About Us
Telling the Stories That Make Us Greater.
GR8R Manchester is a community storytelling project focused on the pride, people, and places of Greater Manchester. From the trades that built us to the teams that define us, we tell real stories with warmth, humour, and heart. This isn’t about trends or flash — it’s about what makes us proud to call this place home.
Photo Credit r/CockroachOutside5824
Our Story
I started GR8R Manchester because everywhere you look, it’s always about central Manchester. There’s loads of videos and channels showing off the city centre, but hardly anyone’s talking about the rest of us. I live in Stockport now, I was born in Tameside, my mum’s partner’s from Wigan, and I’ve worked in Bolton too. I’ve spent time in all these places, met the people, seen the pride and the life in them, and I just kept thinking, why isn’t anyone focusing on all this?
There’s 10 full boroughs in Greater Manchester, not just the nine outside the centre. Even in the borough of Manchester itself, towns like Wythenshawe, Moston, Gorton, they get forgotten. But they’ve all got stories worth telling. GR8R Manchester is about giving those places the attention they deserve.
These towns matter just as much. They’ve got just as much history, humour and heart. You go to Wigan, Rochdale, Oldham, Bury, and you feel it. There’s grit, but there’s warmth too. Some people feel like they’re from Lancashire, some from Cheshire, but to me, it’s all part of Greater Manchester.
What I love most about this place is the people. It’s the humour more than anything. That sharp, dry way we’ve got of looking at things. But it’s also the graft. People here work hard, they help each other out, and they always find a way to have a laugh. It’s not about big landmarks or fancy things, it’s about everyday moments. A market stall someone’s run for years, a football team that never makes the news, a pub where you know everyone, or someone who’s been at their trade all their life.
I think these stories matter because most of us don’t live in the centre. We live in the towns around it, and that’s where life really happens. I want people to watch these videos and feel proud. To see their place, hear voices like theirs, and think yeah, that’s us. Whether it’s your local pub, your team, or the shop you’ve always gone to, it’s about showing the heart in everyday life.
This isn’t just about looking back. It’s about who we are now, and who we’ve always been. Funny, strong, welcoming, and proud. GR8R Manchester is here to cover every borough, to give a voice to the people who don’t always get one, and to show what really makes this place what it is.
And I’m just getting started.
