It’s been exactly 250 days since one of the city’s most iconic charities launched a dedicated fund to help determined young Mancunians take the next step in education, entrepreneurship, employment, or training.
It then provides them with the resources needed to achieve these ambitions.
Manchester is a top-class city – recently named the third best city in the world, actually – but for some young people living here however, that doesn’t always match up with their experience, as with more than one in three children in Manchester who are living in households defined as being in poverty, they may sadly not be given the chance to turn their ambitions into successes.
This is a loss both to them and to our city.
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And so, in February 2021, We Love MCR Charity launched the fund to give these young people the opportunities to overcome their financial barriers and allow them to make the most of their talent and drive.
People aged 16-24 can apply for funding to pay for what they need, to take their next steps to success in work, qualifications or entrepreneurship.
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The charity ultimately believes “circumstances should not determine futures”.
In the 250 days since the fund launched, We Love MCR Charity has already awarded over £70,000 to dozens of industrious young people – and here’s three success stories.
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Trinity
Sound Engineer
£1,200
Trinity was awarded £1,200 from the MRSF / Credit: We Love MCR Charity
Trinity has had a difficult path through her teenage years.
No longer in formal education, she had been volunteering at the Abbey Taphouse in Hulme, which often hosts music performances, and it was there she discovered a keen interest in sound production and engineering.
Trinity applied to the Rising Stars Fund for the professional equipment she knows will help her to make the most of her newfound passion – a laptop, sound card, microphone and headphones – and was awarded £1,200.
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She is now on an apprenticeship, practicing her craft at home, and will be supporting events at the Abbey Taphouse, including their own radio station and podcasts broadcasting across Manchester.
Kenan
Actor
£2,000
Kenan was awarded £2,000 from the MRSF / Credit: We Love MCR Charity
Kenan is a talented young actor from Wythenshawe who earned himself a place on the Professional Acting course at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which only accepts 28 students a year from 3,000 applications.
Kenan is the only Manc representative in the current intake of students.
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We Love MCR Charity awarded Kenan vital funds towards his rent in Bristol, as he was not eligible for further student loans.
To be a working class Manc with Turkish heritage performing on the one of our greatest stages is incredible, and the charity says it is proud the Manchester’s Rising Stars Fund can help Kenan to be in the spotlight.
Mo
Football Coach
£1,600
Mo was awarded £1,600 from the MRSF / Credit: We Love MCR Charity
Mo’s passion for football runs deep.
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Born and bred in Moss Side as the oldest of seven siblings, Mo was a top-class player when he was younger, but his potential career was sadly cut short by injury. Despite this, Mo decided to continue in the game regardless and now runs his own coaching business – where he’s coached future Manchester United and City players thanks to his links and respect across Manchester’s football community – whilst also taking his FA badges.
The MRSF supported Mo by awarding him £1,600 for a sports camera, venue hire, and coaching equipment to help him to take his young business to the next level.
He already does lots of work with inner-city young players, and We Love MCR Charity says it can’t wait to see the next Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden come from under his wings.
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As mentioned, We Love MCR Charity has already awarded over £70,000 to dozens of industrious young people throughout the city – but the charity says it is keen to reach £200,000 by March 2022 by finding even more rising stars who need a helping hand.
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Did any of the above inspiring success stories remind you of someone who’s a perfect fit for the Manchester’s Rising Stars Fund?
Keen to apply yourself?
You can find more information and stick an application in here.
Featured Image – We Love MCR Charity
News
Location for new Manchester United stadium announced after club secures land for the build
Danny Jones
The location for Manchester United’s brand-new stadium has been officially revealed just over a fortnight on from the football club securing the land after more than a year of disputes.
Man United’s ‘New Trafford’ is set to be a state-of-the-art sporting ground with a roughly 100,000-seater capacity, not only becoming the largest in the UK but rivalling all other industry-leading arenas around the world.
While there’s been plenty of speculation about funding for the redevelopment, the proposed designs, and the aforementioned plot for the massive project, serious forward momentum can finally begin now that the latter has been resolved.
That being said, the INEOS ownership group, board of executives and partnered Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) have now confirmed where exactly the site for Old Trafford 2.0 will be situated, not to mention some new CGIs.
Put in the simplest terms, the work will be centred around the Wharfside area, with the native council and Freightliner both having, at long last, greenlit the plans in principle.
The Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Corporation (OTRMDC) and dedicated Taskforce – on which Mayor and seemingly soon-to-be Prime Minister Andy Burnham has served since its inception – are set to create a fresh ‘Stadium District’ across the 150 hectares of space in Stretford.
Revolving not only around the current Metrolink tram stop and other accessible Bee Network routes, but sitting approximately just 350 metres North of the existing ‘Theatre of Dreams’, the blueprints go far beyond just creating newer and bigger stands that are easily reachable.
As per an official MUFC statement, “the vision is for a diverse neighbourhood creating 48,000 local jobs and 15,000 new homes, with the new stadium as the catalyst. Together, the mixed-use developments across 150 hectares have the potential to offer a £7.3bn-per-annum boost to the UK economy.”
Promising to maintain key aspects of nearby heritage, traditions and matchday rituals, be a walk from Pomona to a favourite food truck, or supporters making their way down the Quays and the River Irwell, they’ve even put together a video of what they hope this next chapter for Trafford will look like.
Safe to say, the GMCA, United and everyone involved have pretty ambitious ideas when it comes to a fresh era for the borough and the surrounding section of Stretford and bordering Salford.
Local Council Leader Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council, said of this most recent update: “We are delighted to introduce the masterplan which starts a long journey to piece together what could happen where, to bring this world-class cultural and sporting destination to life.
“We want to create a great place to be, not just on matchdays but every day – and we’re looking for as many residents and businesses as possible to help us to shape this vision, through our forthcoming consultation process.
“Wharfside will become a network of attractive neighbourhoods in which to live, work, wander, explore, relax with family, enjoy nature and wildlife, meet friends, eat out, have a drink, shop and be entertained.”
He goes on to add that besides the obvious additions to the matchday experience, this will effectively become the city region’s latest neighbourhood, delivering new parks and waterside spaces, housing including affordable options, and even new health and educational facilities.
Twinned with the obvious transport links and proximity to other key parts of Greater Manchester, this could be one of the biggest overhauls the North West has seen in decades; you can see more down below. What do you make of it all?
Our proposed new home will sit at the heart of a new stadium district ❤️🏟️
Featured Images — Publicity pictures via Manchester United Football Club
News
Prime Minister set to announce extra bank holiday if England win the 2026 World Cup
Danny Jones
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly set to announce an extra bank holiday if England win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What a way to sign off from the highest office in Great Britain, eh?
According to Sky News journalist Beth Rigby, the outgoing PM is expected to reveal an extended period of celebration across the country if/should/WHEN (you’ve got to believe) the Three Lions reach this year’s World Cup final and lift the biggest prize in global sport.
Starmer may be gearing up to leave No. 10 Downing Street soon, but he can certainly earn himself a few more points in the pros column should this familiar rumour come to fruition.
The PM is planning to announce a bank holiday if England win the World Cup. Final is the day before handover of power day on July 20. PM expected to confirm bank holiday if England reach the final, with the likely date set to be July 24. Dare to dream!
As Rigby states in her post on X, this decision would fall just before the transition in leadership, with Greater Manchester’s own Mayor Andy Burnham all but confirmed at the head of the table already within the Labour Party cabinet.
Regarding the still only potential bank holiday – Thomas Tuchel’s side still need to make it through the quarter-final and the semis, remember – the Sky reporter states that the following Friday, 24 July, is the most likely date.
Understandably, plenty on social media are already rejoicing over the prospect, but some aren’t content with waiting a week to carry on the post-trophy lift party, with many arguing that it should be the Monday morning immediately after the final next Sunday (19/2/2026).
Let’s be honest, there’ll be lots of people pulling sickies regardless of whether or not their bosses are left to grant a day off.
Many have already rightly argued that such decisions should have been made in the past after the Lionesses won not just one but two back-to-back European Championships; we’re willing to forgive and move on if the powers that be make it happen this time.
Starmer recently said that despite always believing England will “go all the way”, he didn’t want to jinx anything, simply telling the BBC’s Chris Mason: “Ask me again if we make the final.”
Either way, the general jubilation should England end 60 ‘years of hurt’ will be nothing short of colossal, and it would only feel right given the sheer gravity of the would-be achievement.
We’re even getting excited merely by the idea of some additional and, at present, strictly hypothetical pre- and post-match entertainment…
Emily Sergeant -
30th September 2021 
