An incredible £36,000 has been raised by a group of daredevils this past weekend for one of Manchester‘s most iconic charities.
It certainly wasn’t for the faint-hearted or those with a fear of heights, but last weekend, over 100 brave individuals decided to properly test their mettle by abseiling off one of the city’s tallest residential skyscrapers, the 26-storey One Regent Tower in Castlefield – and it was all for a brilliant cause.
As mad as it sounds, these daring Mancs took on the task with the goal of raising as much money as possible for one of the city’s longest-standing charities, We Love MCR Charity (WLMC).
It was part of the charity’s 2022 ‘Challenge Event Series’.
The abseil was just one of a set of mind-over-matter challenges that have been, and will continue to raise vital funds for the charity’s work supporting Manchester’s communities and young people.
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Given that people love to test themselves, and the fact that abseils are normally done by mountaineers and not in the heart of city centres off multi-storey skyscrapers, the demand to take part was high and places ran out really quickly – but in the end, a total of 105 people completed the challenge on both Saturday and Sunday, with a number of notable names taking part.
We did it!! This weekend 100+ daredevil We Love MCR supporters raised £36,000 for our work and completed Manchester's biggest EVER abseil 💪
Thanks to all the participants + volunteers who made it a special weekend ❤️ To the next challenge…
The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Donna Ludford, and Deputy Lord Mayor, Yasmine Dar, were two of the famous faces to complete the challenge, as well as Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig.
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The staggering 26-storey challenge was officially the biggest top-to-bottom abseil in Manchester history.
Footage and pictures from the events not only show how incredible Manchester’s skyline is from the One Regent roof, but also just how daring the challengers actually were to take part.
105 brave individuals tested their mettle by abseiling off one of the city’s tallest residential skyscrapers / Credit: Amber Hulme & Dylan 4 Photography (via WLMC)The daredevils abseiled down the 26-storey One Regent Tower in Castlefield to raise funds for We Love MCR Charity / Credit: WLMC
Although the charity only set a fundraising target of £30,000 for the challenge, this has already been smashed, with a whopping £36,000 raised by the daredevils’ impressive efforts, and the total continuing to rise by the day.
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Just like all the other events in the 2022 ‘Challenge Event Series’, We Love MCR Charity says that all the money raised from the abseil will go directly towards its two flagship funds – the Stronger Communities Fund and Manchester’s Rising Stars Fund, which are all about empowering local community projects, and helping to change the lives of ambitious, but sadly disadvantaged, young Mancunians.
You can find out more about We Love MCR Charity and its different funds on its website here, and follow the charity on Twitter for news on the next challenge in 2023.
Featured Image – Dylan 4 Photography (via WLMC)
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Paul Merson slams ‘pathetic’ plans for Manchester United’s new stadium
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer and pundit Paul Merson has branded the recently revealed plans for Manchester United’s new stadium as “pathetic” in a recent interview.
The former Arsenal and Aston Villa turned manager, commentator and TV personality spoke to Sky Sports this week after the CGIs for what some supporters are already dubbing ‘New Trafford’ were shown to the world on Tuesday.
Now, while it’s fair to say the designs have been pretty divisive, for Merson it’s still a headscratcher as to why United supporters want to leave such a historic ground and one that is still the second-largest football stadium in the country for something new and so different.
The 56-year-old didn’t hold back when giving his opinion on the matter, insisting, “If I was a Man United fan I’d be fuming.”
"I think it's pathetic…if I'm a Man United fan, I'll be fuming"
Paul Merson shares his honest opinion on Manchester United's new stadium plans 😨 pic.twitter.com/A74xeKwkpG
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 13, 2025
As you can see, ‘Merse’ begins by saying he has “no interest at all”, adding that he thinks “It’s pathetic […] they’ve got one of the biggest stadiums in the Premier League” and therefore aren’t necessarily crying out for more seats, nor an entirely new sporting arena.
It’s worth noting that Old Trafford’s capacity hasn’t necessarily been the issue or priority in recent years: dated facilities, lack of technology such as screens for VAR and the infamous leaking roof, which has been taken into account by architects Foster + Partners.
“Why would you need a new stadium?”, he asks, before going on to suggest that they “need new players” instead and should be more worried about the team and finishing in the top six, “let alone Champions League.”
It’s no secret that the Red Devils’ steady slump out of the premier European competition has cost them significantly in recent years, with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe delivering some alarming revelations about the state of the club’s finances in an interview with Gary Neville prior to the stadium reveal.
Merson summarises his opinion by saying, “I can’t believe what I’ve been seeing over the last couple of days – I’m flabbergasted.” Meanwhile, many people are chiefly concerned with how the stadium is going to be paid for, despite Mayor Andy Burnham’s reassurance that “no public money” will be used.
‘New Trafford’ is set to cost £2 billion and could be completed within five years.
Merson might have very strong opinions on Man United building a new stadium, to begin with, but what we’ve really enjoyed is seeing people’s reactions to the admittedly striking design.
Stockport-born Michelle Keegan, who also starred in Coronation Street, has been flooded with well-wishes after sharing the news of the arrival of their baby.
The official Coronation Street account wrote: “Congratulations to you both. Love from everyone here at Corrie x”
In a comment directed at Mark, Joe Wicks said: “Ffs I’m crying over here. I know how much you’ve wanted to be a dad and you’ll be an amazing dad too. This is the most beautiful thing to see. So happy for you both.”
Emily Sergeant -
19th July 2022 
