Katie Bridge from Wood Street Mission was our speaker at the May meeting.
The charity was founded in 1869 to provide the basic necessities of life – food, shelter and clothing – to alleviate the appalling levels of hunger, poverty and destitution which many in the slum areas of Manchester and Salford had to endure.
Today the charity’s projects encompass five areas –
Family Basics
Low income families are provided with the day to day essential items that every family need for their children – clothing, bedding ,towels, toys, baby equipment and toiletries. 2,545 children received help in 2024.
Smart Start
New school uniforms are provided to ensure that children from struggling families are not made to feel different from their classmates and can focus on their learning. Other school essentials such as winter coats, school bags, sports kit and stationery can also be chosen.
Books Forever
This project helps transform the lives of local children through reading. In 2024 over 15,285 books were distributed to over 3,090 children.
Childhood Experiences
Children are introduced to experiences that they might not otherwise have – including trips to the theatre, climbing centres and museums.
Christmas
3,013 children received Christmas presents in 2024.
We were pleased to be able to give a donation to this very worthwhile charity and hope to be able to help at forthcoming events.