Hello there, and welcome to our latest blog! If you’re reading this, there is a good chance that you’re new to the community and you may not know who we are. We thought that, with the country slowly easing out of lockdown and normality appearing slowly on the horizon, we’d reintroduce ourselves. Whether you were familiar with MYP in the past, or you have no idea how you got here, let us use this time to explain a little bit about our organisation.
This last year has been unprecedented, scary and, sometimes, boring. We’ve all been forced to work from home, limit our social interactions, and spend endless hours on Zoom. As a result, the events we all like to go to have been non-existent. Just like the rest of the country, we’ve felt the effects of coronavirus here at MYP. We are so looking forward to hosting more amazing events in Manchester City Centre, once lockdown has finished and COVID-19 is a distant memory.
If, once this is over, you want to expand your professional network and are in your 20’s and 30’s then please feel free to get in touch. We’d be delighted to talk about the events we’ve got planned and how you can be a part of them. It isn’t networking in the traditional sense and the events we host are loved by everyone.
For more information please read on! Or, give us a call on 0161 327 1385, or email us info@mcryoungprofessionals.com. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter too to be the first to hear about the things we’ve got planned.
Who Are Manchester Young Professionals?
Manchester Young Professionals (or as it’s commonly known, MYP) was formed in 2013 when our founders, Rich and Andrew, felt that there was a distinct lack of networking opportunities in Manchester for their demographic. Events that were attended were a little formal, not targeted at them, and typically covered only a small number of industries.
Then came the eureka moment! Why not start our own organisation?! Months later, MYP was born. As the years have gone by, it’s been fantastic to see the number of young professionals involved go from 10 to 100 and now into the 1000’s. These attendees love meeting up at different bars, restaurants, and event spaces. The events are all about meeting up in Manchester to share skills, network, and potentially discover a new opportunity or two.
Manchester has changed so significantly over the last few years and, when MYP started in 2013, connecting the city via events was quite different. Today people want more than just opportunities to connect with their peers outside of their organisations. This is why we have 3 pillars to our unique community.
While the group started out as a more classic professional network, it’s now evolved over the years to really connecting Manchester professionally and personally through social experiences. So, typically, it was social, drinks gatherings after work but that’s grown to now include Health and Well-being events plus much more.
There are 3 arms to MYP. We’ve got Social, which incorporates after work drinks events and also breakfast events. Then, there’s Health & Well-being which includes yoga, pilates, and other classes, as well as talks. Finally, we have the Educational arm which is where we are focusing on developing the community from a professional angle, be it negotiation talks, or being part of our recently formed MYP Mentoring initiative.
The Kind Of Networking Events In Manchester We Host
MYP is a community that gathers for an ever-growing array of networking events including drinks socials, fitness classes, educational talks and volunteering opportunities.
The events we hold here at MYP are genuinely fun and exciting. They are designed to ensure everyone has access to spaces where they can advance their career, and develop their skills. Our breakfast club was always a popular event that took place before the workday started. This particular event was a great way to start the day and hopefully, when we can host them once more, they will give you a fresh perspective on your career, and networking as a whole.
We’ve also done other events such as zen yoga sessions that have given everyone some much-needed calm. And, we’ve had the opportunity to listen to educational talks from Manchester Business School about personal development and career growth. No matter what you’re into, we’ve had an event that’s based around it, and we hope to continue this in 2021 and beyond (once it’s safe to do so).
How Coronavirus Affected Us
We were having a great time networking, organising events, and meeting amazing young professionals and then, the pandemic hit. Suddenly, meeting lots of strangers in poorly ventilated rooms became not the done thing. As lockdown arrived, we had to quickly rethink how we could retain that special connection with our network over the internet.
Over the last year, we have run some amazing virtual events. For example, Well-being Wednesday’s were something we loved hosting. These weekly classes which were held on Wednesdays (obviously) were designed to help improve that midweek slump and allow people to take time out for their mental health. A second event we hosted was all about partying! We helped host a fun night in association with Events and Artist management company Six15. This ‘night out’ involved a DJ set, a cocktail set, and lots of good times. When the most fun you could have during lockdown was a walk, our Aparte ‘night out’ was greatly received.
The biggest thing we did, however, was launch our Mentoring initiative! This programme looked to connect people in similar industries with an aim to skillshare, discuss career difficulties, and offer tips and advice about how to progress and is being enjoyed by mentors and mentees alike to this day. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter to be the first to find out by future programmes that we roll out.
What 2021 Looks Like – Fun Activities And Opportunities For Connectivity
But enough about coronavirus! Let’s talk about 2021. As we head back into normal life, we’re planning on some amazing activities that are all designed to promote exercise and networking!
During May, we held a range of outdoor exercise classes, all of which involve networking and general conversation with like-minded young professionals. Once social distancing measures have been lifted and we are truly back to normal, we’ll be looking to move these fitness classes indoors and host our breakfast club, and other amazing events.
Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more information. In the meantime, check out our video which explains, in a little more detail, what we are all about!
Want To Join Our Accessible Network? Get In Touch!
We hope this blog has explained MYP in a little more detail. For more information about our future plans and how you can get involved be sure to sign up for our newsletter or get in touch. You can contact us by phone on 0161 327 1385, email us info@mcryoungprofessionals.com, or follow us on Instagram.
