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Iconic charity firewalk event returns to Manchester city centre next week

'Brave souls' can still sign up to take part.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 17th February 2025

One of Manchester’s most iconic charities is bringing back one of its most iconic fundraising challenges next week.

You may remember that We Love MCR Charity made history with the first – and what it thought, at the time, was ‘probably the last’ – firewalk in St Peter’s Square back in 2021, and as it proved to be such a massive success, the organisation brought the ‘one-of-a-kind’ event back to Manchester city centre again 2023 and 2024.

‘Brave soles’ walked over 700-degree hot coals, with dozens of spectators cheering them on, and more than £26,000 was raised for the charity’s vital work supporting Manchester communities in the process.

So why not go again?

Back to impress Mancs for a fourth time, the We Love MCR Sponsored Firewalk is returning next week, and it’s sounding set to be bigger and better than ever.

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That’s because the charity‘s upping the stakes by putting on not one, but two, lanes of fire for walkers to conquer when it makes its grand return to the city centre next Thursday 27 February from 5:30pm… if they’re brave enough, that is.

Taking place this time around in St Ann’s Square, places for this exclusive event are limited to 100 sign-ups on a ‘first-come first-serve’ basis, with a 16+ age limit and an entry fee of £20 to cover expert provider costs.

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Firewalkers are asked to set a minimum sponsorship target of £200.

Daredevil Mancs and ‘brave soles’ are being encouraged to sign up / Credit: We Love Manchester Charity

To add to the already-scorching atmosphere, award-winning samba drummers Batala will also be back to set the scene with lively music.

Don’t worry too much about the logistics of it all though, as there’ll be a full briefing prior to the event taking place, and specialist training will also be provided for all those taking part too, just like in the years previous.

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There’s still time to sign up for the event before registrations close next Monday (24 February), so if you’re keen to, quite literally, ‘step out your comfort zone’ and onto hot coals, then this is your chance.

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Fancy it then? Reckon you’re up to the challenge? You can find out more and sign up on the We Love MCR Charity website here.

Featured Image – We Love MCR Charity

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‘Nothing is eternal’: Is Pep Guardiola hinting at the end of Manchester City’s supremacy?

Danny Jones Danny Jones Pep Guardiola on Man City's dominance coming to an end post match press conference

Pep Guardiola looks to have suggested that more than a decade of Manchester City’s supremacy and Premier League dominance at the very least might be coming to an end.

Speaking in his post-match press interviews after City were knocked out of the Champions League by serial European Cup winners Real Madrid, Guardiola cut a somewhat more deflated figure than usual following the 3-1 defeat.

A Kylian Mbappe hattrick which was closed out within an hour of play was enough to stretch the aggregate score to 6-3 over the two legs and Madrid doubling their lead across the tie proved yet again why, not unlike City domestically over the last decade, they’re the kings of the continental competition.

In contrast, however, Pep seemed to accept the loss much more easily than perhaps we’ve seen in the past and rather than appearing familiarly frustrated or defiant in the press conference; instead, he seemed rather reflective, responding to one reporter: “Nothing is eternal”.

Insisting that they have to decide whether a significant rebuild is needed to keep competing at the very top level consistently as they have done since the 54-year-old arrived back in 2016, he argued that it is only with that they’ll be able to determine what comes next.

As for the result itself, he made no bones about Carlo Ancelotti’s side having “deserved it”, stating simply that “the best team won” and that fans and players alike have to “accept the reality: they were better.”

Having been a familiar foe for Pep long before he arrived in Manchester, both at Barcelona and Bayern Munich – not to mention City having faced Los Blancos a dozen times before Tuesday night since 2012 – there have been less surprising outcomes for supporters to come to terms with.

“With time, the club and everyone is going to accept what it is but for now we have 30/40 games for the Premier League next season to try and be here [in the Champions League] and to improve. Nothing is eternal”, said the Catalan coaching genius.

On the other hand, he also went on to add that it was merely a reflection on the night itself and not what his team have achieved in recent years.

He went on to remark that “when we were playing outstanding it hurt more” to be knocked out of the UCL when he felt they deserved to stay in it, but still insisted: “We have been unbelievable and we have to try step by step to get better from today.” Tonight just wasn’t the night.

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Who knows? Perhaps it was just some more melodrama from a manager with an undeniable flare for pageantry and playing into/in the face of narratives when he doesn’t come out on top – which hasn’t happened all that often until their dip in form this season.

Plus, there’s certainly still plenty for him and the fans to be positive about; not only has the arrival of their ‘Egyptian Prince’ and the media’s Mo Salah successor, Omar Marmoush, got plenty of people excited – especially after that first-half hattrick against Newcastle – but so too have the other January signings.

In fact, for all of his downplaying in this particular presser (which you can hear in full HERE), it felt like there were only upsides after their victory over Newcastle, even going so far as to dub new signing Nico Gonzalez a ‘mini-Rodri‘.

You can watch the highlights from the game down below:

Pep is right, nothing is eternal – but sometimes you just come up against talents like Mbappe and there’s very little anyone can do about it.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — TNT Sports/Virgin Media Sport (screenshots via YouTube)

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Shepherd’s pie named among classic British dishes that could be ‘extinct’ within the next decade

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Shepherd's pie

Shepherd’s pie has been named among the classic British dishes that could be ‘extinct’ within the next 10 years.

From a hearty roast dinner on a Sunday, to a slap-up full English breakfast to start the day, classic British dishes have become staples on dinner tables across the nation, all known and loved for their comforting flavours and cultural significance… but apparently, Google searches for ‘shepherd’s pie recipe’ are down 55% in the past year, indicating that less and less people looking to create this traditional dish at home. 

So with this in mind, air fryer giants Ninja Kitchen decided to carry out a new study by surveying 2,000 people and studying search trends for popular British dishes to uncover which meals are still loved, and which might be nothing more than a distant memory.

Shockingly, the new study revealed that shepherd’s pie could be facing extinction from early as 2027, with several other favourites dying out within a decade.

Shepherd’s pie takes the fifth spot on the top 10 list, as according to the study, the dish is experiencing a 0.76% weekly decline, and due to the fact only 5% of Brits would name it a ‘favourite’, this classic risks extinction by 2027.

Shepherd's pie
Shortcrust pie
Shepherd’s pie has been named among the classic British dishes that could be ‘extinct’ within the next decade / Credit: Dennis J Wilkinson | Steven Depolo

Another shocker on the list has to been the beloved veggie dish cheese and onion pie, which takes the ninth spot thanks to its 0.41% weekly decline in searches.

However, the majority of the other dishes making up the top 10 list tend to be regional delicacies or dishes that are popular within certain dietary preferences, such as Glamorgan sausage – which takes the number one spot, with a 2% weekly search decline – Tatws Pum Munud, a nut roast, and a vegan roast dinner.

57% of the nation would be sad to see British staples fade away, according to the study, but 31% do appreciate the evolution of food trends.

The study also revealed that the growing popularity of takeaway and convenience food is the leading reason why people are moving away from traditional classics such as shepherd’s pie, with nearly half (46%) of respondents citing it as their main reason.

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Additionally, 15% reported that the cost of ingredients was too high, while 10% felt that British classics lacked flavour.

Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons

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