July 2025 Grants Round up!

Throughout the year, our Trustees award grants from our two core funds. The 'Stronger Communities Fund' (SCF), where we provide funding to groups making positive differences in their communities, and the 'Manchester's Rising Stars Fund' (MRSF) where we award grants supporting ambitious young Mancunians from disadvantage in their next steps to success. 

In July 2025, we have awarded 8 community groups and 4 young people, with awards totalling £26,742! Here is the full list of the fantastic local community groups and ambitious young Mancunians we supported. We look forward to sharing further details about them with you as their projects develop. 

Stronger Communities Fund Awards.  

• Together at the table (Burnage) 

About: Sofra MCR’s are based at the heart of the community and their goals are to break down social barriers, reduce isolation and promote wellbeing through food, creativity and skill-building at their community cafe.

Award: £2500 Sofra will deliver themed workshops designed to bring people together, promote wellbeing and support community learning at their community cafe. They aim to build long-term engagement and offer regular support through these sessions.  

‘We’re so thankful to the We Love MCR Charity for this amazing support. Thanks to this award, we’ll be able to run creative flower arrangement sessions, hands-on cookery workshops, and relaxing pop-up spa experiences. These activities will bring joy, new skills, and a real sense of wellbeing to those who attend – helping people feel valued, connected, and empowered’ 

•  Community Media Crew Group (Sharston) 

  
  

About: Community media Group supports adults with learning disabilities. They run sessions 3 days a week from a theatre space in Wythenshawe.  

Award: £1949 Community Media crew will develop a new stage play to perform in a community space!  The play will aim to inspire other people with learning needs to join their group and reduce isolation.   

‘Community Media Crew Group want to say a huge thank you to We Love Manchester for the Award and we are very grateful for this support. We can move forward now with our plans that will benefit more people with a learning disability in South Manchester. The group are thrilled to have this recognition and it helps us to spread the word to help people avoid social isolation. We can achieve great positive activities this year!’  

• Simply cycling (Higher Blackley) 

About: Simply cycling aim to make cycling fun and accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or ability. They have a particular focus on cycling for young people with social, emotional and mental health needs.  

Award: £1800 Simply cycling will purchase an adapted 4 seater go-cart Quad cycle which would be available for use in their sessions! 

Massive thanks to The We Love MCR Charity for this award which enables Simply Cycling to invest in a brand new 4-seater go-cart Quad Cycle for our riders to enjoy using at Boggart Hole Clough. This style of cycle has been enjoyed by riders at our venues in South Manchester over the years. Adding it to our fleet of bikes at Boggart Hole Clough is a big step up, enhancing the service we offer to residents of North Manchester. Visitors to our inclusive cycling sessions always tell us how much they appreciate the wide variety of bikes that we have readily available for people to hop-on and ride around the track. This new addition will perfectly complement our fleet of bikes at Boggart, and will be the only bike that can accommodate 4 riders who can enjoy riding the same bike together! 

• Aquarius community savers (Hulme)  

About:  Aquarius community savers have a vision to help older tower block tenants to live well and with dignity. They help the residents in tower blocks in Hulme and aim to residents less isolated and feel cared for.

Award: £2500 Aquarius community savers will continue to run their weekly savings club, social events and a gardening club. This is all to help reduce isolation and bring people together!

‘We are delighted to have received this award from We Love Manchester Stronger Communities Fund! This will help us run our weekly savings club and our drop ins and breakfast clubs at two high rise social housing blocks in Hulme which have a lot of older and vulnerable tenants. As we build trust, we can also make sure that older people have access to the financial and digital inclusion support they need and ensure people are accessing pension credits for example – one of the most underclaimed benefits in the UK.  Our social inclusion activities at the tower blocks mean older and anxious or vulnerable people build confidence to come down and participate and we can reach as many people as possible. Over time, we are hoping to build more relationships with tenants in those neighbouring blocks and support them to run their own activities’ 

• Creative beginnings (Levenshulme) 

  
  

About: Levenshulme old Library (LOL) is a community-led arts and culture organisation based in a former Carnegie library in Levenshulme. As a community hub they offer numerous community activities including free weekly creative sessions for adults; Active wellness, a health and wellbeing initiative for south Asian parents and carers and more  

Award: £1350 LOL will deliver imagination sessions (art focused stay and play sessions) to families in the area, supporting their creativity! 

• Womans voices celebrating South Asian heritage (Longsight) 

  
  

About: Woman’s voices CIC aim to strengthen the voices of local Black and Racially Minoritized (BRM) woman, particularly and to challenge the way they are perceived and represented. Their mission is to empower local women to overcome barriers and achieve greater emotional and financial resilience.  

Award: £3400 Women's voices will deliver a new project that uses south Asian history, storytelling and creative expression to bring BRM women together to reduce isolation and build confidence. Through series of cultural, creative workshops, they will provide a safe space for women to come together, make friends, share experiences, learn from one another and develop new skills.  

• Radio Wyth You (Wythenshawe) 

About: Wythenshawe FM 97.2 - is a 24/7 radio services by the people, for the people of Wythenshawe. They train volunteers, representative of communities in Wythenshawe in radio production. The radio service is motivated to help combat loneliness and isolation amongst the community. 

Award: £4000 Radio Wyth You will take their radio service into places where community members are more isolated, such as care home and those of housebound people. They will involve the community in being involved in the designing and recording of content 

• Recycled Teenagers (Clayton and Openshaw) 

About: Recycled teenagers hold sessions for the older generation of Clayton so they and have a space to engage in activities together.

Award: £1000 Recycled teenagers will delivers social events  to help to bring the older generation in the community together. The grant will buy materials like painting and craft materials to support the group. 

Manchester's Rising Stars Fund Awards

• Dylan, 24, woodhouse park 

  
  

Ambition: Dylan has ambitions to to work in security in either the NHS or an airport setting. He is currently completing a work placement and an employability programme with Manchester Young lives. 

Award: £870 has been awarded to Dylan to allow him to be able to access a SIA course which will enable to him to get his SIA badge and work towards his ambitions. 

I want to say thank you for the grant I have received from the We Love Manchester fund. This money will help me get started, getting me the qualifications I need to work in a security job and really move forward in life. I’m excited for what’s ahead, and I appreciate the support you have given me. 

• Aysha, 23 

  
  

Ambition:  Aysha’s ambition is to become an architect.  She has been seeking out internship opportunities to seek hands on experience.  

Award: £2107  to support Aysha to complete a professional internship in Bali. This will provide her with hands on experience and a certificate of recognition and completion.

I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity. It will make a big difference to my career and help me stand out when applying for jobs. I'm especially grateful to Marie for her kind support, it showed how helpful and well-structured the charity truly is. 

• Harvey, 18, Sharston  

  
  

Ambition: Harvey's ambition is to become a professional basketball player. He is focused on his fitness, nutrition and his training and is working hard to make this a reality.

Award: £5000 This award is to support Harvey to attend the Global basketball pro course in Canada having received an 80% scholarship towards his fees.

Thankyou so much for this award, because of this, I will now be able to put my dreams into action. This is an amazing opportunity for my future and it would not have been possible without your help, I will be forever grateful.