A special charity fund that has been set up to help Ukrainian refugees arriving in Manchester has awarded its first grant.
Set up by Manchester City Council in partnership with one of the city’s most iconic organisations, We Love MCR Charity (WLMC), all with the aim of supporting individuals and families fleeing the devastating conflict and arriving here in Manchester, the new MCR Ukraine Welcome Fund funds charities and voluntary sector groups who are providing assistance – such as essential items, advice, and more.
The charity fund was officially set up back in March, and every penny raised and donated by it will go towards supporting Ukrainian evacuees in the city.
The Council kicked-off the fund, with a donation of £50,000.
And now, less than two months after it was launched, it has been confirmed that Ardwick-based charity Europia has been awarded £30,000 from the fund – with £25,000 going towards dedicated support workers who will help co-ordinate and provide advice and support around immigration, work, and welfare issues, and translations.
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The remaining £5,000 will be used as part of a new hardship fund for Ukrainians arriving in Manchester, which the support worker will help to administer.
Our MCR Ukraine Welcome Fund, administered in partnership with @ManCityCouncil, has released its first grant:
🌍 £30,000 released to Ardwick charity @EuropiaMcr ❤️ will create a dedicated support worker role + hardship fund 🤝 donations still neededhttps://t.co/wXUUqazWRt
Speaking on the awarding of the first grant, Bev Craig – Leader of Manchester City Council – commented: “Manchester is a welcoming city and we recognise that we need to do all we can to support Ukrainians relocating here in the most traumatic of circumstances.
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“The MCR Ukraine Welcome Fund is part of that collective effort [and] I’m glad that the generosity of Mancunians, including an initial donation from the Council, is translating so quickly into practical help.”
“The fund has raised over £60,000 so far,” Joanne Roney OBE – Chief Executive at Manchester City Council added.
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“We’d like to thank everyone who has donated, but people are arriving with next to nothing and we would welcome further donations from anyone who wants to show our Ukrainian guests a warm Mancunian welcome.”
Thanks to your generosity, a charity fund set up to help Ukrainians arriving in Manchester to escape the war in their homeland has made its first grants.
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) May 26, 2022
Thanking the Council and WLMC for the grant from the fund, Kush Chottera – Chief Executive at Europia – added: “We’re delighted this money will be used to employ an experienced worker to give practical support to help Manchester’s Ukrainian arrivals settle in safely.
“Thank you Mancunians for your donations.”
You can donate to the MCR Ukraine Welcome Fund here, or by texting WELCOME 10 to 70490 to give £10, with texts costing the donation amount plus one standard network rate message.
Make sure you keep an eye on We Love MCR Charity’s website and Twitter for updates too.
Featured Image – WLMC
News
Canal Street cordoned off after ‘suspicious chemicals’ reported at hotel
Daisy Jackson
Canal Street and several other streets in the Gay Village in Manchester have been cordoned off this afternoon.
Greater Manchester Police are attending reported of a smell that’s believed to be chemicals coming from a hotel room in the area.
There’s a huge emergency services presence in the area, including vehicles from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, and the North West Ambulance Service.
Police have confirmed that they have detained a man who is believed to have been the occupant of the hotel room.
The hotel itself has been evacuated while the material is examined.
Thankfully, no one has been injured in the incident that has shut down part of Canal Street today.
Emergency services vehicles at the scene on Canal StreetThe cordon in place on Canal Street
GMP said in a statement: “We are currently searching a hotel room at a premises on Canal Street, Manchester. This follows a report of a smell – currently believed to be chemicals – causing suspicion.
“A man, believed to be the occupant of the room, has been detained and is currently in custody.
“As a precautionary measure, the hotel has been evacuated while specialist resources examine the material and conduct further enquiries.
“No-one has been injured and we are working to establish the full circumstances. We thank people for their patience as we continue with our work.”
England football fans warned as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of World Cup
Emily Sergeant
England football fans are being warned to remain vigilant, as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup merely weeks from officially kicking off in the North America and Mexico on 11 June, football fans are being urged to guard against scams, as newly-released data from Lloyds has revealed that football ticket scams increased by more than a third (36%) during the current Premier League season.
The findings – which are based on thousands of scam cases between October 2025 and March 2026 – showed that fraudsters focused heavily on popular teams such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea.
Fraudsters also repeatedly targeted supporters looking for tickets to some of the most in-demand football matches in the UK, which is why, with the upcoming World Cup set to be one of the most speculated sporting events of the year, scam warnings are being issued.
It’s anticipated that fraudsters will target the big-name fixtures and attempt to exploit international demand, according to Lloyds.
England football fans are being warned as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of the World Cup / Credit: Picryl
On average, it was revealed that victims lost £215 during the current Premier League football season, but some fans even paid thousands of pounds for ‘season tickets’ or VIP seats that never existed.
Hopeful football fans are expected to pay much more for expensive World Cup tickets, meaning the potential loss for victims could be ‘devastating’.
As scammers know demand for World Cup tickets will be huge, it’s expected that they will mimic the methods seen in club level scams – including fake listings on social media, pressure to act fast, and requests for bank transfers.
“Fraudsters thrive on urgency and target fans looking for hard to get tickets for big name fixtures,” explained Liz Ziegler, who is the Fraud Prevention Director at Lloyds.
“Most of the football ticket scams we see start on social media, before the criminal moves the buyer onto WhatsApp and insists on a bank transfer to pay. It’s incredibly convincing, and we don’t want fans to lose their money trying to support their team.
“We’re urging supporters to stay alert and stick to official ticketing channels.”
Ahead of the World Cup, Lloyds and the Home Office have teamed up to take action to protect fans by highlighting how criminals will try to exploit the excitement – with Lord Hanson adding: “Our new fraud strategy sets out how we will use every tool at our disposal to disrupt and dismantle criminal operations, bring fraudsters to justice and strengthen support for victims.”
Emily Sergeant -
27th May 2022 
