It is no secret that despite having more technological advances than ever before, humans generally feel less connected. Many of us are stuck on our devices, and stats even show that most of us have fewer friends than the generation before. This offers not just a personal issue but a public health crisis as well. As such, it is up to cities to facilitate more social activities.
In Manchester, there is a wealth of opportunities for people to become more social and engage with others, some of which are followers:
Raffles
Raffles have appealed to us for decades because they are one of the simplest ways to possibly win a prize with low effort. From raising funds for schools to regional and national lotteries, raffles can be a great way for people to indulge their fantasies of winning big prizes, connect with others, and overall have fun.
To get people more social, Manchester and its residents could take more deliberate action to organize and participate in raffles. These days, raffles are much easier to initiate because they can be done online rather than with paper. Platforms like Reel Raffle allow you to set up a raffle virtually and pick a winner, making the entire process seamless. Raffles could be done for all sorts of purposes, including fundraising or just for the fun of it.
Free Music Events
Everyone loves music, but the rising cost of concerts means that more of us are foregoing this option. As such, a great way to encourage social interactions among Manchester residents could be free live music events. This could be anything from gigs in smaller clubs to large-scale events in parks. If budgets allow, artists of different calibres could be invited to perform, and if larger artists are willing to do so as a public benefit, it could really draw a crowd. Besides the music itself, such events will see local businesses patronized, and this could benefit the economy.
Public Cleanups
These days, more and more of us are concerned about the environment and the impact of waste and other harmful behaviors. It is not uncommon to see people organize to clean up specific areas of their city, whether this is a park or a beach. While it’s easy to assume that people wouldn’t turn up to essentially work for free, a passionate number of them very well could. Outside of the benefit to public spaces within Manchester, clean-up events can be a way to meet other people and make friends based on shared values. It can easily be advertised on platforms like MeetUp and Eventbrite, and this can ensure healthy participation.
Dating Events
There’s nothing we humans love quite like romance and the thought of acquiring it. This is especially true given that many of us are burned out and tired of the online dating carousel. As such, one way to keep people social within Manchester would be to organize dating events. There’s speed dating that will see multiple people go on quick dates with others and decide who they want to spend more time with. Some singles mixers will see people meet up for the purpose of dating. These are a welcome change from the online dating landscape and could be a big draw for singles. In a city like Manchester with millions of single people, many of whom are looking for the one, this could be a big deal.
Clothing Swaps
A major issue when it comes to sustainability and the environment is the impact of fashion, especially fast fashion. From landfills to the sheer amount of water needed to power the fashion industry, there have been growing calls for more sustainable approaches to clothing. This represents a unique opportunity for Manchester as it can hold clothing swap events for the public. These events, as the name would imply, will see people bringing their unwanted clothes to swap with others. In this case, everyone gets new clothes to wear while not having to spend anything. It’s a way for people to socialize and enjoy, and it can also tackle the issue of landfills and clothing waste within the city. These sorts of swaps can be held for other things such as books, electronics, and so on.
Keeping Manchester Social
Getting people to make real-life connections in the age of social media can be a bit of a challenge. The good news is that there are several low-cost ways to bring some excitement to the City. From raffles to clothing swaps to free concerts, all these can be implemented at low or medium costs but with very high rewards. If they can be done, the city and its residents will benefit immensely.
