Mayfield fundraiser for terror attack victims
The opening weekend of the GRUB at Mayfield food fair, which begins on Friday, June 9, will be run as a fundraiser for organisations supporting those affected by the Manchester Arena bombing.
Organisers from the Mayfield Partnership and GRUB have arranged for a series of fundraising activities to be set up including a bucket collection and a contribution from every drink sold over the entire weekend.
All money raised will be donated to the “We Love Manchester Emergency Fund” which has been established by Manchester City Council to distribute the donations made to those affected.
The fund is administered by the British Red Cross and overseen by a board of trustees which includes representatives of Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Police and the Manchester Evening News.
The first weekend of the food fair – which is free to attend – will run on Friday, June 9 and Saturday , June 10 with Sunday, June 11 marking the first “Plant Powered Sunday” event.
The weekly events all take place at the historic Mayfield building on Baring Street in Manchester city centre.
Matthew Weiner, chief executive of U+I, explained the reasoning behind the fundraiser.
He said: “We seriously considered whether it was appropriate to open the site at this time in light of the terrible events at the Manchester Arena.
“After speaking with our partners, and witnessing the resilient response from the people of Manchester in the wake of the attack, we decided that it was our responsibility to carry on.
“However, we felt we should use this opening weekend to contribute to the remarkable work being done by a number of organisations around the city. Mayfield has played an important part of the city’s past and it will do so again in the future. This is about the here and now and supporting the city at this difficult time.”
Leader of Manchester City Council, Sir Richard Leese, said: “In the last few days Manchester has demonstrated its strength, resilience and determination not to give in to those who would divide us and deter us from going about our everyday business.
“Our thoughts remain very much will all those affected by the Arena attack and it’s only fitting that this event, itself another example of the city’s defiance, will help raise money for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.”
Jason Bailey from event organiser GRUB added: “At its heart, Grub at Mayfield is all about people coming together, enjoying themselves regardless of their age or background and celebrating the things which unite us all. It is all about great food and great company helping to create great memories.
“We know that many people have contributed to the fundraising already. We also know that people who visit Grub are generous and will welcome the opportunity to contribute again.
“The reaction of Mancunians over the last week has made us incredibly proud to call Manchester our home and we are happy to be playing a small part in helping the Arena victims in this way.”
The opening weekend of Grub at Mayfield will feature six street-food traders on Friday and Saturday (12 noon to 10pm), a bar including the first outing for Runaway Brewery’s Mayfield Pale Ale and a DJ. Sunday, June 11 will host the first Plant Powered Sunday vegan-friendly event (12noon – 8pm) which will feature a range of gardening and wellbeing events from the Green Health Alliance.
The re-opening of the Baring Street site is being driven by the Mayfield Development Partnership – a joint venture between Manchester City Council, LCR, Transport for Greater Manchester and mixed-use property regeneration specialist U+I.
Capacity at the site is limited to about 350 at any one time so entry will be on a first come first served basis.
The Partnership’s long-term plan for Mayfield is to create an iconic, £850m mixed-use community over the next 10 years, including commercial, residential and leisure facilities. The 24-acre site, next to Piccadilly Station, has been derelict for over a decade.
The wider Mayfield regeneration vision will potentially provide 1,300 homes, more than 800,000sq ft of office space, a 350-bedroom hotel, retail and leisure facilities and a new city park, creating over 7,500 office, retail, leisure and construction jobs.
The long-term proposals will seek to enhance many of the site’s historic features including developing and improving the River Medlock, which flows through the site. The intention is to maintain the historic buildings on the site and make the most of the area’s built heritage.
U+I was formally appointed as the development partner for Mayfield in December 2016 while the temporary use for the site was granted planning consent in April 2017.
The new community and workspace facilities have been designed by architect Studio Egret West, master planners to the project.
