Fancy taking a freezing cold dip all in the name of raising funds for a worthy cause in just a few weeks time?
In case you hadn’t heard, last month, one of Manchester‘s most iconic and longest-standing charities, We Love MCR Charity, launched its latest fundraising mission and is gearing up to hearts racing with an exhilarating cold water immersion dip in Sale Water Park near Valentine’s Day next month.
And there’s still time to stick your name down and give it a go.
Daredevils Mancs taking part will be raising funds for the 25-year-old charity’s work supporting ambitious communities and young people across our region.
This isn’t the first time We Love MCR Charity has turned heads and raised eyebrows with its fundraising missions as of late, as over the last 18 months, the charity has hosted a firewalk in St. Peter’s Square, and persuaded 104 brave souls to complete Manchester’s longest-ever abseil off a 22-storey tower block.
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Next up in the series of ‘mind-over-matter’ challenges, those brave enough to take part will plunge themselves into the water at Sale Water Park, wearing anything but a wetsuit, and during the time of year when freshwater is at its coldest at around 3°C.
Want a proper challenge to start off 2023? 🤔
Join fellow daredevils in our sponsored dip in Sale Water Park this February, led by Wim-Hof trained cold-water immersion experts, all raising funds for We Love MCR Charity! ❤️❄️
Don’t worry though, you won’t be left alone, as the challenge will be delivered by Jane McCormick of Open Swim UK – who is accredited in cold-water immersion training by world-renowned expert Wim Hof, whose name you may have heard of quite a lot recently thanks to his popularisation of ice water swimming and the benefits it can provide.
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Full training in breathwork and controlling the body’s response to cold water will be provided by Jane for all participants at the lake side ahead of the challenge.
While the daring dip will undoubtedly be the main event on the big day – which is sponsored by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, with all event costs covered – there’ll also be entertainment and refreshments will also be available for dippers plus their friends and family who come to cheer them on.
Music will be provided by DJs and Manchester-based artist Ceeow.
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You can still sign up to ‘take the plunge’ in a freezing charity challenge next month / Credit: WLMC
A good handful of people have already signed-up to take part in the challenge, and one of those brave individuals is Julie.
“I have found a huge benefit to my mental health since cold water dipping, so the opportunity to do something I love which benefits me, to then benefit We Love MCR through fundraising, was a no brainer really,” Julie explained ahead of the challenge next month.
“Plus doing it with others is always a huge thrill and buzz.”
The We Love MCR Charity Valentine’s Dip is taking place on Saturday 18 February.
Limited to just 150 places, the event fee is just £10, and dippers are asked to raise a minimum of £150 in sponsorship, so if you fancy it, you can head on over to the We Love MCR Charity website to find more on the event and to learn about the positive work the charity undertakes across Manchester.
You can watch Twilight with a live orchestra surrounded by candlelight in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
One of the most iconic literary and film sagas of the 21st century is celebrating 20 years since the first book was published next year.
And to celebrate this milestone moment, you’ll be able to watch the first film live in dozens of cities across the UK surrounded by the beauty of more than a thousand candles while a live orchestra plays the soundtrack to accompany.
That’s right, Twilight in Concert is coming to Manchester.
Undeniably one of the most successful young adult film franchises of all time, with five films (Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Parts 1 & 2) to its name, The Twilight Saga has impressively grossed more than $3.3 billion at the worldwide box office.
You can watch Twilight with a live orchestra surrounded by candlelight in Manchester / Credit: Supplied
The films were adapted from author Stephenie Meyer’s acclaimed literary series that won multiple awards over its time, sold more than 160 million copies worldwide, and was translated into 49 different languages.
But no matter whether you’re Team Edward or Team Jacob, Twilight In Concert promises to be an unforgettable event for fans of the belovedfranchise, two decades on.
Set in an enchanting candlelit setting, TwilightIn Concert offers fans a unique opportunity to re-live the film that started it all, while musicians take the stage to perform the beloved score in perfect synchronisation with the original movie presented in its entirety on a cinema-size screen.
You can expect a 12-piece ensemble of rock and orchestral musicians / Credit: Supplied
You can expect a 12-piece ensemble of rock and orchestral musicians to transport you on a journey deep into the heart of Forks.
Twilight in Concert will be stopping off at 12 other major UK cities on its tour, including other northern hubs such as Sheffield, York, and Liverpool, as well as arriving at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall on Friday 6 February 2026.
Tickets are now on sale, and you can find out more and get your hands on them here.
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
A brand new grunge and hard rock festival is kicking off in Manchester
Danny Jones
Manchester grungers, hardcore heads, and fans of all things rock, pay attention because there is a brand new festival coming to the city centre – and it has possibly the best name for a live music event we’ve heard in some time.
Ahem… let us introduce you to Broken Knees Fest.
Yes, donning a name that feels increasingly more relatable the closer we get to the wrong side of 30, Broken Knees Festival 2025 marks the inaugural edition of Manchester’s newest series of rock and grunge gigs, helping spotlight rising artists across the genres from within two crucial grassroots venues.
Very loud music inside tightly-packed, small-capacity rooms? It’s a winning formula that never fails. It’s about time we broke a sweat – here’s hoping the knees just about hold out.
Hosted in the heart of the Northern Quarter, which continues to thrive as a creative hub for new music and art of all forms, the festival will be debuting at small-cap favourites Gullivers and Castle Hotel just across the road.
As you can see, the lineup is full of up-and-coming talent within the guitar-driven space, but you can bank on more than a few bringing their die-hard fans to fill the place out to the rafters.
It doesn’t matter if you prefer punk, hardcore, grunge or another specific sub-genre found somewhere in between the ever-sprawling rock spectrum, there’s something to suit all alternative tastes at this one.
With the likes of Bohmen, Mavis, One Dimensional Creatures and Smother headlining the first-ever iteration of the festival across four stages, you can expect plenty of energy and even more noise.
Set up by the events group of the same name, Broken Knees Promotions, who help platform rock and alt acts across Greater Manchester and beyond year-round, this is more than just a festival: it’s a grassroots celebration through and through.
Best of all, if you’re interested, you don’t have to wait long because it’s kicking off next month.
Gigs go off in here. If you know, you know… (Credit: Audio North)
Broken Knees Fest 2025 is happening on the weekend of 21-22 June, and you’ll be glad to hear that, as a brand new event, prices have been kept nice and low.
The early bird window had prices starting from just £12, and although this tier has now sold out, day tickets are still only £15 while a full weekend pass will set you back £25.
Until then, why not dive into another load of new Manchester music? We round up artists from all genres each month; we’ll also confess to leaning slightly more towards the heavier stuff from time to time.
Emily Sergeant -
13th January 2023 
