Welcome to the CDIRF Corona Virus Microsite (Updated 14 July)

Manchester City Council have launched an online website section and freephone telephone number for residents who have no other sources of support including those really struggling with practical issues arising because of the Corona Virus. You can call Manchester City Council's Corona Virus Helpline on 0800 234 6123 and visit their Corona Virus support by clicking here (Opens New Window).

1. CDIRF supports being responsible but we stand firmly against and do not in any way condone the draconian powers introduced under the Coronavirus Act 2020. We welcome posts across our website that both stand for and stand against the “lockdown”.

2. We encourage residents to stand together in protecting their Civil Liberties whilst observing social distancing and essential hygiene measures. We have added Big Brother Watch’s pages to our important information pages and we stand with them and Amnesty International in solidarity.

3. Don’t be terrified but be methodical - please read all of the information on this website and regularly check for updates.

4. The whole of Croydon Drive Independent Residents Forum is produced and facilitated entirely independent of Avro Hollows' TMO, Northwards' Housing and Manchester City Council but we are communicating messages from them within the corona virus content of this website. You can find out more about the extent of our cooperation with Avro Hollows' TMO by visiting the "Avro Hollows Cooperation" option in the menu above.

5. There are no obvious differences between colds/flu/other causes of high temperatures and the Corona Virus (Officially referred to as "Covid 19"). Those of you who are in good health could only experience mild flu-like symptoms but there is no guarantee.

6. Of the most importance, above all, everybody need to protect elderly and vulnerable people (those with poor immune systems (including those with alcohol and drug addictions, those that have had transplants. those undergoing cancer treatment or those who have not been eating properly amonst others)) and this is why self-isolation (staying in your flat for fourteen days if you have symptoms is still VERY IMPORTANT and this is why you will need to do it.

7. There are separate rules for those who live with others and where any one of the household shows symptoms. If any one of the household shows symptoms, they should call 119 to arrange a test and the whole household should self-isolate until the last person in their group has stopped showing symptoms and has themselves self-isolated for fourteen days).

8. It is also arguably a criminal offence to recklessly infect somebody and that doing this is tantamount (amounts to) assault. There are a whole new set of laws (the Coronavirus Act 2020) that have been introduced since the United Kingdom government demanded a lock-down. Although that stage has since passed, there are still lots of rules in place that you must follow or risk a hefty fine.

9. Those who are vulnerable will not immediately be obvious and you might not immediately come into contact with them but they are still put at severe risk if you do not self-isolate (stay in your flat if you have symptoms) because, as far as we all know so far, the virus spreads in much the same way as the flu (through coughs and sneezes and surface contact (lift buttons, door handles, stair rails and more)).

10. For people who are not showing any symptoms, it is absolutely essential that you protect your fellow residents by following the guidance provided on the Corona Virus pages of this website in relation to avoiding catching the corona-virus, for you, your family and friends, other residents and their guests. Don't be afraid to rely on main-stream media too.

11. Cafe sit down areas (and some Cafes overall), Cinemas, Nightclubs, Pubs and Theatres were all forced to shut but some pubs and cinemas are now back open where they can show that they can ensure social distancing. Takeaways remained open, but only to take away food with you. Some had chosen to shut and some remain shut. Most takeaways are still not letting people sit down or use the loos.

12. Supermarkets have mostly relaxed the restrictions on the amount of the same items that you could buy and many have reduced opening hours (including Asda Eastlands) to deal with re-stocking the shelves and, in the case of Iceland and Waitrose (and increasingly others), the first hour of the day is only for older and vulnerable customers (or their carers) which is pretty decent.

13. Most, if not all supermarkets (and chemists) are no longer opening 24 hours a day. You can find their updated opening times on their websites or by telephoning the supermarket. Stocks of items that were difficult to find are now starting to get back to normal levels.

14. Most supermarkets that offered delivery services before the Corona Virus crisis are still delivering food but they are very busy and you are advised to order well in advance of when you need items. Some are taking weeks. If you are struggling, visit our Emergency Community Shopping Scheme pages in the menu above for further instructions. If you are viewing this website on a mobile device, swipe from left to right or tap the button with three lines in it.

15. Information on how each supermarket (and other stores that have remained open including chemists) are dealing with the Corona Virus pandemic is available from their websites and you will find this information either on the front page of the store's website or within their help sections. Most non essential shops have now reopened with social distancing measures in place

16. Most buses and coaches are now back to normal but, by law, you now have to wear a mask or a face covering unless you are medically exempt when travelling on any public transport and shops will also require you to wear a mask.

17. National Rail services are more or less back to normal. TfGM say the reduction in services during the lockdown was to allow for the vigorous and regular cleaning of vehicles and rolling stock (trams). The advice continues to be to avoid public transport wherever possible.

18. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information that has been provided is as accurate as possible but we (nor any volunteers) can take any legal responsibility, both for the non-profit emergency community shopping scheme or for this advice or in relation to CDIRF more widely. This website is not written by Doctors either. We are simply trying to help you, for free (but not at cost to us in terms of the non-profit emergency community shopping scheme) – as always.

19. The Croydon Drive Independent Resident's Forum (CDIRF) is available to provide emotional and practical support (we will refer residents wherever possible for practical support to avoid the tieing up of limited resources and continue to be here for extended hours to offer emotional support over the phone, We can call you back. If you struggle, however, and are in an emergency situation in relation to supplies, do follow the instructions but don't be afraid to contact us as a last resort. we will do our utmost to avoid seeing you stranded).

20. The best way to get assistance is to telephone the number above. Please listen carefully to the options and select the correct one so that we can take priority calls first. Please be patient as there may be delays. We are open, wheverer possible, outside of standard "office" hours as well as during them.

21. If we are unavailable on the phone, a voicemail facility is available, if you need a call back, once you are in the call queue, you can press 1 at any time to leave us a voicemail.

22. Please now read the items on the menu above very carefully. As more advice becomes available, we will publish it or change out of date information. This is why you might see different advice from what you might have heard previously on the news, read in a newspaper or on the web. The government are trying to quickly learn about this new virus (whilst totally cocking it up) and so they (and we) are on the backfoot.

Further Information..

The estate comprises of four tower blocks and two rows of houses split into two flats (there are no cows but most of these flats do smell of cheese due to the damp in them). Some of the flats across the estate contain 1 and, shockingly, 2 and 3 bedrooms.

Avro Hollows' Tenant Management Organisation purport to manage the estate on behalf of Manchester City Council, in association with Northwards housing (Northwards' Housing will, however, deny all knowledge of this). The estate is most definitely not run for the benefit of the local community with some residents describing the estate as an "open prison".

To find out more...please read our article "more about the estate" below.

Who We Are..

This website and its online community was set up by a resident on the Croydon Drive Estate who may or may not be closely related to C.G.B. Spender (the truth is not out there). It is entirely free to use and to become a member and it always will be. Personally identifiable information is not collected or stored protecting the anonymity of members. We only publish the tower block of the residents (so the person writing will be 1/72 or 71 people - dependent on the specific tower block).

It is not a breach of a resident's tenancy agreement to join Croydon Drive Independent Residents' Forum. The right to set up tenant groups is in fact specifically protected within resident's tenancy agreements.

The starting point for the forum was to create an online presence. The forum itself has the ability for members to send private messages (not read by the forum admin) and Members are encouraged to use their common sense in remaining anonymous and protecting themselves online. There is a reporting feature above all posts should anybody be concerned about the content - particularly where it is discriminatory or hateful - humour is of course allowed within reason.

Members are encouraged to have their say and provide feedback on the existing forum sections (including the popular "The Vent" and various general interests categories) and to request new ones. This also extends now to website content. We strongly urge residents to register using the unique registration code letters, most recently posted through doors in August 2019 by one of our kind elves.

The Croydon Drive Independent Residents' Forum is, unfortunately, not open to Contractors, Employees or Volunteers (including members) of Avro Hollows' Tenant Management Organisation, Northwards' Housing or Manchester City Council to protect the integrity of the forum and the anonymity of members and access is not permitted from locations run by them to protect the security of login details.

To ensure that our security policies are upheld vigorously for the benefit of members, we regularly lookup IP addresses that are logged when members log in. Our independence policy was ratified by members in 2018.

The Croydon Drive Independent Residents' Forum is set up by residents to further the interests of residents. It's that simple. A large part of that is to take the current Directorship (Avro Hollows' TMO) to task where they fail residents through causing as much embarrassment as possible.

If any residents struggle to register (you need to sign up using the register option), please do use the contact form link above (or the contact link on the forum itself).

If you are a resident who has not yet registered - what are you waiting for? A very warm welcome awaits!

About Our Estate..

The estate has security gates at every entrance where many tenants cannot get in and out of all of the gates without pressing the buzzer (although thieves can) and it has so many cameras that it puts Big Brother to shame. All tenants have their mugshots taken to aid with tracking them from the moment they leave their flat until they leave the estate (perhaps further?) and there is a 24 hour live feed available to lucky viewers on Channel Commsec.

Cameras are monitored by Commsec Security (when it suits them - incidents that tenants report are rarely ever captured) who, until at least very recently, controlled the access controls in Greater Manchester Police buildings - what do you know! Until recently, it was commonplace for gate intercom calls to go unanswered (including in 2020 to 7 fire engines attending a small kitchen fire in Lancaster Court), particularly in the winter, leaving tenants to get soaked. Commsec Security are, however, excellent at bellowing over the multiple speaker tannoy system from their offices about 1.5 miles away and regularly using foul language at the weekend when the Estate Manager isn't working..

There are entrance intercoms on each tower block. On two of them, tenants do not ever get to speak to their visitors as the dial pad has been removed and replaced with a camera, and, on the other two, Commsec Security like to randomly divert intercom calls to them when they get bored. On all four tower blocks, Commsec Security like to have a conversation with your guests instead, particularly when your food (and takeaway driver) is getting cold.

The MGMT..

We do have a highly motivated* Estate Manager (*highly motivated in going out of her way to cause trouble even though she has not been here very long) and, along with the Directors, the team ensure that the majority view of residents is never put forward and they won't think twice about harassing residents if they don't like you.

Employees are not disclosure and barring board checked and at least one has a serious criminal record, even though their employment at Avro Hollows' (which is paid for by Manchester City Council) could lead to them entering your home. "What happened to safeguarding" you might ask...

We take this moment to pay homage to the old Estate Manager who was a complete legend. More news on her leaving is due to hit you soon but it will make for very grim reading when we get her permission to publish it and we suspect the press will be very interested in Avro Hollows' TMO's behaviour too.

Our residents have had issue after issue with getting repairs carried out and with the way in which Manchester City Council and Northwards' Housing have managed new kitchen and bathroom provision on the estate. It is touch and go whether anybody answers the lift breakdown alarms and the quality of connection is so poor that they can't hear you when they do answer.

Contractors work without consulting residents and are as disruptive as possible. Complaints go nowhere when forwarded to Northwards' Housing. To this end, and more widely, Avro Hollows' TMO could not give a toss about what the resident majority want despite receiving around £250k a year of Manchester City Council funding. It's high time they went.

The Board..

The TMO board are extremely selective about who they invite to their meetings (you'd have more chance of being invited to bank with Coutts) and the majority of tenants do not get a look in or a say on anything at TMO board meetings where they are no longer announced for fear of tenants protesting.

Avro Hollows' TMO are certainly not there to make the experience of living on the Croydon Drive estate a "really happy one" unless you are one of a select few on the board with access to around £250k a year grant funding (from Manchester City Council).

Welcome to the Croydon Drive Independent Residents' Forum where we do things differently and respect each other.