How did you come to support Wood Street Mission?
We used to invite all personnel to nominate a charity that they felt passionate about each year, then we’d have a vote in the office to select the “Charity Of The Year”. Wood Street was chosen by our staff.
What did you do to support us?
We’ve tried to get behind each campaign as it’s come along – toiletries (Family Basics), books, Smart Start, Christmas. We raise funds via sample sales, we’ve even opened this up to other tenants in our building to generate more funds and expand the ability for others to benefit from these sales too, as well as selling bulk quantities to market stall holders.
Why have you continued to support Wood Street over a number of years?
We value the work that Wood Street do for the children and families in the community, particularly now when the cost of living is so high. It is important to us to give support where we can. You were the first charity we’d partnered with that willingly came into the office to engage with our staff and provide an overview of how our contributions made a difference instead of silently collecting our cash. They not only did this at the start, but have been back on other occasions to provide an update.
What is the most fun or rewarding part of supporting Wood Street?
We have great fun doing the sales in the office, it’s a crazy few hours that sometimes feels like supermarket sweep but our staff and other businesses in our building can grab a bargain, some buying to support charities in their area with donations for the homeless or elderly and all money raised comes to Wood Street. It’s rewarding to see the work that is done when we visit Wood Street or when staff have volunteered for the day over Christmas.
How did you get your team involved with supporting the project
During the course of our support, we’ve had employees working for us that benefitted from your services during their childhood – they really brought your work to life, being able to provide first hand accounts of the difference it made to them and their family. Our staff have volunteered to work with the team at Wood Street at Christmas, we receive regular updates for the latest campaign which we use to drive the promotions for donations in our office. We have had Wood Street team members visit us to speak on the work you do and how our donations help.
There are some overwhelming statistics about the number of children living in poverty in Manchester and Salford – over 63,000 children in these 2 cities alone. What would you say to someone who wanted to make a difference with this issue ?
Personally, I think it’s a disgrace that in the 21st Century we still have the same disparity between rich and those living in poverty. I think what people must focus on, is that their donation however big or small WILL make a difference, thinking about the big numbers may make it seem insurmountable or that their efforts are a drop in the ocean that won’t really make any difference. That simply isn’t true, lots of small donations add up to create a big impact.
What would you say to someone who was thinking about supporting Wood Street Mission?
Do it, just do it. The work you do is so important to our community. It’s hard to imagine where we would be as a society without charities like Wood Street Mission.
