The Manc’s ‘takeaway with a takeaway’ event with Deliveroo and Bruntwood is back this week
**Trigger Warning** The theme for this event is around Mental Health and our speaker will be going into detail about her own experience surrounding Mental Health.
The Manc’s ‘takeaway with a takeaway’ event, launched with Deliveroo and Bruntwood, will be back this week with another inspiring guest speaker.
This month’s session will take place at Bruntwood’s beautiful Bloc building – and all attendees will get a free lunch from Deliveroo that celebrates the region’s amazing food and drink scene.
Speaking at the event on Wednesday 20 October will be Ngozi Weller from Aurora Wellness, which was created to enable good mental health and employee wellbeing in workplaces.
As well as the free lunch and the inspiring speech from the chosen experts, each session includes a networking opportunity at one of Bruntwood’s buildings around Manchester.
The first lunch club took place in August at Blackfriars House, where Christopher Owen spoke to attendees about what it means to be a good person.
ADVERTISEMENT
Bruntwood’s Bloc building. Credit: Bruntwood
Aurora Wellness says: “Forward thinking, conscious companies are changing the way they think about workplace and employee wellbeing. They’re beginning to shift away from reactive management of sickness absence and reduced productivity to proactive approaches to prevention through promoting wellbeing at work. And it all starts with communication.
“This is where Aurora Wellness consultants excel. We communicate clearly and concisely exactly how individuals can take responsibility for their own mental health and wellbeing, within the context of modern life. We have adapted the excellent evidence based research conducted by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) government-backed ‘Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing’ to develop a pragmatic approach to wellbeing.”
December 14 – Blackfriars House St Marys, Parsonage, Manchester M3 2JA
ADVERTISEMENT
A spokesperson for Deliveroo said: “We are thrilled for the opportunity to showcase some of Deliveroo’s amazing Manchester restaurants while providing the business community with a delicious midweek treat by partnering with The Manc & Bruntwood for the new Lunchtime Takeaway event.”
Rosie Davis, business development manager for Bruntwood, said: “I am so excited to host this event in the Bruntwood Buildings with The Manc and Deliveroo and to bring the Manchester business community together with two of the best things in life; food and inspirational people!”
Kristen MacGregor-Houlston, head of brand partnerships at The Manc, said: “We’re genuinely buzzing to be collaborating with industry leaders like Bruntwood and Deliveroo for the lunchtime takeaway series.
“We’re going to be inspiring the business community of Manchester with this event series and it’s a fantastic opportunity to highlight some of our region’s delicious food and drink offering.”
All three businesses will come together at Blackfriars House on St. Mary’s Parsonage, in The Auditorium.
Manchester Marathon found fresh community fund following milestone charitable efforts
Danny Jones
The Manchester Marathon has begun a new community fund following more than a decade of incredible charity efforts.
Known as the Trafford Active Fund for the last 10 years or so, the initiative covers not only the city and its wider boroughs’ annual 26.2-mile long race, but various other sports and activity-based schemes across the region.
Now, though, the fresh Manc Marathon Fund is evolving in partnership with the existing Trafford Moving Fund and MCRactive arm of Manchester City Council by expanding its vital charity work further afield than ever before.
Launching ahead of the 2026 event this spring, runners will once again be behind crucial funding across the Greater Manchester region and beyond.
The new Manchester Marathon Community Fund logo (Credit: Supplied)
For context, back in 2024, the MCR Marathon raised nearly £30 million for the local economy and roughly £3.7m for charities like the Alzheimer’s Society; last April, that figure surpassed more than £4m, and the fundraising numbers only continue to increase with every year.
With that in mind, more than £60k is distributed to various partner programmes that “inspire movement, improve wellbeing, and create meaningful change for local people”.
Moving forward, not only will £1 from every paid entry into the Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half continue to go directly into the Manchester Marathon Community Fund (MMCF).
Andrew Smith, Chief Executive of A.S.O. UK – organisers of the MCR Marathon and Half – said: “We’re incredibly proud of the positive impact the Trafford Active Fund has delivered locally over the years, and we’re excited to extend that impact across both Trafford and Manchester City [Centre].
“By broadening our reach, the MMCF will help even more people to get active and contribute to a legacy of movement and wellbeing. Our relationship with Trafford remains as strong as ever, and we look forward to continuing to support the brilliant community projects that make a real difference there.”
Community groups and projects in Trafford or the City of Manchester can apply for funding via the Trafford Moving Fund and MCR Active (dependent on their location).
A panel from each organisation reviews applications and selects projects that best demonstrate lasting impact.
We share stories from funded projects throughout the year, so you can see the difference your event entry makes.
We love how much the North West regularly dedicates its charitable efforts, both socially and physically, towards important causes throughout the year.
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied via Manchester Marathon/ASO UK)
Business
Deansgate bar Simmons closes just over a year after opening
Danny Jones
London-born bar brand Simmons has closed their Manchester site just over a year after opening their first Northern location.
They’ve lasted roughly 15 months on one of our busiest nightlife strips.
Opening on Deansgate back in October 2024, Simmons Manchester wasn’t just their first foray here up in this half of the country but their only other venue outside of the capital.
An otherwise well-established and popular chain down south, they have a total of 15 different bars in central London, but things clearly haven’t quite taken off as planned here in Manchester.
Placing a poster in the unit’s shopfront besides the likes of Be At One, Yours, The Moon Under The Water Spoons and the Deansgate branch of Slug and Lettuce, as you can see, the fellow franchise founded over a decade ago said: “After much consideration, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our doors.
“It’s never easy to say goodbye”, they add, “We’re incredibly proud of what the team built here and so grateful to them, as well as everyone who joined us over the past year.
“We’ve had some unforgettable nights. We love Manchester, and we hope to be back under the right conditions.”
They go on to thank everyone for being “part of the journey”, but for now, it looks like the room has closed effective immediately.
Simmons started back in 2012 when founder Nick Campbell opened the first bar below his flat in Kings Cross, and their presence has grown hugely since then. The closing sign was spotted and shared on social media earlier this week.
Offering everything from stylish cocktails to New York-style pizza, live music and even private karaoke booths, the place had plenty going on.
With rising business rates, energy bills and more dovetailing with the continuing cost of living crisis that is still hampering both hospitality and the nightime economy, they are just one of many to unfortunately close their doors of late.
For instance, it was only earlier this month that we saw multiple well-known names shut up shop here in the city centre or elsewhere in Greater Manchester, including another long-standing late-night favourite, Revolution.
It’s a shame for any business to close, and we certainly hope they’ll return someday with a model that can be sustained in the current climate.
Daisy Jackson -
19th October 2022 
