You’ve been supporting us for a number of years now, but what made you decide to support Wood Street Mission originally?
I raise money for charity by putting on themed, guided walking tours around Manchester, with a lot of coverage of Manchester’s history included.
I wanted to find a charity that connected with this endeavour and, given the Wood Street Mission’s place in the history of the city, for over 150 years, it seemed totally fitting that my tours support this great Manchester institution.
Can you tell us more about how you support Wood Street Mission?
I design and host regular guided walking tours and offer these primarily to the staff who work in my work building in St Peter’s Square. The staff book themselves onto the tours they are interested in, and I ask them for a voluntary donation to Wood Street Mission on each walk.
I promote the tours as a great way to:
- Raise money to help local children and families living on low incomes,
- Learn more about Manchester’s sights and history,
- Do something healthy / get some exercise, and
- Get to know other colleagues better.
I have designed around 12 walks to date, including themes such as: Hidden Gems, Street Art, Historical Buildings, Tall Towers, Manchester Music Sites, Amazing Architecture …
The walks tend to feature the more quirky, curious and humorous aspects of the city’s sights, with lots of surprising facts and stories.
I have also put on some walks outside of work (at weekends) in support of the Wood Street Mission’s ‘W is for ….’ Summer campaign in 2023.
What has been your favourite part of your fundraising?
Whilst I thoroughly enjoy the experience of delivering my walks, it’s always very pleasing when I learn how much money a series of walks has raised for Wood Street Mission.
I tend to set myself fundraising targets and I’m hoping that (due to increasing popularity of the walks) 2024 may be the best year yet !
How does it feel to be supporting a small, independent, local charity?
I have total admiration for Wood Street Mission – their work makes a huge difference to the lives of local children and their families. So, I’m very proud to be playing my small part by raising money in a fun and unique way.
What would you say to anyone considering supporting Wood Street Mission?
I would highly recommend Wood Street Mission to anyone who is considering supporting them. Not only is their cause extremely worthwhile but you can also see the work of the Mission in action. Visitors are always very welcome to visit their premises, to look around and meet the team, and there are lots of different ways in which volunteers can get involve in supporting their work.
Also, the Wood Street Mission offers fantastic support to their fundraisers. This includes assisting with publicising activities via their social media channels, and they’ll provide guidance and materials (such as collection tins, leaflets, QR codes etc) to ensure fundraisers have everything they need to make their fundraising activities successful.
