BBC presenter Mike Sweeney has hosted a radio show at Salford Shopping Centre to promote charities assisting people in Salford with the cost-of-living crisis.
The BBC presenter was joined by Salford charities sharing financial advice and a local artist live painting the broadcast.
With a focus on the cost-of-living crisis, people gathered to share their personal stories while classic segments of the show such as the golden hour of music remained.
Several of the city’s charities including Loaves and Fishes and Survivor’s Project also went along to share money-saving tips for those struggling with bills this winter.
The BBC presenter said: “This is my home. This is my DNA. This is my city. I feel that the BBC has got an obligation to get out and about.
“It is very easy if you’re doing an outside broadcast to go somewhere nice and leafy on a summer’s day. Well, no, on a winter’s day, come to Salford, go into the shopping centre and speak to real people who, by the way, pay my wages.
Mike Sweeney lived in Ordsall until he was in his forties and spent his broadcast bumping into many familiar faces.
The cost of living crisis is affecting many across the city, and Mike felt this was necessary to highlight.
Mike said: “The situation we’re in now is unprecedented in relatively modern times. But to find poor people working who do a full week’s work, can’t quite pay the bills, and are sat there thinking should we put the central heating on or have something for tea.
“I think you’ve got to identify where that is happening and you’ve got to illustrate and bring the real world and onto the radio if possible.”
Local artist Chelsea Entwistle, 32, was live painting the whole event. The piece is currently being auctioned with the proceeds going to the Loaves and Fishes charity.
After only painting abstract pieces, during lockdown she took inspiration from the city she has lived in her entire life and began creating local art.
Chelsea, who now lives in the first house Mike Sweeney bought, said: “I’ve painted my entire life, but I’ve only been putting it online for the last two years since lockdown.
“Before that, I’d painted mainly only abstracts. I’d never really bothered to paint a building. I started painting Salford because of the memories that I was hearing online.”
Chelsea has two boys, with a baby girl on the way, but is struggling herself with the current cost of housing prices in Salford.
She said: “I rent from a housing association at the moment, but if I was to look to move in my local community privately, my rent would nearly double.
“It is getting to the point where if you were born in Salford, you can’t always afford to live here. On the good side, you have got media city, but we do have to remember that Salford people count.”
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