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Here at MCRactive we’re working hard to support all residents to broadcast the many ways you can feel healthy and well in your mind and body. With the UK continuing in lockdown, it has never been more important to provide trusted advice and guidance to support and encourage Mancunians to proactively manage their well-being and be active at home.
Welcome to our second edition. We hope you find this an informative read and beneficial to support your current lifestyle, and help you and your loved ones move more each day.
This week we have supported Mental Health Awareness Week, where this year’s theme is Kindness. Which we hold very dear to our core here in Manchester. Therefore, there's never been a better time, or greater need, to be kind to ourselves and to others.
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 Across Manchester, we're promoting daily messages of support, inspiration, guidance and updates to the city across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – tagging #MCRactive.
Follow @MCRactive to stay connected with the latest updates on staying active and healthy and share details with your friends and family.
We'd also love to hear about the innovative ways Mancunians are being active to share with others. If you have inspiring content – a short video, image or message, you can send via: info@mcractive.com or share them through @MCRactive on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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 Manchester City Council has announced a permanent memorial to the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing will be a garden space named Glade of Light. Located between Manchester Cathedral and Cheetham’s School of Music, will be a tranquil space, with a planting scheme, planned in June. On Friday 22 May, the city marked three years since the attack in which 22 people lost their lives and many others were left badly affected. Owing to COVID-19 restrictions, people are being encouraged not to gather together to mark the anniversary or leave tributes, but to mark it online or at home.
Prayers led by Dean of Manchester Rogers Govender, which will include the names of the 22 people who lost their lives being read out, will take place at 9am and 4.30pm and be live streamed via this Facebook link. Further details about the plans for a permanent memorial can be found here. Anniversaries stir up memories - if you or anyone you know is struggling with emotional response, please don’t hesitate to access the support available from a range of organisations here.
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This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and this year it has taken on a greater urgency in light of COVID-19. There's never been a greater need to be kind to ourselves and others as we are confronted with our own struggles and told to practise social distancing and stay away from loved ones.
It's important to remember that this situation is temporary and, for most of us, these difficult feelings will pass. MCRactive are here to support you and are continuing to share the many simple things you can do to help take care of your mental health and wellbeing. Every day of the week we shared a quote of kindness across our social channels and continue to promote the positive connection between physical activity and mental wellbeing. Join our Kindness Club and share some of your favourite quotes with us @MCRactive.
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 We will continue to share updates on new government guidelines around being active, and what that means to Manchester residents. Since Wednesday 13 May, you can partake in unlimited exercise outside, if on your own / with household members or with one other person from a different household as long as you’re still following the social distancing measures. Facilities with outdoor sports and physical activities can reopen too – once ready to do so safely, and in line with the public health guidance. In Manchester this update impacts on facilities in our parks and green spaces for accessible outdoor courts, multi-use games areas, BMX / skateboard, angling and golf (at Heaton Park).
As part of the new guidelines, and as we love our tennis, we're pleased to confirm that we have opened up outdoor tennis in over 20 Park locations to local residents. 7 locations now offer a FREE online booking process to book in advance, and others are open and accessible to turn up and play. Please adhere to guidelines when using our outdoor sports and play facilities and continue following social distancing measures.
Visit this page for more information and guidance on exercising outdoors. Where possible, avoid using public transport to get to the park / outdoor sport and try to only visit sites nearby.
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Watch how far our new outdoor athletics track has come in recent weeks at Manchester Regional Arena! It’ll be a superb addition to our cities already enviable portfolio of sporting facilities. Click on the image to see a sneak peak montage of the track work which will be finished imminently and will then be included as part of Manchester’s city-wide strategy to phase open facilities, ensuring all track and centre users, visitors and staff remain healthy and safe; accessible and open to all events, athletes, clubs, communities and schools.
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 On Thursday 28 May something very special is taking place involving the residents of Greater Manchester. In a time of national isolation, ‘Together in One Voice’ invites Mancunians to throw open their doors and windows to take part in what could be one of the largest community led choirs in the world. Led by musical director, Dan McDwyer, and beginning at 7:30pm, the concept is to create a city wide sing-a-long lasting around thirty minutes.
Not only is the event being live streamed across social media platforms, but residents of Greater Manchester are also encouraged to nominate their streets to be filmed whilst the occasion takes place to become part of a unique film that will then become available online a few days later. Streets wishing to be filmed on the night of the event can nominate here or emailing contact@togethermcr.com. If successful, Together in One Voice will create a snapshot in time when the communities spread across Greater Manchester were connected using the immense power of music and song. Don’t miss out, get involved!
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 As part of TFGM approach to encourage and champion those who’ve continued to, or switched to, active travel during the Coronavirus outbreak, TFGM are seeking to find any active travel case studies to help them spread the positive message going forwards. Ideally by championing real-life stories of people who’ve done this to create visible, relatable, and achievable examples.
TFGM are looking for Mancunians who are cycling and walking for essential journeys i.e. to get to work, shop for necessities etc. If you, anyone you work with, or anyone you have supported to walk or cycle during this time are able to share this relative experience, feel free to pass this on to Claire.Lee@tfgm.com who welcomes any questions you may have too.
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 In response to the current pandemic, Greater Manchester’s Caribbean and African Health Network (CAHN) has organised various services to help the community and provide support with anything COVID-19 related. This includes a series of videos created to inform you on all you need to know about the virus and how to tackle different issues that have risen from this. To benefit from this and gain more insight, head over to their Youtube Channel.
The network has also launched a support helpline for the community which will provide information and advice, food and single mothers peer support. Contact 0771 002 2382 between 6am and midnight or email covid-19@cahn.org.uk to seek guidance.
Over recent weeks, CAHN has initiated a number of online activities via Zoom in response to the community’s request and has been well patronised by the community. If you’d like to get involved, find below a range of activities to try out with friends and family from your homes.
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 Up to 14 million UK adults are ready to get on their bikes and spark a transport revolution, says national governing body British Cycling.
In the bid to encourage more Manchester residents to choose their bike over their cars, MCRactive will be pushing out #CommuteSmart videos across the city, created by British Cycling and designed to give you advice and tips on how to get started with your commute by bike.
If these are suitable for you and you are also pushing active travel right now, share your story with @MCRactive on social media tagging #MCRactive so we can help spread the message to our fellow Mancunians.
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