What made you want to support Wood Street Mission?

Since 2015 we have been choosing charities to support. We decided to choose local causes where we could see the impact on the residents of our community. We could see immediately that Wood Street had a great impact/history, and being so close to The Lowry Hotel, it just made perfect sense. Their work directly affects families in the community the hotel is situated in.

What did you do to support us?

Our fundraising efforts have involved our whole team.  A number of us have run the Great Manchester Run, we have hosted a wonderful Christmas lunch for local children, we’ve volunteered at Wood Street and seen first-hand how our donations are being distributed.

We’ve also organised our own in-house activities that have been great fun including canteen events for staff as well as fun runs.  Prior to lockdown we raised approximately £5,000 in a year. We’ve lots to look forward too with more exciting activities in the pipeline.

What was the most fun or rewarding part of supporting us?

It must be when we volunteered at Wood Street and saw the direct benefits to families coming in for their appointments and receiving the support they need – it brings life to the projects and appeals.
The Christmas lunch is also a highlight as the staff can see it means a lot to the children who attend.

Tell us about your team’s experiences of volunteering for Wood Street at Christmas time.

We were amazed by how many volunteers were involved and how much support is given by our local community.  The Wood Street team made us feel so welcome and it was great to see so many companies supporting the charity, and we enjoyed working with like-minded people.

There are some overwhelming statistics about the number of children living in poverty in Manchester and Salford. What would you say to someone who wanted to make a difference with this issue?

Every little helps – you will feel like you are contributing and doing ‘your bit’ to help. Just look at the Childhood Experiences project that Wood Street offers, it all contributes towards the happiness of children, making their lives more bearable, more enjoyable. Knowing that the funds we/you raise or the items donated help families with the essentials many of us take for granted, is eye-opening. 

How important would you say raising awareness of causes like ours is?

Our General Manager, Adrian Ellis, has been the Chair of the Manchester Hoteliers Association (MHA) for 6 years and has nominated Wood Street as one of 4 beneficiaries at the Awards Dinner. It is important to the MHA that the hotels work together for a local cause, supporting local projects. The hotel group can see the direct benefits, and that the cause means a lot to the communities they serve.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about supporting Wood Street Mission, with their workplace?

Simply take the time to visit Wood Street, learn about its history and what they do. Meet the team and find out how you can get involved. There are so many enjoyable and rewarding ways to make a difference.