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Theme: Fundraising

Together Money team run for St Ann’s

October 21, 2021 | 7:52am

Their company announced they would double the amount raised by the 70-strong team of runners for St Ann’s Hospice and the British Heart Foundation.

It means we will share around £22,000 from the kind-hearted gesture by specialist lender Together, which is based at Cheadle Royal Business Park.

Runners had barely got their breath back after tackling the 10 kilometre course when company bosses delivered the welcome news about its two charities of the year.

Together runners Milly Niblock and Mia Karmazyn celebrate reaching the finishing line.


Even though we’re a finance company, we’re big on charity work and volunteering.

St Ann’s Hospice at Heald Green is round the corner from our offices and we’ve been there a few times and really appreciate all the work they do there.

St Ann’s and the British Heart Foundation were our chosen charities last year when we could hardly do any fundraising because of Covid so we rolled them over to 2021.

Ryan is an avid runner and roped me in. We had a fantastic turn out and it was a great day.

It was really nice news when we arrived at work on Monday and heard that the company were very kindly going to double the donation.


Keely Sharp, Change Manager at Together

Keely Sharp ran alongside her colleague Ryan Sproat who heads up the group’s Let’s Get Giving charity initiative and organised the Together 10K team, one of the largest corporate turn outs in the event.

To sponsor the Together team visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/Together1

Are you inspired to take part in an event for St Ann’s?

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The Plaza Farewell Show

October 13, 2021 | 12:57pm

Co-presenters Eamonn O’Neal DL and Jimmy Wagg ended their Sunday morning shows on BBC Radio Manchester earlier this year after 32 years together on air.

During that time the pair, who are brothers-in-law, have staged dozens of spin-off charity shows around the region, raising around £600,000 for charity.

Their farewell performance attracted a capacity audience to The Plaza and raised £12,000 for St Ann’s. The total included a bucket collection of £1,300.

A host of acts who have appeared on the bill at the variety shows down the years took to the stage on an emotional night of nostalgia.

They included Buzz Hawkins and The Bradshaws, the fabulous fictional family he created, plus film and TV actor John Henshaw with his band The Bewildered.

Stockport-born BAFTA Award winner Phil Mealey, co-writer and star of Early Doors, also performed a set, along with singer-songwriter Paul Rafferty, singer Alison Sands and comedian Dave Buck.


We can’t thank our listeners enough for all their support and we hope they enjoyed our final fling.

The show was our last one as we come to the end of our 32-year radio broadcasting partnership and since we started the live theatre shows our loyal audiences have helped us raise a staggering amount for various charities, large and small, in Greater Manchester.

It was fitting that this final show at The Plaza was in aid of St Ann’s, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary and embarking on an ambitious capital campaign to build a new hospice.


Eamonn O’Neal, Director of Strategic Initiatives at St Ann’s Hospice

Take on London Marathon 2022!

October 13, 2021 | 9:38am

We’re hoping that seasoned runners, as well as those who have found running a welcome outlet during the pandemic, will consider joining their team at next year’s iconic event, taking on the beautiful 26.2 mile challenge through the capital.

Those who join Team St Ann’s will receive a running vest, fundraising pack, training and nutrition advice and a dedicated team to support them every step of the way as they prepare for the event. 

As well as St Ann’s places for the London Marathon, we’re also keen to hear from anyone who has their own place to take part who might be interested in raising money for local patients too. 


Wherever you’re from, the London Marathon has a special appeal, with inspiring stories and individual feats of endurance something we’re all used to hearing and inspired by. 

It’s an important fundraiser for us, and those who have run it in aid of our patients in the past have fed back how much they’ve loved being part of Team St Ann’s. 

As we move towards the end of our 50th anniversary year, and start looking ahead to the next half century of care here in Greater Manchester, we’d love to hear from people who would be happy to take part and raise money to help us continue that support for patients. 

As a charity that needs to raise £20,000 a day to keep our doors open, we are always incredibly grateful to anyone who helps us raise the funds we need.  It’s a really difficult task, but thankfully there are so many incredible people out there in the community who are – in this case quite literally – happy to go the extra mile to ensure specialist care for those who need it.


Rachel McMillan, Chief Executive of St Ann’s Hospice

Do you want to take on the iconic London Marathon?

For more information on how to join Team St Ann’s, please click on the link below or email events@sah.org.uk or call 0161 498 3631.   

Click here




Local golfers swing into action for St Ann’s

October 8, 2021 | 12:31pm

The golf event at Cheadle Golf Club, which is a staple in our annual fundraising calendar, was attended by 15 teams, made up of players from businesses across Greater Manchester. 

Teams practiced their putting and sharpened their swing at the one-day event, whilst raising vital funds for St Ann’s during our 50th anniversary year.  

This year, the winning team was led by George Hadden, who was presented with prizes for the team to mark their achievement. George, who has now taken part in the last three St Ann’s Golf Days.


I lost my partner to cancer and she spent the last remaining days of her life at a hospice and the staff were so kind and helpful. Therefore, I decided to try and help raise money for the hospice. 

The icing on the cake was that my team was victorious on the day. Once again a brilliant well organised day, enjoyed by all.


George Hadden


We’re incredibly lucky to have such a wide range of dedicated, supportive businesses that help the hospice in so many ways. Our annual Golf Day is always a popular way of doing so, and we’re hugely grateful to all the teams who took part this year.  

The money raised at the Golf Day, and other events like it, is incredibly important to our sustainability. Support from local businesses helps us ensure we can continue providing care to patients and their loved ones.  


Rachel McMillan, Chief Executive of St Ann’s

Find out more about our other fundraising events

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Triple marathon for Belinda

October 7, 2021 | 2:28pm

Belinda is a keen marathon runner and has undertaken many long distance runs before, but she sees this as one of her toughest challenges to date.  

Due to COVID-19, the runs were postponed so she is now due to run the three marathons throughout October. She will be taking on the London and Manchester Marathons six days apart then two weeks later she will be completing the Liverpool Rock and Roll Marathon. 

Belinda is a member of Salford Met Athletics Club and also trains with B Military Fit. Belinda’s family have been very supportive with her marathon training, with her husband, Stephen, and daughter, Lucia Belle, who also run for Salford Mets, helping her train and going on runs with her during lockdown to make sure she kept up with her rigorous training programme to keep up her fitness levels. 

Belinda, an art and design teacher at Fred Longworth High School, Tyldesley, also enjoys applying her creative skills to her outfits. She dressed as a red crayon for the 2019 London marathon, earning a place in the Guinness World Record as the fastest female as a ‘stationery item.’ She has also carried a hand-made memory flag bearing the names of lost loved ones at the London Marathon in 2018. Next year she is planning to dress as a Rubik’s cube for the Bolton 80s Marathon. 


Everyone has their reasons for running. I started running after my mum sadly died from cancer and I also lost many other family members. I decided to channel my grief into running challenges and doing fundraising.  

I know St Ann’s Hospice has touched so many people and the staff there do an amazing job. They cared for many of my family members and some of my friends in their final days. They focus on patients but recognise it’s also a difficult time for relatives, carers and friends and provide support for them too. 

I want to give back and I know St Ann’s rely on raising £20,000 a day to keep the hospice doors open. 

As well as being sponsored for the different runs, I’ve also been doing crazy Strava drawing challenges and selling scratch cards to raise more funds to support the hospice.


Belinda Neild, Member of Salford Met Athletics Club

As well as doing a lot of the fundraising herself, she has been well supported by teachers and pupils at her school who have taken part in a non-uniform day and helped by selling sweet cones to increase donations. 

She has raised over £10,000 for St Ann’s in Little Hulton which also treated her late father-in-law Kevin Neild and auntie Sandra McStravick.  

*To sponsor Belinda visit justgiving.com/fundraising/belinda-neild5  

Has Belinda inspired you to take on a challenge for St Ann’s?

If so look at our sporting events and challenges.

Find out more here




We’ve launched our appeal to remember loved ones this winter

September 29, 2021 | 10:22am

Thousands of people have taken part in the Light up a Life appeal for St Ann’s over the last twenty five years, by dedicating a light in honour of their loved one and making a donation to the hospice.   

This year, we’re inviting people to reflect on the year together as a community and dedicate a light in memory of someone close to them, or for other losses they may have felt like occasions that couldn’t be celebrated in lockdown or time spend with family and friends. 

We’re hoping hundreds more to join our appeal again this year, either by dedicating a light on one of our trees, or dedicating a light online in our winter forest which can include a photo and message to a loved one. 


I joined the team at St Ann’s last February, and we have gone through one of the most challenging times in the hospice’s 50 years. But thanks to the amazing support of our community, we are still here supporting our patients and their loved ones. 

Over the past 18 months we’ve found it incredibly important at the hospice to pause and acknowledge our experiences – lifting our heads up, taking time out to reflect and looking back on special moments, memories and the people we’ve cared for. 


Emma Dixon, Director of Clinical Services

As well as dedicating a light, supporters are also invited to join the our special Light up a Life services in December. Following the success of our first ever virtual service last year, we will be again be sharing an online service alongside meeting in venues across Greater Manchester so that anyone can join in and remember a loved one wherever they are. 

Take part in our Light up a Life Appeal

Click here




Walking 50km for our 50th birthday

September 28, 2021 | 1:58pm

There were 23 staff taking part from all areas of the hospice, including nurses, clinical staff and social workers, and they were all kitted out in blue wigs and fancy dress for the walk to represent the charity’s brand colour. 

The group set off on Saturday 18th September from St Ann’s Hospice in Heald Green and they walked the 25km to St Ann’s Hospice in Little Hulton. The team stayed overnight near the Little Hulton hospice and then the next day they were back to the trail, walking another 25km to finish at the hospice in Heald Green and complete their 50km walk. 

They were welcomed back to the hospice on Sunday afternoon by family, friends and colleagues with banners and balloons and even our charity mascot, Stan the dog, was in attendance. Also, Stockport Mayor Councillor Adrian Nottingham and Mayoress Mrs Diane Nottingham stopped by to congratulate the walkers on their achievement. 


The past 18 months have been incredibly challenging for the hospice and staff, as demand for the services has risen while the usual fundraising events have been cancelled. Our amazing staff have been right there on the front line throughout the pandemic working so incredibly hard in really tough situations, I’m so proud of them all, they are true ‘hospice heroes’. 
We’re hugely grateful to our staff who took on this fantastic challenge of walking between our two hospices, they did amazing and it was a great way to mark our golden year.


Rachel McMillan, Chief Executive

Group of walkers outside St Ann’s Hospice in Heald Green with Stockport Mayor Councillor Adrian Nottingham, St Ann’s Hospice Chief Executive, Rachel McMillan and the charity mascot, Stan the dog.


Every day we see what a difference the hospice makes to our patients and loved ones. We rely on raising £20,000 a day to keep the hospice doors open. The ongoing impact of Coronavirus is still creating a challenge with hospice funding, many events can not yet be rescheduled and funds which last year supported with emergency income are not in place this year. Last year during the pandemic we got staff together to perform different ‘Tik Tok’ dancing challenges and we shared them on social media to raise funds for the hospice, raising nearly £3,000. As this year is the hospice’s birthday we wanted to go bigger and better, so we decided on this walk as we thought all staff could get involved and help raise much needed funds. 
We’ve raised nearly £4,000 and we’re so grateful for everyone who supported us with this challenge to mark the hospice’s 50th birthday.


Lynsey Ayers, Ward Sister

Sponsor our team

Do you want to take on a challenge for St Ann’s?

Have a look at our events and challenges coming up.

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Where there’s a Will, there’s a way…

September 24, 2021 | 2:37pm

Death isn’t something any of us want to think about, but it’s something that has sadly been in the minds of many of us over the last year. 

At the hospice, we encourage honest conversations about death and dying.  Whilst end of life care is only a small part of what we do at St Ann’s, talking to patients about their own personal wishes is extremely important. 

Our teams support each individual to achieve their goals as much as we can.  Everyone is different, and for some they may wish to spend time at home with those closest to them.  For others, they may want to arrange a get-together with loved ones, or to make sure that all of their affairs are in order for their family. 

Making a Will is just one part of that process, and it’s humbling that many of our patients also choose to remember us as part of their lasting legacy.

  • Around a third of the care we provide is funded by people leaving a gift in their Will, and however large or small it really does make a huge difference to the care of future patients.   

Just 1% of a person’s estate left to a charity makes a big difference, and means that 99% remains for those closest to the individual.  It’s a way of giving that doesn’t cost a penny now, but means the future sustainability of good causes like ours. 

People often put off writing a Will, and whether you choose to remember a charity or not, it’s something that is easy to do and that gives real peace of mind.  It’s much simpler to support a charity in this way than many people think too.  To do so, you simply need to give your solicitor the organisation’s name and registered charity number and they will do the rest. 

A few simple minutes; a hugely kind gesture; an incredible difference to the lives of the people those charities support in the future; and a lasting legacy – what an amazing thing to do.


What happens to our estate when we die may not be something at the top of the list of things we want to think about, but it is something which can make a huge difference not only to future generations of those closest to us, but to others in our community too.


Rachel McMillan, Chief Executive of St Ann’s

Find out more

Click the link below to find out more or speak to Lisa Ball in the Fundraising Team on 0161 498 3631

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