On Tuesday 13th June, we welcomed Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, as he made his official announcement that his Homelessness Fund is open for applications from charities across the region.
Andy Burnham has pledged to eradicate rough sleeping by 2020 and launched the fund on his first day in office by adding 15 per cent of his own salary into the pot.
Five weeks later, the amount raised to tackle the issue has topped £50,000 thanks to the generosity of people from across Greater Manchester, Andy’s salary and pledges from each of the 27 housing providers operating across the area.
Andy met with staff, volunteers and people who use The Brick services to find out what difference needs to be made with the help of the homelessness fund.
Our chief executive Kathleen Pitt welcomes the Mayor’s support for this critical issue. She said: “We’re really proud that as a former MP from our borough, Andy Burnham has made such an historic commitment in his new role as Mayor by declaring his ambition to eradicate rough sleeping.
We simply couldn’t exist without the donations and volunteering that the people of Wigan and Leigh offer us, so we hope his pledge will bring much-needed publicity and local support to the people facing poverty on our doorsteps here in Wigan and Leigh.”
If you want to do your bit to rebuild lives across Wigan and Leigh by helping us to raise vital funds, visit our fundraising page: www.thebrick.org.uk/giving or contact giving@thebrick.org.uk