Celebrated poet Tony ‘Longfella’ Walsh is urging Mancunians to pull together in a new video showcasing Manchester’s achievements.
The video, created by Manchester charity Forever Manchester and Studio North with Walsh’s poem This is the Place providing the voiceover, looks at Manchester through the eyes of those who know it best – Mancunians.
Walsh, who is Forever Manchester’s resident poet, believes the video will send a strong message to residents of Greater Manchester in what have been testing times for many people.
“My hope within the poem is for those who live local to give local and support each other, especially in the times when everybody needs to pull together,” he said.
“The poem isn’t just about Manchester, it’s about Greater Manchester, and Forever Manchester spreads to the areas where mainstream charities rarely reach giving their communities a voice.
“There is a lot of pride in Manchester, and it’s not just about showing that, it’s about translating it into donations for Forever Manchester.
“If you know our history in terms of sport and music and culture, if you understand that this is the place where those things happen and that it was us that created them then Forever Manchester is the place to donate to.”
Alongside other work in the community, Walsh has worked for Forever Manchester for a number of years and credits the passion for the region they both share as the success behind their union.
“My poetry is written in the Manchester way of speaking and we both have a shared passion for the region.
“The charity supports grassroots, and the groups that really make the difference are out in the estates and in the communities that need it the most.”
“The attitude of Forever Manchester isn’t about handouts, it’s about hand ups and helping the people out who need it the most, and that’s what I hope the poem portrays.
“It’s vital work being done within these communities and my aim through the poem was to be able to share their ideas and make them public.”
Forever Manchester chief executive Nick Massey said the aim of the poem was to strike a balance between evoking emotion and adding humour.
“We wanted to find a new way to reach out to people that share our passion for this great place, to find a way to encourage them to engage with what we do,” he said.
“This is The Place makes references to some fabulous places and brilliant things that have happened around the Manchester area.
“It talks about the history and refers to the future. It talks about us pulling together as a group of people and that’s exactly what Forever Manchester is about.”
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