Growing, creating, belonging: celebrating an incredible 2025 for Afrocats

As the year draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to celebrate a year packed with creativity, confidence, and community as we continued to champion sanctuary seekers and marginalised families across Manchester, and creating spaces where culture is celebrated, identities shine, and belonging grows.

We began the year with movement, wellbeing, and joy. Our dance and fitness sessions continued to energise Friday mornings, while projects like Healthy hearts beat strong in Harpurhey brought music-filled wellbeing to local families.

Outdoors, nature became our classroom through Why nature play matters and forest-school adventures like Mud pies, magic wands, and fun in the forest, helping children build confidence through play, mud, imagination, and exploration.

Creativity flourished across every season: spring saw our powerful half-term activities at The Whitworth, where young people experimented with art, storytelling, and new ideas for their future selves.

Our collaboration with the Whitworth grew even stronger through the Afrocats x Whitworth Symposium, a vibrant celebration of partnership, co-creation, and community-led arts practice.

Families also travelled the world through creativity, from exploring rainforest imagination in Bringing Amazonian art to Manchester families to building belonging through community artwork in North Manchester.

And on Saturdays, imagination ran riot during our Creative Expression Programme, where young artists explored animation, characters, and storytelling, and throwing some amazing shapes in time for summer during Horizons Festival as part of Refugee Week.

This year also spotlighted the next generation of changemakers. Our placement students Cameron and Cornelius reflected on their journey supporting young sanctuary seekers, gaining confidence, empathy, and lifelong skills.

And in March, Afrocats proudly united communities for International Women’s Day 2025, celebrating women’s strength, heritage, and stories with creativity and solidarity.

As we step into 2026, we can’t wait to welcome more bright and smiling faces, both young and grown, into our sessions.

Together, we’ll keep building a Manchester where creativity heals, belonging blossoms, and everyone has space to thrive.

Want to be part of what comes next? Follow our socials, volunteer, donate, or simply share our work online - every connection helps us make a difference.

Here’s to an even brighter 2026: see you there!