St. Modwen donates £10,000 to Wythenshawe charities impacted by COVID-19
Property developer St. Modwen has donated £10,000 to four Wythenshawe charities that have provided crucial services in their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The developer, which owns Wythenshawe Town Centre, has provided grants of £2,500 to Bideford Community Centre, Tree of Life, Wythenshawe Community Initiative, and Wythenshawe Good Neighbours, to help them continue their work during and post-lockdown.
Bideford Community Centre, which would typically provide food and essentials to over 1,000 people per week across Wythenshawe, quickly felt the impacts of lockdown after the centre was forced to close. Unable to run its normal services, it quickly adapted to providing a community food hub provision for those most in need. With the centre also relying heavily on donations from local supermarkets, the grant enabled it to buy essential items for vulnerable people across the town.
Bideford Community Centre is providing food to those in need in the community
Wythenshawe’s Tree of Life Community Centre also battled with closure during lockdown. With many of its local community members in the top 10% for deprivation in income, health and employment in the UK, the centre often provides essentials to those in need. The centre quickly adapted to delivering food parcels across Wythenshawe, fulfilling up to 150 referrals every week. Tree of Life’s wellbeing services also adapted, with its remote befriending service helping to combat social isolation during the lockdown.
Wythenshawe Community Initiative also received a £2,500 grant from St. Modwen. The charity, which is based at Woodhouse Park Family Centre, provides family support services to parents and children across Wythenshawe. With the COVID-19 pandemic preventing the charity from operating its face-to-face services, it launched its Surviving the Summer project to support those struggling financially, or due to the impacts of coronavirus. The project saw the delivery of weekly parcels, including food, care and hygiene products, and activity packs for children. In addition, the charity also provided weekly calls to families to help reduce isolation and share coping strategies.
Wythenshawe Good Neighbours supports the over-50s in Wythenshawe, providing social events, befriending services and day trips. With the majority of its service users shielding due to COVID-19, it immediately tasked its one-to-one befriending team to provide a telephone service. It also started a weekly activity pack to keep its elderly members engaged while in isolation. Delivered by its volunteer drivers, the packs also provided a welcomed friendly face at least once a week. The donation by St. Modwen has enabled the charity to continue with these packs post-lockdown.
Wythenshawe is a proud, supportive and close-knit community that steps up and supports each other in times of need. These four organisations worked relentlessly to care for the most vulnerable members of our community at a time when many were unable to leave their homes. We’re incredibly proud to have been able to support these four organisations that are providing essential care right here on our doorstep.”
Daniel Davis, Wythenshawe Town Centre Manager
The donations form part of St. Modwen’s wider £150,000 Community Impact Fund, created to support grassroots charities and groups that have made an impact in their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
