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.”
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
“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
Work begins on new £500m ‘culture hub’ with a cinema and performance spaces in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Work is finally beginning on a new £500 million culture hub in Manchester.
The first phase of plans to transform Wythenshawe Civic has entered an exciting new chapter, with Manchester City Council and placemaker Muse officially commencing construction of the new Culture Hub – which is tipped to provide a ‘major boost’ for budding artists, and creative groups and organisations in the area.
The hub is set to include space for food and drink on the ground floor, while the first floor is home to a mix of artist studio spaces and flexible areas for workshops, exhibitions, classes, and community events.
Locals can also expect a brand-new 40-seater cinema, which has been included following feedback given during a public consultation, and 200-seater performance space for a diverse range of performances.
Everything from dance and drama, to music and modern art will fill the performance spaces once the hub opens.
Expected to be completed in 2027, the Culture Hub sits within the first phase of a wider plan to ‘refresh’ Wythenshawe Civic, and will come to life thanks to £20 million of funding from the UK Government and a further £11.9 million from the Council.
What Wythenshawe Civic Centre looks like currently, before being transformed / Credit: Wikipedia Commons
“Listening to local people over the last year and more, we know that Wythenshawe residents want more from their town centre – more things to do, opportunities to spend time in Civic and night time attractions that give the area a lift and attract visitors,” explained Cllr Bev Craig, who is the leader of Manchester City Council.
“This is the drive behind the Culture Hub – a place for local people with an interest in the arts to take part in creative activities, see a show, or enjoy the cinema space, right in the heart of their community.
“This is another exciting chapter in the transformation of Wythenshawe town centre.”
Joe Stockton, Development Director at Muse, called the construction of the new Culture Hub an ‘exciting moment’ for Wythenshawe.
He added: “Our aim is to create a space for the town’s talented artists and creatives to come together and give them the facilities and the space they’ve asked for, to put on amazing shows, live performances, and workshops.
“It’s all part of the wider plan to create opportunities for residents, new homes and jobs, as well as a thriving high street for people to spend time in.”
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
News
Police launch investigation after man found ‘injured and unresponsive’ in Manchester road
Emily Sergeant
A police investigation has been launched after a man was found ‘injured and unresponsive’ in the middle of a road in Manchester.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was called out Plymouth Grove, in the Longsight area of Manchester, at around 9pm this past Friday (30 January), and when they arrived at the scene, found a 61-year-old man lying in the road.
After being found ‘unresponsive’, the man was immediately taken to hospital, where he is currently being treated for head injuries.
At this time, it is currently unknown how than man came to be in the road.
With so many questions left to answer, and a police investigation now underway being led by GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, officers are now urgently appealing to the public for witnesses and information.
“We have an open mind as we investigate how this man became to be injured,” explained PC Megan Stockton in the appeal. “However, there is the possibility he was struck by a vehicle.
“We are appealing for anyone who may have been in the area at the time, particularly anybody who may have dashcam footage taken in the area on Friday night.”
Can you help? If you have any information that could assist GMP’s investigation, then please contact police on 0161 856 4741, quoting incident number 3421 of 30/01/26, or by calling 101 or using the LiveChat at www.gmp.police.uk.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
The Manc -
1st July 2020 
