Who we are

We are Manchester's charity.

We empower positive change, for communities

and young people across the city of Manchester.

Manchester Day 2019 Parade Volunteer Team_edited.jpg

About Us

Manchester has a proud history of solidarity and standing up for those who need help. We know the power of community and that, as Mancunians, we have far more in common than that which divides us. From Peterloo to the Pankhursts, our city gives a voice to the voiceless - and the Manchester of today is no exception.

We Love MCR works with some of our most vulnerable people and most ambitious communities to help them write Manchester’s next chapter.

We know too well the problems that face us. Within our bright, international city, one in three of our children live in poverty, and one in 10 have no qualifications. Tragically, there are also those who seek to sow division within our communities. We aim to address these challenges – by spreading opportunities and helping communities to build themselves up through direct support.

The Lord Mayor of Manchester

We are honoured to have the sitting Lord Mayor of Manchester as our Chair of Trustees. This has been a defining feature of We Love MCR's governance since the very beginning of our history, when we were known as The Lord Mayor's Charity.

The Lord Mayor of Manchester has been a ceremonial role since 1892, proudly representing the people of Manchester and supporting our Charity. The Lord Mayor’s term lasts for one year, and a new Lord Mayor is elected in a full Council meeting each May.

The 126th Lord Mayor of Manchester is Paul Andrews, elected Councillor for Baguley, who assumed the role in May 2024. Click below to learn more about our current Chair of Trustees!

Sir Howard Bernstein (1953 - 2024)

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In April 2024, We Love MCR Charity lost a dear friend and benefactor in Sir Howard Bernstein. Not many can say they played as big a part in modern Manchester's history as he did, and we were proud to call him We Love MCR Charity's very first Ambassador.

In 2017, he raised £480,000+ on his retirement dinner, establishing the SHB Endowment Fund for young Mancunians in the process. The lasting legacy of which has been the Manchester's Rising Stars Fund, created in 2020 and administered on Sir Howard's behalf by We Love MCR Charity.

We can proudly say that nearly 300 young Mancunians have been empowered by the support and belief placed in them with grants from this Fund since its inception. Opportunities are being grasped, and lives changed, by the continued work of this Fund. Read our statement on Sir Howard's passing below.

SIR HOWARD BERNSTEIN