About MRW
Welcome to the home of Manchester Rubber, a community based group aimed at queer people into Rubber/Latex and all that goes along with it!
We aim to hold social gatherings every few months for adult enthusiasts, whether they are just discovering an interest in rubber or happen to be an old hand at getting shiny. Manchester's rubber scene aims to spread a bit of community and togetherness at events and round the Village.
Our pub crawls, including the infamous winter bar crawl, aim to visit Village bars and clubs to help open eyes to a subculture that doesn't have to be dark, embarrassing or secret. We also march in and attend local pride events over the summer months to share our pride in rubber!
Our main event is the annual Manchester Rubber Weekend, which draws thousands of rubberists to Manchester from countries across the globe, so there's always ways to come and make some rubbery mates and share a bit of rubbery pride! All our events are open to those with an interest in rubber or latex, no matter how they identify their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Our History
This June we celebrate 16 years of Canal Street and the Village getting covered in rubber from around the world for fun, friends and of course, filth!
MRW started when Sly Hands jumped across the pond for a long weekend to visit the rubbery folx in Chicago for the annual Mister International Rubber (now MIR) in Nov 2008. This event, hosted by Chicago Rubber blew Sly away with the open, fun, friendly atmosphere where rubber was something to show and not keep underground.
He was inspired to bring a piece of this joy back home and thus the Manchester Rubbermen, now simply Manchester Rubber, was born. After lots of emails and messages flying all over the place for a few months it became obvious the kinky people of Manchester wanted something similar, so in the spring of 2009 about 30 of us met up in Via for an informal bar crawl and a mailing list was set up which evolved into a nifty little blog and Facebook group! (RIP) With loads of guys being involved in the decision making and planning by mutual consensus.
In the last 16 years we've had plenty of socials & bar crawls, we've had our own exclusive events with demos and gear giveaways, and others where we just meet and go along to other rubbery events so there's something for everyone whether it's all new or you're one of our "elders".
Our Journey
MRM1
The first Manchester Rubber Meet was born, bringing together rubber enthusiasts in the heart of Manchester's Gay Village.
MRM2-4
The event grew steadily, building a strong community and establishing itself as a key date in the rubber calendar.
MRM5
Our first fundraising year saw us raise £1,851.25 for Stonewall, marking the beginning of our charitable journey.
MRM6
We raised £2,858.07 for the Manchester Royal Infirmary Liver Clinic, the start of our commitment to supporting local healthcare initiatives.
MRM7
Our fundraising efforts reached £5,221 for Mind Manchester, supporting mental health services in our community.
Remembrance
In 2017 our founder, Sly Hands, passed away.
MRM8 + MRM9
MRM8 raised £6,969 for the REACH Clinic, furthering our support for healthcare initiatives in Manchester. Our ninth year continued our tradition of community support and celebration.
MRM10
Our tenth anniversary year saw us support the Albert Kennedy Trust, continuing our commitment to LGBTQ+ youth services.
MRW11-13
Despite the pandemic pause, our community's generosity continued through the TARGET 100K campaign, raising £17,063 for the LGBT Foundation. This period saw the postponement of our regular events, but our commitment to supporting our community remained strong.
MRW14
A record-breaking year as we raised £15,791 for the LGBT Foundation's TARGET 100K campaign, showing our community's incredible generosity and resilience.
MRW15
Our fifteenth year saw us raise £12,000 for Andy's Man Club, supporting men's mental health initiatives in our community.
MRW16
Our sixteenth year promises to be our biggest yet, with plans for expanded events and continued support for our chosen charity: George House Trust.