Eat Well MCR – a community project launched to feed the hungry – has broken the £100,000 barrier with the help of a donation from Liam Gallagher.
The Oasis frontman’s 1996 MTV Award – won for Best Song for ‘Wonderwall’ – was purchased at a live auction for an incredible £45,000; helping Eat Well MCR break the six-figure fundraising barrier in just three months.
£73,000 was generated by United We Feed – a Manchester merch sale held at Cloudwater Brewery in collaboration with United We Stream GM.
Dozens of volunteers and collaborators got involved for the occasion – which included live performances, prizes and musicians making cookalong pizzas.
Further donations also flooded in from the likes of Albert’s Schloss and The Lead Station – crowdfunding a whopping £100,000 in total.
Eat Well MCR was launched by Manchester chef Mary-Ellen McTague of The Creameries in Chorlton with the aim of salvaging food waste left behind by closed restaurants during lockdown.
The organisation has blossomed since, and is now working to ensure a sustainable future so they can continue their mission to “show care and support for people when they need it most, through food.”
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Mary-Ellen said: “The Eat Well MCR collective is made up of people who believe in showing care and spreading joy through food. Even when faced with an uncertain future for their own livelihoods and businesses, they got to work to support our wonderful city, and people facing unimaginably harsh realities.
“At the start of our journey our meals would cost less than £1 to make as the majority of our ingredients were donated by the amazing restaurants in our collective, and everyone volunteered their time. “
She continued: “We cannot expect to keep the cost of our meals so low, as people return to work and restaurants open, but we are committed to continue feeding those who need it.
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“The money raised is therefore even more essential for Eat Well MCR to carry on in its mission to support people. Lockdown may be easing but the challenges faced by people we support won’t go away, and we don’t intend to either.
“As a collective, we have started something amazing and we are determined to see this through.
“We are now developing plans for income generation so that we can become a self sustaining organisation that works to support both those in need, and our local food economy, with our mission to support people facing food inequality absolutely at our core.”
— Hattie Pearson ?☕️?☀️ (@hattiepearson) June 6, 2020
Some of the restaurants involved in the collective include A Taste of Honey, Baratxuri, Beehive Food, Cloudwater Brew Co., Common Bar, Nells Pizzas, The Creameries, Diamond Dogs, Eagle and Child, Elite Bistros, Elnecot, Erst, Gorilla, Hawksmoor, Higher Ground, Hispi, Honest Crust, The Hungry Gecko, Isca, Koffee Pot, Konoba, Little Window, The Manchester Tart Company, Stretford Canteen, Tampopo, The Victoria Walshaw and Where The Light Gets In.
Learn more about how you can support this amazing cause on the Eat Well MCR website.
News
Gary Lineker set to leave BBC this week following more controversy
Danny Jones
Former footballer and veteran presenter Gary Lineker is set to leave the BBC earlier than expected following further political controversies and social media backlash.
Lineker has been butting heads with the presenter for a couple of years now, being suspended by the national corporation back in March 2023 for his comments about language used by the Conservative government, and has continued to take issue with certain aspects of their news coverage.
He has since gone on to share a further video expressing his regret over what he called an “honest mistake”, as well as confirming that he will be making a premature exit from the BBC.
As you can see in the clip above, he says: “I apologise unreservedly for the hurt and upset caused,” insisting that he didn’t see the emoji in question
Lineker is now expected to leave following his final Match of the Day programme this weekend after having already confirmed he would be leaving the role after 26 years at the end of the season.
The ex-English footballer was set to present the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer, but given the latest furore, he will be stepping away ahead of schedule.
Having gradually wound down his work with networks like TNT Sports (previously BT Sport) and the BBC in recent years, he has been slowly shifting his focus to his own Goalhanger Podcasts company, which includes several popular audio formats under The Rest Is… brand, including his own flagship The Rest Is Football show.
He goes on to add that he’s “stood up for minorities and humanitarian issues and against all forms of racism all my life.” Since the most recent Israel-Palestine conflicts began, he’s been particularly outspoken on the events. One recent interview with the BBC itself sparked plenty of discussion online.
Gary Lineker, "What's going on there (Gaza), the mass murder of thousands of children is something we should have an opinion on"
Amol Rajan, "The BBC needs to be impartial about it"
Lineker reiterated that he would never “knowingly share anything antisemitic” and removed the problematic post as soon as he was made aware.
Nevertheless, the BBC and director general Tim Davie have been facing pressure to address the situation ever since it happened, with many calling for the household name to be sacked.
It seems the ex-Everton, Leicester, Spurs and Barcelona player has made the decision for them.
As he goes on to conclude, despite expressing gratitude regarding his relationship with the BBC, he feels the “time is right […’ to go our separate ways.”
“Wildfires can spread quickly and cause devastation to the land and wildlife on it,” explained GMFRS’s wildfire lead and national tactical adviser for wildfires, Ady Taylor, “so it’s vitally important that people call 999 as soon as they think they see a fire.”
He continued: “We want people to enjoy the countryside and moorland we have in Greater Manchester, but… [we] remind people to always act responsibly while out enjoying these environments.
“This means no BBQs, fires or fireworks – as they can easily result in wildfires.”
On Wednesday 14 May 2025, a teenage boy was arrested on suspicion of arson and interviewed by police in relation to the incident, and then the following day on Thursday 15 May 2025, another two boys were also arrested – with each of the three having now been released on bail pending further enquiries while investigations are ongoing.
Three teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of arson after a large moorland fire in Bury / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Detective Inspector Andy Wright, from GMP’s Bury district, added: “The moorland fire is being investigated as arson following information from a witness and enquiries we have made.
“We have managed to apprehend three teenagers in relation to this incident, all of them have been bailed following interviews with our officers.”
GMP and GMFRS is reminding Greater Manchester residents that if they see a fire in the countryside, they need to report it immediately, leave the area as soon as possible, and dial 999, and if you witness illegal activity in relation to the fire, then you can report it to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
“Fires can have such a devastating effect, and we are lucky that this has not caused a significant amount of damage, or cost lives,” Detective Inspector Andy Wright concluded.
The Manc -
1st July 2020 
