HOME is celebrating Refugee Week this week with a programme brimming with world-class theatre, film, art and performance.

Last year, the borough hosted its first ever Stockport Pride – a free one day festival celebrating the borough’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) community.

An estimated 35% of grassroots music venues have closed in the last 10 years according to Music Venue Trust.

Inside issue one we look at a campaign to get Manchester to quit smoking, speak to LGBT campaigner and activist Mike Jackson and look at who might wrestle the title of Manchester’s next boxing king of the ring!

Kate Richardson-Walsh, Olympic gold medallist and prominent LGBT campaigner, condemned Margaret Court’s “demonisation” of the transgender community.

#BeMoreMartyn paid an emotional tribute to Manchester attack victim, Martyn Hett, at the Hope Mill Theatre on Sunday and Monday – now play director, Adam Zane, is looking to “spread the message” nationally.

It used to be hard to find a good LGBT film to while away an hour or so. A lot of low budget indie productions, some mainstream movies, and the occasional series did float around, but hardly ever made it onto our tellies.

Back in 2014, MM revealed that donations raised in that year were £54k, however in 2016, the money donated settled at a record breaking £149k.

This weekend will see the long-awaited return of Manchester Pride.

Box-kicked in between two footballing giants and competing with league, rugby union in the north-west might be scrum-half in size compared to other English counties.

HomoElectric is making its grand return to Manchester for the first time in 2017.