Manchester women launch calendar to raise funds for hostage families
Grassroots group behind weekly vigils seeks sponsors for 2026 calendar honouring Jewish activists and voices defending Israel since 7 October
A group of Manchester women who have held weekly vigils for Israeli hostages since 7 October have launched a calendar project to raise funds for the families of those still being held in Gaza.
Titled Hope is Mandatory: A Year of Courage and Solidarity, the 2026 calendar will spotlight Jewish activists, influencers and campaigners who have “refused to stay silent” in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks.
Confirmed participants include journalist Eve Barlow, Instagram campaigner Melissa Chapman, and Samantha Ettus, producer of the October H8TE documentary. Each month will feature a different individual, with October reserved as a memorial to the victims of the 7 October massacre.
“All the money is just going straight to the hostages,” organiser Amanda Roith told Jewish News. “We’re not keeping anything. This is about giving something back and making sure they know we haven’t forgotten them.”
Amanda is part of a five-women team – Davina Fairclough, Georgina Brownhut Silver, Ruth Megitt and Shani Memfy – who met through weekly Sunday vigils held in Manchester city centre. Some knew each other beforehand through the Jewish community.
“We’ve had support from all kinds of people – Jewish, not Jewish – passing by. But also, a lot of abuse. You get shouted at: ‘From the river to the sea’. We thought, instead of just standing there, let’s create something meaningful that supports the hostages and educates people at the same time,” she said.
Describing themselves as “lionesses”, the women say they are undeterred by the hostility they’ve faced. “We’re not scared. I wear a T-shirt that says We Will Dance Again in Nova. The others have Bring Them Home Now. We walk around Manchester like that, and yes, people stare – but it just makes us want to fight harder for what we believe in.”
Each calendar page will include a quote, photo, and a QR code linking to Shabbat and festival times in multiple time zones. The group hopes to price the calendar at £10 –15 and says 100 percent of proceeds will go directly to all the families of hostages still held in Gaza.
“Our aim is to get it printed by September so it’s ready to sell from January. Even my mum’s friends in their 70s are asking for copies – people who don’t even use social media.”
The group is now urgently seeking corporate or private sponsors to help fund printing costs. “We’ve already reached out to various Jewish organisations and businesses in the North West, but this isn’t just a Manchester project – it’s for London, Israel, and beyond. We’d love support from national charities or companies who stand with us.”
“We don’t mind who sponsors – Jewish, not Jewish, big names, anonymous – as long as they care about what’s happened and want to help.”
Amanda added: “This is our way of saying we see you, we stand with you, and we won’t stop fighting until every hostage is home.”
Those interested in supporting the project can contact the group via lionessesunite@gmail.com
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