Here’s how you can help keep Manchester’s high streets vibrant this Christmas

Give the gift of going out is a pioneering scheme that’s being pushed by Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Adviser, Sacha Lord.

It is designed to help the struggling hospitality sector across Greater Manchester.

Hospitality is currently on the ropes, as people become less able to spend money as the cost of living skyrockets, from energy prices, to the prices of food and basic ingredients.

Mr Lord had previously warned the sector faced “collapse” unless there was significant intervention from the Government prior to the Autumn statement.

How the scheme will work is, instead of buying your uncle a naff shirt or your auntie a scented candle she will lob in the bin, you can get your friends or family a voucher, that they can spend in the hospitality sector during January or February.

It will give the hospitality sector a much needed boost post Christmas when things settle down, and will help keep our amazing hospitality sector vibrant.

You can get the full list of venues by clicking here.

In a post on Twitter, Sacha said: “We’ve created these vouchers, called ‘the gift of going out’ to help support bars, restaurants, theatres, live music venues across Greater Manchester.

“When you buy these vouchers, you’ll not only be supporting the venues but also the staff, who get the least hours post Christmas.

“It might look when you pass a restaurant in the run up to Christmas that a place is bustling and busy, but they are taking on so much debt behind the scenes that come January, February, we’re in danger of losing our local pubs, restaurants, bars, theatres and live music venues.

“Hospitality will never fully disappear but we are in danger.

“The scene in Manchester is fantastic. We don’t want every high street we have to have those same soulless restaurants, with soulless furniture and everyone in same, soulless uniform.

“That’s not what hospitality is about. We need family un businesses who know your name, who wake up and have to adapt to the different challenges that face them each day.

“These are the places that we need to save, and which these vouchers are most likely to help.”

The list is ever growing, so be sure to check up where you can spend your vouchers.

Why not give the gift of going out this Christmas?