The Team

Laura oversees Manchester Cares’ programmes, as well as managing the team. 

When she’s not at work, you may find her camping in her van or cycling with her pals. Laura studied at the University of Manchester and after a few years of travelling and working abroad, came back to the city she loves so much. She is passionate about community, social integration and loves meeting new people.

Contact Laura if... you or your organisation want to work with Manchester Cares, or with general enquiries.

Amy looks after our Outreach programme, meeting younger and older neighbours in Manchester who want to feel more connected to the city they call home. 

Coming here for university, she fell in love with the people, food scene and city life. On the weekend you’ll find her trying out a new restaurant or a new hobby.

Contact Amy if… you want to know more about our Outreach programme in Manchester.

Heather leads the social clubs programme at Manchester Cares, creating an exciting and diverse programme of activities for the neighbours each month. 

Heather grew up in North Manchester, and when she’s not at work she’ll normally be found walking up hills in the Peak District or seeing live music and theatre in the brilliant venues Manchester has to offer. Heather is passionate about history and learning and loves bringing an educational element to the clubs that she runs.

Contact Heather if... you want know more about our Social Clubs, or have an idea about a group activity.

Vicky coordinates our Love Your Neighbour programme alongside Izzy, connecting younger and older neighbours for one-to-one friendship across our city. From just down the M6 in Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester has always been her destination for gigging and shopping. Outside of work, she can be found getting her hands dirty down her allotment in Levenshulme or tackling a DIY project or two.

Contact Vicky if… you want to know more about our Love Your Neighbour programme in Manchester.

Izzy works with Vicky coordinating our Love Your Neighbour programme, which connects older and younger neighbours for weekly chats and one-to-one friendship. 

Izzy first moved to Manchester in 2011, and has recently moved back again after a few years of living in Colombia and Nottingham and travelling far and wide! She’s loving having old friends over for dinner, exploring Chorlton’s bars and charity shops, and meeting new people through volunteering and Spanish/French language groups. 

Contact Izzy if... you’d like to know more about Love Your Neighbour, refer an older person to take part, or join our network

Isabel manages the fundraising strategy for Manchester Cares, including donations, grants and fundraising events. 

Isabel is from Mexico and she first arrived in the UK in 2017. She loves learning interesting facts about the UK, as well as sayings and puns in English. She likes travelling, listening to music from around the world, and go on long walks in the countryside.

Contact Isabel if...you'd like to fundraise for Manchester Cares, make a donation or nominate us as Charity of the Year at your workplace.

Fiona supports the Social Clubs and Outreach programmes at Manchester Cares, bringing older and younger neighbours together through different online activities and getting back in touch with older neighbours who we haven't spoken to in a while.

Outside of work you’ll likely find Fiona enjoying all the various wonderful food markets London has to offer, exploring new walking trails or dancing along to some good old country music.

Charlie coordinates our programmatic strategy at Manchester Cares and at our sibling charities Liverpool Cares, North London Cares and South London Cares.  Previously, she managed our business partnerships at North and South London Cares and prior to that, led the Social Clubs programme at South London Cares. 

Alex is the founder and CEO of The Cares Family which is made up of Manchester Cares and sister charities North London Cares and South London Cares. He was formerly an aide to Labour Party leader Ed Miliband and editor of one of the biggest political websites in the UK. Alex has won multiple awards for creating The Cares Family and has been working to make Manchester Cares a reality since 2015.