Atlas Bar, located on the corner of Deansgate-Castlefield, has been a cornerstone of Manchester city centre nightlife for more than 25 years.
Now, the popular gin bar is teaming up with charity HUMEN, alongside dozens of other Heineken Star Bars and Pubs for a mental health walk in the hope of raising awareness surrounding male suicide.
Starting from Atlas on 4 December, Manchester-based supporters of the organisation will be walking 5,151 metres (i.e. just over 5k) to and from the venue to remember every man who lost their life to suicide in the last year.
Dubbing the initiative the ‘Pub Pilgrimage’, Atlas Bar and HUMEN are aiming to raise £500,000 for men’s mental health as part of their annual Rise Against Suicide campaign.
Part of the reason Atlas Bar and Heineken have signed up to promote the pilgrimage is a result of HUMEN’s most recent study, which found that 24% of men in Manchester don’t feel comfortable having serious conversations in pubs and only 16% say they can speak honestly about their feelings.
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Their research also yielded the following findings:
29% of men in Manchester admitted to their friends that they are worried about their personal lives and futures, specifically in the social settings of pubs.
12% of Manchester men admitted to needing some kind of support in relation to their feelings and mental wellbeing.
47% of men across the region admitted that they don’t think a pub is the right place to talk about worries or stresses.
78% of Manc men believe their gender should speak more about personal matters between one another in a pub.
As well as promoting sincere and open conversations while socialising in pubs, the organisation is also hoping to promote healthier relationships with drinking, with HUMEN insisting that you don’t need to be teetotal to look after your mental health.
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A staggering 14 men are estimated to take their own life every single day in the UK, making up around 75% of all suicides in the country, and simply having a dialogue when it comes to issues like mental health, loneliness and suicide can help combat that number.
Despite being one of their favourite places to socialise and destress, with the average man spending at least two hours a week in a pub, 33% say they simply won’t share how they’re really doing over a pint. Landlords like the people in charge of Atlas are hoping to change that culture.
Owner Mark Wrigley and Joint MD Elain Wrigley (Credit: Supplied)
Speaking ahead of the event, owner Mark Wrigley said that pubs are an “essential part of communities” and their business in particular is working hard to “create a safe place for our guests to socialise – one where they can talk openly about the issues that matter to them.”
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Beyond Manchester, pubs in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh; Brighton, Birmingham, Nottingham; Leeds, Bristol, Glasgow; Newcastle, Liverpool and Southampton are all getting involved with the Pub Pilgrimage. The Rise Against Suicide campaign is aiming to reach further than ever this year.
Furthermore, set up by actor River Hawkins, other notable names supporting the campaign include the likes of Andrew Scott and Bill Nighy, rugby player Danny Cipriani, musician Tom Odell and many, many more.
Hawkins insists that “we all need friendly spaces to talk, listen and connect”, stating that pubs and bars can act not only as the “cornerstone of communities”, but as progressive gathering places that refuse to encourage the ‘drink and forget’ mentality that regularly plagues male social circles.
He went on to remark that, hopefully, by getting people talking and pointing them in the direction when it comes to professional help, the number of metres they’ll have to walk will be lower than next year.
HUMEN isn’t just about trying to encourage men to talk, it’s about providing them with a safe space and outlet to do so. Furthermore, the charity is all about moving beyond the false and limiting notions of what it means to be a ‘man’, a ‘lad’, or a ‘bloke’.
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Their work serves as a reminder to value inner health just as much as outer, helping create a better world for both men and women.
All that being said, Atlas, HUMEN and its supporters are now calling on Mancs to join the initiative and walk a metre for every tragic suicide that could have been avoided with the right help.
Atlas Bar’s ‘Pub Pilgrimage’ starts at 10am on Sunday, 4 December. To do your bit for men’s mental health, you can register to join the walk HERE and, if you can, donate to their JustGiving page — any amount can help make a big difference.
NASA reveals exact time you can see ‘Santa’s sleigh’ fly over Greater Manchester this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
There’s not long left until Santa and his reindeer crew fly over the skies of Manchester to drop off all those presents.
And it seems like Manchester must have been extra nice this year, as Santa is treating us to lots of chances to catch a glimpse of him on his mission to deliver millions of gifts in time for Christmas.
Just like every year, Santa is dusting off his sleigh and polishing his boots to prepare for his biggest night visiting lots of kids and families. The sleigh is being filled with lots of goodies and surprises as we speak… it’s almost like he can smell the milk and cookies from here.
NASA, one of the world’s leading space companies, has been working meticulously to find out Santa’s route for 2025.
The world-renowned space agency has given us an exact time to look up at the stars to spot the main man himself and catch the glimmer of lights from his sleigh.
NASA has reveals the exact time you can see ‘Santa’s sleigh’ flying over Greater Manchester this Christmas / Credit: Tim Mossholder (via Unsplash)
As a man who has lots of experience globe trotting, it’s safe to say the big man knows how to efficiently cover as many houses as possible all in one night.
Santa’s sleigh will, coincidentally (*wink wink), be present at the same time as the International Space Station (ISS), however anyone looking to see this festive vehicle can notice the lights won’t change direction and will not flash.
This time round, Santa is swooshing round Greater Manchester on Christmas Day a whole hour earlier than last year, meaning that nice list must be the longest it’s ever been.
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Wednesday 24 December
5:21am
Santa’s sleigh lights will be visible for two minutes travelling South East to East, as the man of Christmas weighs up his North West delivery route.
6:54am
There’s a six minute opportunity to catch those bright lights of Santa’s sleigh in the Manchester sky as he travels from West to South East, finalising his map before the big night ahead.
Thursday 25 December
4:35am
It will be visible for less than a minute, no movement, in a static position. Santa will be doing a headcount of all the houses to make sure he’s not missed a single chimney.
6:08am
The sleigh will be seen for four minutes, moving from South West to South East, by now Santa will have finished his Manchester delivery drop and will be heading on over the hill to our friends in Leeds.
Be part of the biggest Great Manchester Run ever
Danny Jones
Runners and regular Mancs alike, start lacing up your trainers and sorting safety pins early, because the Great Manchester Run is back for 2026, and you can be part of it.
With sign-ups flying and bibs selling out fast, we really recommend getting a move on and booking your place now to make sure you’re part of what is, without fail, not just one of the most exciting dates on the local sporting calendar, but always a great day for the city in general.
Returning for its 23rd edition and fourth year being backed by principal sponsors, AJ Bell, we can assure it’ll be as well-attended as ever.
In fact, judging by the numbers already and the increasing crowds of spectators every year, this is looking on course to be the biggest Great Manchester Run to date.
The only question is, are you going to help make it the BEST yet by joining the thousands of others already finding the perfect spot to hang their shiny new medal?
Half-marathon, 10k, junior and mini races
As ever, the Great MCR Run isn’t just limited to one event: there are multiple distances, routes and age groups that can race the route in and around the city centre.
Whether you’re a seasoned runner looking to get in a PB, looking to box off your first half, love a 10, or you’re a youngster looking to get in on the action and soak up some of that glory on the day
So, whether you’re a seasoned runner looking to get in a PB, looking to box off your first half, love a 10, or you’re a youngster looking to get in on the action and soak up some of that glory on the day, there really is fun for all ages.
In all seriousness, even watching the massive metropolitan event stood next to the roads with homemade signs promises plenty of atmosphere, but with fancy dress galore, various different activations in the middle of the city, there’s not a chance you’ll get bored.
Even in the years we’ve missed out on running it ourselves (it sold well in advance last year, for instance), the pure buzz we got from joining countless other Mancs cheering from the pavement is enough to keep us coming back time and time again.
All that being said, if you’re looking to sort the perfect Christmas present for a runner, or simply need more reason to give yourself the kick up the backside you’ve been waiting for and just put your name down, this is it.
Besides the full annual marathon in April, running events simply don’t get bigger in this region than this one, so don’t miss out.
Sign up for the 2026 Great Manchester Run right HERE.
Danny Jones -
25th November 2022 
