Tour de Manc, a charity bike ride across Greater Manchester, took place in Bowlee Community Park on Sunday, with 1,500 riders joining and fundraising thousands of pounds for its headline charities.
St Ann’s Hospice is one of the headline charities for the Tour de Manc and riders helped raise money for the final £2 million for their Build it Together campaign to build a new hospice area next door to the current building in Heald Green.
Advanced Clinical Practitioner at St Ann’s Hospice Damian Lacey was taking part in his second Tour de Manc to show his support.
He said: “One of the things I’m passionate about is the new building, which is the Build it Together.
“We need an amazing space to help with the amazing care and the amazing work we do.
“I’m very aware that St. Ann’s needs to continue being an organisation of choice and an organisation of excellence.
“This environment is 150 years old and wasn’t built to be a healthcare establishment.
“It is a building that has to adapt and be adapted and we can’t keep doing that.”
St Ann’s Hospice provides holistic care to patients with life-limiting illnesses. Its services include inpatient care, day therapy, and supportive outpatient services from its sites at Heald Green, Stockport, and Little Hulton, Salford.
Tour de Manc raised £15,349 for St Ann’s Hospice last year.
Capital Partnerships Fundraiser at St Ann’s Hospice Liz Greenwood said: “As a named partner for Tour de Manc, the charity ride is really important.
“The fundraising is getting the name out there, telling people about an amazing new hospice and how it is helping us raise funds for it.
“Every rider we got riding today is raising funds for us, which is important.
“Tour de Manc themselves will also make a donation at the end of the event. It is really important for fundraising and raising awareness.”
The Tour de Manc was conceived by Danny Franks in 2014 with the idea of a charitable “tough” sporting event which travels through all 10 Greater Manchester boroughs.
The Tour de Manc aims to run epic cycling events to raise significant funds for registered charities and support cycling inclusivity for all.
Danny said: “We raise money to help the headline charities raise money and it’s very beneficial and needed fundraising.
“We can help raise funds for the Tour de Manc and give money back to the charities themselves.
“It is a win-win – everybody wins.”
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