Smiles all round for Tameside Residents thanks to The Running Bee Foundation
Smiles all round for Tameside Residents thanks to The Running Bee Foundation
The Running Bee Foundation hosted a grant-giving ceremony on Thursday 30th (January) which saw organisations in Tameside receive funds for their community projects, with the profits made from the 2019 Tour of Tameside event.
Nine groups in total gathered in the Mayor’s Office at Dukinfield Town Hall, and were presented with a cheque from the Foundation’s Chair of Trustees Carl Austin Behan OBE DL, Councillor Leigh Drennan and Mo the Bee, Running Bee’s beloved mascot.
The recipients included Cancer Warriors, a charity that aims to create awareness and support patients with cancer. Flowery Field School received a donation to help improve their active play sessions at break and lunchtimes and encourage a healthier mindset and lifestyle through nutrition and play. Mind, Body & Soul is a women’s social club that emphasises the benefits of physical and mental wellbeing, the monies will help them develop an evening running session. Ashton Albion Boxing received a grant to provide new equipment and inspire more young people to get fitter and healthier.
Friends of Conduit Street in Glossop will use the grant fund to build an outdoor tennis table in the local park for the whole community to enjoy. Infinity Initiatives helps vulnerable people in Tameside with local support and counselling services, their donation will be used to improve their café facility to ensure they can provide and teach healthy meal options during the winter months. Being There is a local charity that supports people with life threatening illnesses, led by Suzanne Roberts, the donation from The Running Bee Foundation will help fund their continuous work providing transport for lonely and vulnerable people to hospital appointments and treatments.
Tameside Brass Band received a grant to help the running of its brass band contest. Now in its 144th year, it is the longest serving community event in Tameside. St. George’s Primary School in Hyde were the final group to receive a grant which will be used to encourage their in-school wellbeing activities and help the children lead better lives through connecting with other people, learning about the environment, giving to others, being active and learning about new places.
Quest Media Network, owners of the Tameside Reporter and Tameside Radio, ran a two month advertising campaign in December and January to encourage residents in the nine towns of Tameside to apply for a grant that will improve the health and wellbeing of others. Grants up to £500.00 were available.
Commenting on the grant ceremony, Carl Austin-Behan OBE DL, ‘’I was delighted to present the cheques to the nine worthy causes. The Running Bee Foundation is there to help improve the health and wellbeing of others and encourage people to be more healthy and active in the community. It was a pleasure to witness so many organisations doing amazing things for the community and I’m looking forward to following up with each of their stories to see how others have benefitted from the donations.’’
The Running Bee Foundation’s Operation Manager Stephen Owen also said, ‘’It was brilliant to see the first group of recipients of our grants all in one room. I’d like to say a special thanks to Tameside’s Mayor for hosting the ceremony and for all the groups who came along. I’m proud that we can help others through the profits made at our North West events.’’
Also, Civic Mayor of Tameside Leigh Drennan said, “I’m extremely proud of the contribution The Running Bee Foundation has made to many local groups around Tameside. Their grants will go a long way in helping so many deserving people who give their time as volunteers. I really enjoyed hosting the hand over in my parlour and hope this will become an annual event”.
The Running Bee Foundation will soon be starting its 2020 event calendar with the Knowsley 10k at Knowsley Safari on 15th March, the hugely popular Tour of Tameside from 11th – 14th June, City of Manchester 10k on 5th July, City of Salford 10k on 6th September and City of Preston 10k on 27th September. All of the profits raised from the races will go back into the local communities to fund health and wellbeing initiatives across Manchester and the North West.