Access All AreasCo-op Live (cap. 23,500) arena operator Oak View Group (OVG) said it is marking the Manchester venue’s first year with a £1 million charity donation.
OVG said the first in a series of promised annual donations of £1m to the Co-op Foundation will support youth-led social change.
The partnership sees a percentage of all ticket sales, partner and premium revenue, go toward supporting young people and communities throughout the UK. The £1m donation will fund initiatives including the Foundation’s Young Gamechangers Fund, which awards grants of up to £20,000 to young people aged 10 to 25 who are leading projects that drive positive social change.
Among those set to benefit from the funding is Thomas Cockroft, one of the founders of FungALL – a community organisation based in Manchester that uses the power of mushrooms and nature to engage young people in sustainability, mental wellbeing, and environmental activism.
“Our partnership with Co-op Foundation is helping ensure every gig makes a difference,” said Co-op Live SVP & general manager Guy Dunstan. “We’re delighted to deliver on our first annual donation of £1m to the Co-op Foundation, and even prouder to see the impact in action through projects like FungALL.”
Co-op Foundation CEO Nick Crofts added, “Young people have bold ideas and deep-rooted passion to build fairer, more sustainable communities. Thanks to the support from Co-op Live and our partners on the Young Gamechangers Fund, we’re backing them with the funding and platform they need to turn vision into reality. FungALL is a brilliant example of what happens when young people are given the support they need to lead.”