After all, when more than £15,000 was raised for the charity‘s vital work supporting Manchester communities last time round, then why no go for round two?
The We Love MCR Sponsored Firewalk is part of the charity’s ongoing series of ‘mind-over-matter’ fundraising challenges.
As the flames die down on an unforgettable night in St. Ann's Square, we're thrilled to let you know that our incredible firewalkers raised a scorching £25,000! 🔥
The legendary We Love MCR Charity Firewalk returned with fire and drums, read all below 👇 https://t.co/5j3qspBw8i
And if having 50 fundraisers walk over 700-degree hot coals with dozens of spectators cheering them on wasn’t impressive enough the first time, this year, the event was even bigger and better than ever, because the charity upped the stakes by putting on not one, but two, lanes of fire for walkers to conquer.
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After being rescheduled to Thursday 25 January from its original date last November, due to adverse weather conditions, this meant that the second Firewalk was We Love MCR Charity’s first fundraising event in 2024.
70 “daredevil” Mancs took on the challenge in St Ann’s Square this time around.
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‘Daredevil’ Mancs have raised more than £25,000 for charity / Credit: Jake Lindley (via WLMC)
Firewalking expert, Cliff Mann from TIME4CHANGE, returned to Manchester to oversee the event and coach nervous participants once again.
International samba reggae band, Batala, were also there to add to the atmosphere, and made sure their ferocious drumming served as a dramatic soundtrack to the night’s events so the brave firewalkers had a beat to march to while they stepped out of their comfort zone.
Simon Wright, who is the new Head of We Love MCR Charity, was one of those who took to the coals as his first fundraising event for the charity.
“Since joining We Love MCR in September 2023, I’ve been looking forward to getting involved in some exciting fundraising events,” Simon said following the event.
“And I couldn’t have asked for a better first challenge than a trial by fire right in the heart of the city.
“We’d like to thank our brilliant participants for once again rising to the challenge and raising funds in aid of Manchester’s communities and young people, as we truly couldn’t do it without your support.”
70 fundraisers walked on fire in St Ann’s Square last week / Credit: Jake Lindley (via WLMC)
More than £25,000 was raised from the event, and that figure is climbing by the day too.
All funds raised from the Firewalk will go towards We Love MCR’s life-changing support across the city with its two main grant-giving programmes – the ‘Rising Stars Fund’, and the ‘Stronger Communities Fund’.
Find out more about the future events in WLMC’s ‘Challenge Event Series’ here.
Featured Image – Jake Lindley (via WLMC)
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Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into foul-mouthed chaos
Danny Jones
The first press conference ahead of Tommy Fury vs Darren Till was held on Tuesday evening and it didn’t take long for the whole thing to descend into absolute bedlam.
Having only been confirmed on Sunday, Fury vs Till will be a homecoming bout for the Wythenshawe-born fighter who is set to headline the first-ever boxing match at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.
With the date set for 18 January, the pre-fight build-up and media frenzy are growing fast and things have already come to ahead in just the first meeting between the two fighters in London this week.
Clearly sharing plenty of bad blood already, while Tommy and Till were engaging in the usual fighting talk, the family patriarch, John Fury, decided to interject and it was at this point that things boiled over.
‼️ Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into chaos as Till tells John Fury: "Shut up, you haven't been seen since Oleksandr Usyk battered Tyson."
As you can see, amidst the various insults being thrown around regarding intelligence, boxing ability, Tommy’s older brother Tyson being “battered by [Oleksandr] Usyk”, ‘Big John’ then launches a bottle of water across the table at Till, sparking a hot-tempered on-stage skirmish.
The lengthy exchange features as many expletives as you could imagine, with 31-year-old Darren Till also threatening that he will “bladder” both Tommy and his more established heavyweight sibling Tyson, labelling the entire Fury family “shithouses” as they walk out of the London press conference.
A mixed martial artist by trade who has competed at both welterweight and middleweight in the UFC, Till assured that even if the boxing match isn’t going his way on the night, he will kick [him] square in [the] face”, adding that he’s a “proper fighter” and that Tommy, on the other hand, has no power.
YouTube turned musician and occasional boxer, KSI – the founder of the Misfits promotion who is putting on the event and who Fury beat back in October last year – can also be heard whooping from centre stage and shouting, “Get your tickets!”
Even after the mini-brawl is separated, the foul-mouthed back and forth continues for some time. You can see another angle here:
Press conference aftermath 🤯@darrentill2 was going IN on the Fury’s 😳
This isn’t the first time things have boiled over at a Fury press conference; in fact, it’s not even the first time John Fury, 59, has found himself in the very eye of the storm.
Meanwhile, the youngest Fury son is preparing first his first fight in over a year, having nearly joined this year’s I’m a Celeb lineup instead.
Tickets for the now highly-anticipated boxing match at Co-op Live, just the second combat sports event to have been held at the arena, are on sale now – you can grab yours HERE. It’s going to be a feisty one.
Festive Grinch-themed cafes to pop up inside Greater Manchester Primark stores
Emily Sergeant
Festive Grinch-themed cafes are popping up inside two of Primark’s biggest Greater Manchester stores in the run-up to Christmas.
As the temperatures turn colder by the day, the nights draw in, and the most wonderful time of the year nears closer and closer, it won’t be long before it’s time to snuggle up in our comfies and pop on the first Christmas film of the year – and for some of us, there’s a good chance that first film of choice will be The Grinch.
Whether you prefer the 2000 fantasy comedy starring Jim Carey, or the 2018 animated reboot with Benedict Cumberbatch, it’s undoubtedly a real family favourite.
To celebrate everyone’s favourite grumpy green grouch, Primark has teamed up with Dr. Seuss once again on a Grinch-tastic collaboration.
Festive Grinch-themed cafes have popped up inside Greater Manchester Primark stores / Credit: Supplied
Shoppers can now head to their nearest Primark store to find the largest-ever Grinch collection, with something for the whole family, as well as great gifting options said to be “ideal for getting into the anti-Christmas spirit”.
There’s Grinch pyjamas and slippers for both adults and kids, a Grinch ‘Onesie’ that’s sure to make people green with envy, Grinch drinks cups and mugs, a selection of loungewear and Christmas jumpers for festive dressing, and so much more, as well as whole host of Grinch-inspired outfits and toys for your four-legged friends too.
As part of Primark’s aim to offer affordable choices for everyone, prices for the Grinch collection start at just £1 for accessories, and go up to £24 for adult clothing.
If the return of the Grinch collection wasn’t exciting enough as it is, the all-new Grinch cafes – which are popping up in Primark on Market Street in Manchester city centre, as well as Primark in Trafford Palazzo – are bound to be hit with fans of the furry character.
There’s everything from green waffles and themed milkshakes, to festive toasties, hot drinks, and more on the menu.
With Greater Manchester Grinch cafes set to be open until the end of December, Sarah Jackson – who is the Director of Licensing at Primark, said: “We’re so excited to roll out our amazing cafe experience across a number of our UK locations, bringing a sprinkle of mischief to our customers this festive season.
“Whether you’re stopping in for a sweet treat or stocking up on pyjamas and gifts for the whole family, we have everything you need to make it a truly unforgettable Grinch-mas.”
Emily Sergeant -
29th January 2024 
