How businesses can get involved…
With 38% of the population under 25, Manchester is a young city. By investing in young people, we can achieve lasting social and economic advantages for the entire city.
Local businesses can play an important part in helping to make
Manchester a Child Friendly City. There are many ways that you
can get involved:
Support a school
You can be part of shaping Manchester’s future workforce – supporting Manchester’s young people to develop their talent, fulfil their potential and leave school with the attributes employers need.
The jobs of the future are yet to be defined and there are numerous sectors for young people and their teachers to navigate.
We want businesses to help teachers and young people understand where the opportunities will be in the labour market and the skills they will need to access them.
The council’s BREE (Building Relationships with Employers and
Educators) initiative is there to help employers connect to a school
and begin supporting Manchester’s young people.
Find out more and connect to a school
Provide valuable resources
• Donation of equipment (play equipment, arts and craft material,
sport or ICT equipment)
• Free tickets or entry to events
• Monetary donations towards youth initiatives
• Spaces for young people at businesses and venues
• Volunteer hours to make Manchester more child friendly.
Become a mentor or an Employer Partner
Sign up to become a mentor or an Employer Partner with One Million mentors. You or your business could inspire, support and motivate young people, raise their aspirations and encourage them to achieve their career goals.
Find out more about One Million Mentors
Become a Child Friendly Manchester ambassador
• Publicly declare your support and endorsement of Manchester’s
ambition
• Promote the Child Friendly Manchester brand to help raise awareness
• Talk about children’s rights on your website and promotional material
• Tell other people, customers and your networks about how they
could get involved and help make Manchester a better place for
young people
• Listen to and engage with children and young people so they can have their voices heard.
Apply your business’s core skills
There are many ways that your business skills could benefit
educational settings, the youth and play sector and community
sector, you could:
• Become a trustee, committee member or governor
• Provide legal, financial, safeguarding, digital or other advice.
Corporate Partnership Opportunities
As Manchester’s leading grant giving charity, the Lord Mayor of
Manchester’s We Love Manchester Charity (WLMC) transforms the
lives of hundreds of young people each year with the help of generous donations and fund-raising activity carried out by the public and our corporate partners.
Partner, collaborate and align your company values with WLMC and your business will directly support young people in Manchester by investing in two dedicated funds.
Manchester’s Rising Stars Fund
Limited finances can be a barrier to young people, and we recognise
that a little financial support at the right time can make a big
difference. Grants of up to £5,000 are available to give young
Mancunians a helping hand to take opportunities that may otherwise be out of their reach, enabling ambitious, talented 15 to 22-year-olds to achieve their potential. Grants fund vital equipment, training and resources to enable them to take their next steps to success in work, qualifications or entrepreneurship.
Child Friendly Manchester Fund
Set up as an ongoing legacy from the year-long ‘2022 Our Year’
campaign, the Child Friendly Manchester Fund gives children and
young people access to social, cultural and educational experiences
they might otherwise miss out on due to lack of financial resources.
Grants of up to £1,000 are available to organisations and educational settings to apply on behalf of individual young people or groups they work with.
By partnering with WLMC your business can demonstrate social
value impact, promote positive engagement with your employees
and your customers by:
• Providing a donation directly to WLMC to support young Mancunians.
• Taking part in one of the WLMC headline fundraising challenges,
which have included fire walks, abseils, hiking and high-profile
race events
• Organising your own bespoke, local or national challenge
on behalf of WLMC (often the best fundraising ideas come from within your business).
Benefit to your organisation
Child Friendly Manchester aims to impact the lives of children and
young people, but it can also have a positive impact on you, your staff and organisation. By joining other businesses that are supporting Child Friendly Manchester, you’ll become part of a network of ambassadors from a broad city network of organisations and different sectors. This presents additional opportunities to connect with others, enhance your visibility, and be recognised for the valuable work you are doing.
Get in touch
If you are interested in helping Manchester become a Child Friendly City, get in touch with the Child Friendly Manchester team. We can tailor bespoke partnerships based on your individual business objectives.
