Over the past 12 months we have been active in our local Manchester community and supported charitable initiatives including The Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness and the Wood Street Mission Christmas Appeal.
In this blog, we highlight some of our charitable work and recent sponsorships.
The Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness
On November 15th 2023, three of the Housing Disrepair Team represented Legal HD in the 24 hour run Against Homelessness.
It is a mass participation group relay run that is held over 24 hours. Runners and walkers set off together in waves to complete 5km laps in the city centre of Manchester, all to raise money for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity scheme ‘A Bed Every Night’.
Pictured here are Chloe Boon, Dominic Cook and Andrew Dow.
Homelessness levels in Manchester are among the highest in the UK, ranking third-highest in the country per capita according to statistics published by Shelter in January 2023. Around 7,407 people (one in 74 people) experience homelessness. Rough sleeping, while most visible accounts for the smallest proportion of the homeless population (2-5% in Manchester before Covid). Other circumstances include people who are in emergency shelters, temporary accommodation, sofa-surfing, and unsafe/ substandard housing.
The longer somebody remains homeless, the more difficult their problems are to solve and the longer it can take to resolve these issues. Being homeless means it is harder to find employment, healthcare and enjoy healthy relationships with friends and family. Without a home, access to a GP is very limited and healthcare is very restricted. Poor mental health and isolation are universal problems among the homeless, which can lead to drug and alcohol abuse. Homelessness can be the cause of these issues rather than the result leaving the victims trapped in a spiral for as long as the situation continues.
The average age at death for homeless people is 43 years for women and 46 years for men, compared to 81 for women and 76 years for men among those who are not homeless.
Wood Street Mission Christmas Appeal
The annual Wood Street Mission Christmas Appeal is a way for local residents and business to donate and distribute thousands of toys and gifts to local children living in poverty. At Legal HD we understand the importance of direct contact with a local charity whose headquarters are 5 minutes walk from our office. We collect donations throughout November and deliver these to the City Centre warehouse in Wood Street at the beginning of December.
As well as the Christmas Appeal Wood Street Mission provides struggling families with children’s clothes, bedding and baby equipment, and toys and books which are important for children’s wellbeing and development. They promote engagement in education by helping families with the costs of going to school and run holiday book clubs to promote reading and improve children’s literacy. They raise awareness about child poverty through their communications, events and talks at schools, businesses and groups, helping thousands of children and their families every year. All of Wood Street’s services are free for families to access on referral.
Pictured here is our 2023 collection and donations for children aged 0-14 in the Manchester and Salford areas.
Closer to Christmas we sent two teams of helpers to the warehouse to assist parents and carers of the most disadvantaged children to choose and collect gifts to take home to ensure that every child registered with the charity receives at least 3 presents each for Christmas.
Pictured here are Kieran Tracey, Stephanie Wilkinson, Andrew Dow and Chloe Boon.
Pictured here: Michaela Drummy and Abbey Cooke
Sponsorship of Miam Miam Celtic Under 12’s Football Team
This season we sponsored Miam Miam Celtic under 12’s, providing the football kits for all players. The football club is for children of all ages from under 7’s to under 17’s.
The club was formed on an annual pilgrimage to Lourdes in Miam Miam’s bar (hence the name). It is an inclusive club which aims to provide the fullest opportunity for any child wishing to play football. The children are all from different backgrounds and schools and it is a great environment for them to make new friends. They are based in Middleton and have over 100 footballers turning up each week to play in all weathers: rain, hail, and even occasional sunshine!
The team are having a good season so far and are second in the North Bury Junior Football league division 2.
