Community champion Nick Buckley has received an MBE in recognition of his dedication to voluntary services and the local community.
Nick’s accolade was announced as part of the Queen’s New Year honours list which rewards and highlights the good work of people throughout the Commonwealth. The 2020 list recognised Nick for his work with Mancunian Way, an antisocial behaviour reduction charity he founded in 2011.
Nick’s passion for working with vulnerable people and those affected by homelessness began whilst working at Manchester City Council where he focussed on issues such as anti-social behaviour and rough sleeping.
Nick chose to invest the funds he received after being made redundant to launch Mancunian Way and concentrated on outreach work across the city; working within communities as well as with those affected by homelessness to find stable accommodation and employment. Following years of successful project implementation, Nick expanded the charity and launched in Hackney, London in 2017.
Under Nick’s guidance, Mancunian Way runs a number of community projects such as Change4Good, which helped 48 people off the streets and into accommodation in 2017 and successfully placed 28 homeless or vulnerable individuals into employment in 2019. This project has grown and is now also securing jobs for vulnerable people once they’ve found suitable accommodation to support them towards living independently.
His reputation of working on the streets engaging disenfranchised young people reached the Mayor of London in 2018, who commissioned his charity to work on the streets of Hackney to try to reduce the number of young people tempted to carry a knife.
Nick has previously been recognised for his outstanding contribution to society by a number of organisations, including winning the Greater Manchester Homeless Project of the Year in the SME News Finance Awards 2019 and Small Charity Big Impact Award at the NW Charity Awards 2018.
Commenting on the honours, Nick Buckley, CEO of Mancunian Way, said: “It’s an absolute privilege be awarded an MBE, not just for myself but all of those who’ve been part of Mancunian Way’s success over the years. There are many charities working with young people and those affected by homelessness, but it’s our links with the communities we serve that I feel has set us apart from day one.
“Our journey hasn’t been without its challenges, but I’m extremely proud of what we’ve achieved so far, making a difference in communities that need it most. I’m thankful to have a great team behind me as we continue to grow and help improve the lives of those across Greater Manchester.”
