Greater Manchester charities receive over £40,000 to empower young people
Four Greater Manchester charities have been awarded more than £40,000 from Cheshire Community Foundation through EMR’s Building Brighter Futures Fund.
The fund, created by EMR, which operates five recycling facilities in Greater Manchester, is managed in partnership with Cheshire Community Foundation and is dedicated to giving young people the support and opportunities they need to thrive.
This year, £40,390 has been distributed across four initiatives — Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club, Collyhurst and Moston Boxing Club, The Flowhesion Foundation and Chabad Community Care. Each is working to support young people facing some of the region’s toughest challenges, including school exclusion, mental health struggles, addiction and the risk of gang involvement.
The Greater Manchester grants form part of the fund’s £200,000 national investment in youth-focused initiatives for 2025.
The projects being supported
Moss Side – Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club
Award: £9,750
The club will launch an innovative life skills and education programme for 75 young people aged 11–16 who are at risk of exclusion or disengagement from school. Using its new classroom facilities, the project blends alternative education with the power of boxing to deliver academic support, practical skills training and physical activity in a safe, inclusive space. Delivered with local schools and services, the programme aims to re-engage young people with learning, boost their self-worth and lay the foundations for long-term success.
Collyhurst – Collyhurst and Moston Boxing Club (CMBC)
Award: £7,800
CMBC will expand its Champions Programme, a twice-weekly boxing and mentoring scheme for over 40 vulnerable young people in one of Manchester’s most deprived areas. Run by coaches with lived experience, the project offers structure, discipline and role models — reducing the risk of offending while supporting physical health, emotional wellbeing and life skills development.
Eccles – The Flowhesion Foundation
Award: £16,040
The Flowhesion Foundation will deliver its Spark Mentoring Programme, supporting 20 young people aged 14–17 who are at risk of gang involvement, substance misuse or educational disengagement. With bilingual mentoring, group workshops, fitness activities and personalised development plans, the initiative helps young people explore identity, emotional wellbeing and future aspirations — reconnecting them with education, training and personal growth.
Prestwich – Chabad Community Care
Award: £6,800
Chabad Community Care will expand its Aliya Youth Project, which provides a safe, culturally sensitive space for more than 200 young people from local Jewish communities. The initiative supports those facing issues such as mental health challenges, addiction and self-harm, while building resilience, community connection and hope for the future.
The Building Brighter Futures Fund
The Building Brighter Futures Fund was launched in 2023 to create lasting impact in the communities where EMR operates. Since then, it has distributed more than £600,000 in grants nationwide. This year’s North East awards form part of the fund’s £200,000 national investment in youth-focused initiatives for 2025.
Ian Sheppard, Managing Director at EMR, said:
“Through our Building Brighter Futures Fund, we’re proud to support these transformative projects that work tirelessly to help disadvantaged young people across the North East fulfil their potential. Whether it’s through work experience, mental health support or practical skills development, these programmes will make a real and lasting difference in our communities.”
Mel Sproston, CEO of Cheshire Community Foundation, added:
“Collaborating with EMR on the Building Brighter Futures Fund is a privilege. The scale and impact of this year’s awarded projects demonstrate the fund’s strength and purpose — creating genuine pathways for young people across the region to grow, thrive and succeed.”
Building Brighter Futures is just one way in which EMR is helping communities tackle some of their toughest challenges. From helping ex-offenders, care leavers and veterans build vital skills and get back into work to educating young people through four Schools Programmes aimed at inspiring the sustainable innovators of the future, EMR believes that everyone deserves every chance to build a better, fairer life for themselves.