WBro Stephen Thomson – Charity Steward Manchester City Sykes District, Roseanne Sweeney CEO Wood Street Mission, WBro Chris Prax – District Chairman Manchester City Sykes District, WBro Chris Welton APGM – Manchester Area, Des Lynch – Operations Manager Wood Street Mission, WBro Tony Stephenson – Charity Steward Manchester City Derby District
Wood Street Mission is a children’s charity which helps children and families living in poverty in Manchester and Salford. Both cities have some of the highest levels of child poverty in the country with as many as one in two children in some wards living in poverty. Every year the charity helps about 7,000 children and 3,000 families.
Wood Street Mission’s purpose is to provide practical help to help meet children’s day-to-day needs and work to improve their life chances.
Manchester Masons presented a cheque for £2,000 in the form of a grant provided by the East Lancashire Masonic Charity (ELMC). The cheque was presented by the Assistant Provincial Grand Master Chris Welton to the Chief Executive Officer of the Wood Street Mission, Roseanne Sweeney.
The grant will assist with funding the Christmas Project which provides food and new toys to struggling families to help with the expense of the season.
Roseanne Sweeney , CEO Wood Street Mission says ‘Sadly our Christmas project is our largest with more than twice the number of families referred for help in the run up to Christmas as at any other time of year’.
Sophie Bell, Fund raiser for Wood Street Mission says ‘In particular, we struggle to secure donations for older children and we have to purchase them. Last year we provided toys and food to 4,500 children and over 2,000 families and we expect the numbers to be as high again this year’
The grant will be used to ensure all the families, and in particular, those with older children, will receive assistance and support this Christmas.