We Love MCR

The Lord Mayor of Manchester’s Charity Appeal Trust is entering a new phase under the banner of We Love Manchester.
 
The charity raises thousands of pounds each year to help Manchester’s most needy people. From arranging short breaks for some of the poorest families in the city, to providing vital grants to small charities, the Lord Mayor’s charity has made a real impact on people’s lives.
 
Now the charity is to adopt the look and feel of the hugely successful I Love MCR campaign, which became the symbol of positive action taken by residents and businesses following the disorder in the city this summer.
 
The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Harry Lyons JP, said: "It is a real privilege to serve Manchester as Lord Mayor, and one of the greatest honours is being part of this vital charity.
 
"Thousands of people have been helped by the charity and as we move into this exciting new phase, I’m confident that even more will benefit from the generosity and civic pride of the people of this great city.
 
"This truly is Manchester’s charity, and supporting it is a great way that Mancunuians can help each other. What better way to reflect that than by using the now iconic We Love MCR imagery - it's a perfect fit."
 
Chris Bird, chair of the charity’s fundraising committee, said: "We have worked towards this outcome over the last two years. The desire for a 'peoples charity' for Manchester has been welcomed by the business community and without their support, and the city council, we could not have realised the objectives we set ourselves in 2009.
 
"We can now make a real difference in the city we all love."
 
As well as adopting the new look, the charity will transform the way it works to allow greater participation from residents to have their say in how the funds raised are used and better represent Manchester businesses, people and good causes.
 
The Lord Mayor of Manchester’s Charity Appeal Trust has been raising money for more than a decade after combining the Manchester Common Good Trust, The Lord Mayor's Fund and the Youth Community Trust, which individually had been raising money for good causes from as far back as 1967.
 
The charity will be officially re-launched at a special event at the Museum of Science and Industry on Wednesday 26 October.
 
You can donate on the charity’s Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/welovemcr and a dedicated We Love MCR website is coming very soon.
 
 
Some examples of the groups the charity helps:
 
Wood Street Mission</ </
Wood Street Mission provides essential goods such as clothing, bedding and baby equipment to families in need throughout the year.  They also provide chocolate treats for disadvantaged children at Easter; free school uniforms to struggling families as well as substantial parcels of food and toys at Christmas. 
 
A much needed grant donated by the Lord Mayor of Manchester’s Charity Appeal Trust in 2010 went towards the running costs of Wood Street’s Clothing Project. 
 
Jan O’Connor, Manager of the Wood Street Mission says:
 
"During our 2010 Clothing Project we were able to help 1,200 families who were desperately in need.  The funding donated to us by the Lord Mayor’s Trust has helped us to ensure that thousands of disadvantaged children from Manchester and Salford did not go without essential items, including clothing, bedding, toys and baby equipment.”
 
For more information about Wood Street Mission please visit www.woodstreetmission.org.uk or contact the organisation on: 0161 834 3140
 
Cornerstone
Cornerstone, a registered charity, is a day centre for homeless adults, rough sleepers, adults with addictions and those living on the margins of society in Manchester.  Cornerstone offers cooked meals, snacks, hot and cold beverages, clothing, haircuts and shavers, as well as access to telephones and computers. 
 
Tony Murray, Executive Officer at Cornerstone said: "Cornerstone receives no statutory funding, and as we receive well over 200 visitors every day, support from the Lord Mayor’s Trust is vital to us."
 
Cornerstone also delivers benefits to the wider society of Manchester.  The centre brokers the housing of more than fifty rough sleepers every year and is active in reducing the incidence of begging, rough sleeping and anti-social behaviour on city centre streets.
 
For more information on the Cornerstone please visit www.cornerstonecds.org.uk
 
 
Music in Hospitals
Children at the Francis House Hospice in Didsbury and the Russell Centre in Withington enjoyed two interactive concerts, thanks to a grant from the Lord Mayor’s Charity in 2010.
 
"These were both really happy affairs” says Sid Richards of Music in Hospitals, who organised the concerts. "Many family members were able to join in at the hospice, and some of the young people at Russell House who are on the autistic spectrum can’t communicate in conventional ways so these interactive events were a chance for them to have fun and communicate through music.”
 
You can find out more at www.music-in-hospitals.org.uk.
 
Holidays for disadvantaged families
 
In addition, the charity provides short breaks for families who can’t afford to go away together. Last year 58 families were able to spend quality time together on the low-cost UK breaks. Without this help, children would never have the opportunity to enjoy a break from life on the poverty line. The average cost for these holidays, including all expenses is just £500.
 
Notes to editors:
 
Lord Mayor of Manchester’s Charity Appeal Trust is a registered charity -  number: 1066972
 

Published: 27-Oct-2011: (865)