we can afford to miss.

“People are fed up of the old politics of division. They want a more positive and hopeful government and a more positive and hopeful future for Scotland.

“Scotland’s choice is a simple one: a third decade of SNP Government with John Swinney as First Minister, or a Scottish Labour Government with me as First Minister.

“If you agree that Scotland needs change, and that it needs a new government that will fix the mess, get the basics right and build a better future, then on May 7 – cast both your votes for Scottish Labour.”

Russell Findlay, the Scottish Conservatives leader, is also facing a gruelling campaign with his party facing the prospect of losing half of its MSPs, according to recent polls.

He said: “John Swinney has made it clear that he will use an SNP majority on May 7 to push for another independence referendum.

“Recent polling suggests that he is on the brink of achieving that nightmare prospect. He is already boasting about winning a majority.

“But over the next six weeks, if Scots get behind the Scottish Conservatives, we can stop Swinney and his push to break up the United Kingdom.

“That is his lifelong ambition. He says he will use a majority to deploy his ‘secret plan’ to deliver independence.”

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The Government has been told the world is seeing the “worst supply shock there’s ever been”

The Government is “absolutely not” planning for energy blackouts or rationing, MPs have heard. Energy minister Michael Shanks told the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee on Wednesday that the UK has a “strong and diverse range of supplies” that are operating as normal.

It comes amid Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for oil and gas. Asked if ministers are planning for blackouts or rationing, Mr Shanks said: “We’re absolutely not. And look, that’s not from a point of us not taking very seriously the risks that there are at the moment and managing the situation carefully.

“But we are monitoring it, and all the data that we have is that because we’ve got a strong and diverse range of supplies, we’re not concerned about it. It doesn’t mean we don’t take it very seriously.”

The committee was earlier told that Asian markets are seeing a “big drought” of oil and gas on the horizon because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Equinor, which is a major energy supplier to Europe, said a number of its vessels were caught up in the disruption.

Alex Grant, Equinor’s UK country manager, told MPs: “We have a fleet of around 80 vessels at any one point – we have vessels that are caught up in the Gulf situation. I have no better view on anyone else, which is when will the straits reopen.

“There is no shortage even in Asia, yet. Vessels take 25 days or so to sail there so at the moment they’re still just about receiving the same amount of oil that they’ve always received. But they can see on the horizon a big drought. Suddenly nothing coming. And they don’t know when that tunnel ends because they haven’t seen the straits reopen.

“The stress in Asia, a physical shortage problem that they can see coming, is felt much more acutely than it is here.”

Alan Grant, senior vice president of refining, chemicals and oil markets for energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie, told the committee that the war was creating the “worst supply shock there’s ever been” in terms of crude oil. It is a material shock,” he told the MPs.

“What the markets are very much focused on is what is flowing out of the straits – we’re seeing refiners in Asia scrambling to secure supply and countries in Asia try and manage demand. What we don’t know is when the straits reopen, how fast the ships that are currently loaded and waiting there can flow out.”

He added that the world was “slightly split at the moment” with Asian markets in particular facing higher prices as they look for alternative suppliers. At the moment, refiners in Europe are doing quite well because product prices have really lifted compared to crude,” he said.

“Refiners in Asia, not at all – they’re competing so hard for the crude that’s available, they’re kind of destroying their earnings.”

Professor Nick Butler, a former vice president of BP, told Times Radio that there could be oil and gas shortages within two to three weeks. He said: “There will be shortages and I think the Government now should be seriously planning how they’re going to handle that and part of that is maximising supply.”

Prof Butler added: “So developing the North Sea to the extent of the reserves that are there, that’s at least three or four billion barrels of oil and gas and another 10 to 12 of resources that could possibly be developed. I think we are going to need that and the Government should have a sense of urgency in getting the industry going again.”

HERE are some of the long-term benefits of swimming:

1. Help you live longer

According to a 2017 report commissioned by Swim England, swimmers had a 28 percent lower risk of early death and a 41 percent lower risk of death due to heart disease and stroke compared with those who didn’t swim.

2. Help keep you lean

Swimming is a full-body workout, engaging most muscles. According to Harvard Medical School, a person weighing 11 stone will burn about 432 calories with an hour of swimming as opposed to roughly 266 calories walking at a moderate pace. Another study published in 2021 found that 16 weeks of swimming led to significant reductions in body fat and BMI.

3. Boost heart health

Swimming can improve your cardiovascular fitness, allowing the heart to become stronger and the lungs to become more efficient in utilising oxygen. Research shows swimming has been linked to improvements in hypertension, blood pressure, and other markers of cardiovascular health.

4. Strengthen your lungs

If you’ve been diagnosed with a lung condition like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), your lungs will benefit greatly from swimming, according to a Swim England report. Swimming trains the muscles involved with respiration, meaning it can enhance lung volume and aid breathing techniques. For those who have asthma, the pool provides an ideal exercise setting as it’s humid, warm, and usually a low-pollen environment.

Swimming can boost your mood too Photo supplied

5. Boost brain power

When researchers studied the specific benefits of swimming, they found a unique benefit. In one small study, participants who did a 20-minute, moderate-intensity swim processed visual information more quickly and responded faster on cognitive tests conducted immediately before and after their swim.

6. Put you in a better mood

A study published in 2003 found that a single session of swimming improved mood even more than a single session of aerobic dance. This is said to be due to the release of ‘happiness chemicals’ in the brain, specifically endorphins dopamine and serotonin.

7. May help you sleep

According to experts, any exercise routine, including swimming, helps reset the body’s internal clock and restores the natural circadian rhythm. A Brazilian study published in 2021 assessed the sleeping patterns of visually-impaired males aged 16-60 and found that those who swam five times a week enjoyed better sleep quality than those who swam less frequently or not at all.

8. May help with chronic pain

Conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia often come with reduced mobility and in many cases, short or long-term pain. Aquatic exercises including swimming have been shown to benefit musculoskeletal conditions and improve physical function and quality of life. This is because the buoyancy of the water adds resistance (making water workouts challenging), but low-impact at the same time.

9. Be calming for people with Additional Needs

People with disabilities – especially those with a neurodiversity such as autism – can find it difficult to process sensory information. For a lot of people who struggle in this way, being in water is a soothing experience which can help develop spatial awareness, balance and coordination, fine and gross motor skills, and learning to feel where your body is in relation to the external world.

10. Can help before and after surgery

According to Swim England, complications after having an operation can be reduced by 30 – 80 per cent if patients are able to exercise before having the procedure. In addition, being active after surgery also speeds up the recovery process. Exercise that improves fitness, strength, balance and deep-breathing is said to be especially helpful in this respect and swimming provides all of these factors. In addition, the pressure of the water decreases swelling, improves circulation and helps flush out the kidneys.

Five fun facts about swimming

• Studies have linked swimming with improved short and long-term memory in mice.

• For anxious people, the weightless environment of a swimming pool soothes agitation and calms the mind.

• The pressure of water on the body in a swimming pool can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

• An hour of vigorous swimming can burn off 650 calories – that’s more than walking or biking.

• Joining a team of swimmers – either at a pool or for outdoor swimming – increases a sense of community, belonging and wellbeing.

About Better leisure centres

Centres in the city include York Leisure Centre, Burnholme Sports Centre, Energise Leisure Centre and Yearsley Swimming Pool. For more information, please visit www.better.org.uk