Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity congratulates Bev Craig on becoming the newly elected Mayor
The Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity has welcomed the election of Bev Craig as the new Mayor and confirmed she will be invited to become Patron of the charity.
Founded in 2017 by Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity was established as part of Andy Burnham's commitment to end homelessness, bringing together businesses, philanthropy and communities to support that ambition.
Andy Burnham also donated 15% of his mayoral salary to the charity, known for its flagship programme, A Bed Every Night. Together with co-founder Tim Heatley and a board of trustees, he helped mobilise businesses, charities, public services and communities behind a shared mission. Over the past nine years, that ambition has grown into a city-region-wide movement, inspiring new partnerships, philanthropy and initiatives, including A Bed Every Night and Embassy Village, that have helped transform Greater Manchester's response to homelessness.
As the newly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Craig will be invited to become Patron of the charity, reflecting the shared ambition to ensure everyone has a safe place to call home. Andy Burnham will continue his longstanding commitment to the charity as its Founding Patron.
Tim Heatley, Chair of Trustees and co-founder of the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity, said:
“Congratulations to Bev Craig on being elected Mayor of Greater Manchester.
When Andy Burnham was first elected Mayor, he put out a call to businesses and property owners to help tackle homelessness.
At Capital&Centric we had an empty building, so we offered it as emergency accommodation. That simple conversation became the beginning of something much bigger. It helped spark a movement that brought together businesses, charities, public services and communities across Greater Manchester.
We went on to establish the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity and A Bed Every Night because we believed Greater Manchester could do more to prevent and ultimately end homelessness.
Initiatives such as A Bed Every Night have shown what's possible when people work together with a shared purpose.
Andy created an extraordinary legacy through the charity and the partnerships that have helped transform Greater Manchester's response to homelessness. The progress made over the past nine years belongs to so many who have played their part, and I know Bev Craig will bring fresh energy to the partnerships that have driven this progress."
Anne Rhind, Chief Executive, said:
“Congratulations to Bev Craig on being elected Mayor of Greater Manchester.
Bev has a strong track record of bringing together partners to deliver for communities, and we look forward to working with her as we continue our shared mission to prevent and end homelessness.
Andy Burnham's time as Mayor demonstrated what can be achieved when public services, businesses, charities and communities come together behind a shared ambition. From establishing the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity to pioneering initiatives such as A Bed Every Night, that collaboration has helped transform Greater Manchester's response to homelessness and improve the lives of thousands of people.
Significant progress has been made across our city-region, but we know there is much more to do to ensure everyone has a safe place to call home. As Greater Manchester continues to grow and prosper, we have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to ensure every person and every borough benefits from that success.
Good growth should mean that everyone shares in Greater Manchester's success. By bringing together businesses, philanthropy, public services and communities across all ten boroughs, we can prevent homelessness before it happens and create opportunities for more people to build secure, fulfilling lives.”
Together with Mayor Bev Craig, partners, businesses and communities across all ten boroughs, the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity will continue building on Greater Manchester's progress to prevent homelessness before it happens and ensure everyone has a safe place to call home.
Image: CEO Anne Rhind, Mayor Bev Craig & Chair Tim Heatley (left to right)