M6toll support Good Hope Hospital Christmas Appeal
Midland Expressway Ltd (operators of the M6toll) have shown their support to University Hospitals Birmingham Charity by providing a donation of £1,000 through their Drive for Charity In the Community scheme.
The donation will be used to spread some Christmas cheer at Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield after what has been an incredibly difficult year. This year University Hospitals Birmingham Charity wanted to fund ‘Toy Trees’ at each of their four hospital sites.
This Christmas is going to be a strange one for us all and extremely tough for children in hospital with visiting restrictions still very much in place due to the pandemic. The Toy Trees come pre decorated with cuddly toys on, the idea is for staff to get children to choose a toy from the tree for them to keep and help cheer them up during their stay.
Laura Power, Fundraising Manager at Good Hope Hospital Charity, said: “On behalf of everyone at Good Hope Hospital I would like to say a huge thank you to Midland Expressway Ltd for their generous support for our Christmas appeal. The Toy Tree that this donation will fund will help to bring some Christmas joy to our poorly young patients this year. Trips to the hospitals can be scary for our young patients, but these beautiful Christmas trees will bring smiles to their faces. This makes the hospital experience easier for them, their parents and the staff treating them.”
Joanne Brett, MEL Social Committee Member added: “Christmas is going to be very different this year but we wanted to help make it special for those Children who will be in hospital during this time. The Toy Tree is a great initiative and we are so pleased to be able to support University Hospital Birmingham in making Christmas special for their patients this year ”
MEL’s donation forms part of a wider initiative to support local schools and community projects. MEL’s Social Committee is always on the lookout for local charities and community projects to support. To register your charity or community project with MEL for consideration to receive fundraising or practical (volunteering) support now or in the future visit our Drive for charity page.
You can also read another Drive for Charity Article Here.
Back to newsCounselling support for Children’s Hospice during C-19 crisis
M6toll fund counselling support for local Children’s Hospice during Covid-19 crisis
As part of the M6toll’s Drive for Charity ‘In the Community’ funding, Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL); operators of the M6toll have provided £1,500 to The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice based in Trentham, Stoke on Trent which will be used to provide counselling support to children and families, to improve their emotional well-being during the Covid-19 crisis.
However long or short a child’s life may be, The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice is there to support every member of the family, every step of the way.
The funds will be used to provide remote counselling sessions, via telephone and video call, to those children that have the maturity and cognitive ability, and also to parents, carers and siblings. These counselling sessions will give them the chance to talk about how they are feeling in a safe environment.
Emma Whitehurst, Trusts and Grants Manager at The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice said;
“Everybody at The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice is thrilled to receive this fabulous grant from M6toll Drive for Charity Community Scheme. The funding will be used to provide vital counselling support for children and families, to improve their emotional well-being, during the Covid-19 crisis. Most of our children have weakened immune systems and their fragile health puts them at massive risk from the virus. Social isolation was already a huge problem for many of our families and now they are having to shield indefinitely. It’s having a devastating impact on their emotional health. We will provide remote counselling sessions to children, parents/ carers and siblings. These sessions will help to reduce stress, help them to cope with their situation and improve family relationships. These counselling sessions will be a lifeline. Thank you so much.”
Jo Brett, MEL employee added: “Covid-19 has brought so much worry and anxiety to the children and families in the care of The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice, we are so pleased to be able to support the charity with providing counselling sessions and hope it brings some comfort in these difficult and challenging times.”
More information about The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice can be found here www.thedonnalouise.org/
Since the M6toll opened 16 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.
Last year, M6toll’s online scheme saw £20,000 given to ‘charity of the year’ Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects. To find out more or to nominate a local project to receive funding please visit Drive for Charity.
Discover More of our Drive for Charity Work Here.
Back to newsM6toll support Simon’s Heroes with funds for local child
As part of the M6toll’s Drive for Charity ‘In the Community’ funding, Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL); operators of the M6toll have provided £500 to Simon’s Heroes to assist with specialised equipment needed for a local child.
Simon’s Heroes is a Tamworth based charity which aims to improve the quality of life and make a positive difference to local children in need. The charity was founded in 2013 after old friends reunited to honour the memory of their friend by holding a charity football tournament. Simon’s Heroes raise money through corporate sponsorship and fundraising events which enables them to provide resources and opportunities that are not always available through the NHS and other funding routes, but go a long way towards helping children with life limiting illnesses lead more independent and fulfilling lives.
Kelly Prescott; Trustee at Simon’s Heroes said, “It was such wonderful news to hear that the M6toll Social Committee were able to support our current project. We are currently in the process of purchasing a special needs bike trailer for a little girl who has a rare genetic condition causing development delays. She can’t ride a bike herself so having the trailer means her and her family can enjoy outings together. We rely heavily on the support of local business sponsorship and donations to keep supporting new beneficiaries so this contribution is very much appreciated.”
Leah Sandford, MEL employee added: “The charity Simon’s Heroes means a lot to our family. My Granddaughter Effie has just turned 2 and was born with H.I.E-Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, which causes many day-to-day difficulties including her mobility. Effie could have received a wheelchair from the NHS but as she is going to be a big sister towards the end of the year the wheelchair needs to be suitable to enable the whole family to get around. Simon’s Heroes have been amazing and are in the process of having a wheelchair made to suit the needs of Effie, but that will also enable the whole family to take trips out together.
I am thrilled that the M6toll has supported this fantastic local charity so close to my heart.”
More information about Simons Heroes can be found here https://simonsheroes.org.uk/
Since the M6toll opened 16 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.
Last year, M6toll’s online scheme saw £20,000 given to ‘charity of the year’ Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects. To find out more or to nominate a local project to receive funding please visit our Drive for Charity page.
To read another article on our Drive for Charity work, Click Here.
Back to newsM6toll improve outdoor area for Tamworth Refuge
As part of the M6toll’s Drive for Charity ‘In the Community’ funding, Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL); operators of the M6toll have provided £1000 to Pathway Project to revitalise their outdoor space in their Tamworth Refuge.
Pathway Project provides services to women and children who suffer domestic abuse supporting them with a range of services including refuge provision, floating support, children’s services, a 24 hour helpline, counselling, group therapy, drop in centre services and training provision. The mission of Pathway Project is to ensure that every adult and child who comes to them seeking support for domestic and sexual abuse is given an opportunity to engage in services that can help them to make the journey from victim to survivor.
Pathway Project want their service users to feel that they can share their experiences and know that they will be listened to, which is why updating their outdoor area is so important as another area for families to sit down, take a break and talk.
Hayley Baxter, CEO said “Pathway Project would like to say a massive thank you to M6toll for their wonderful donation, that will allow us to buy new seating and garden toys for our refuge families to enjoy. With the constant demand on fundraising making new purchases for projects like this often get delayed, but with our families using the space more than ever this couldn’t have come at a better time.
More information about Pathway Project can be found here https://www.pathway-project.co.uk/
Since the M6toll opened 16 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.
Last year, M6toll’s online scheme saw £20,000 given to ‘charity of the year’ Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects. To find out more or to nominate a local project to receive funding please visit our Drive for Charity page.
Check Out Another Blog Post Here.
Back to newsM6toll drive educational change with Midlands Air Ambulance
M6toll drive educational change with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity
Midland Expressway Limited (MEL), operators of the M6toll, has provided funding to Midlands Air Ambulance Charity enabling the organisation to launch the partners’ joint Sky Champs’ Education Programme online for teachers via a learning management system.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity started providing its popular Sky Champs’ education packs virtually, to keep up with the changes to trends in the digital landscape and to help those working from home to occupy their children following school closures. Parents of EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils accessed the packs, meaning their children had activities available to them that were in line with the National Curriculum.
As advancements in the digital sector continue to peak, the charity has gone one step further to provide the school packs on Moodle, an online learning management system, to continue meeting the needs of its key stakeholders including teachers and teaching assistants.
Thanks to a £15,000 grant awarded by M6toll, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is launching the packs virtually, using Moodle. The addition of this new service means the charity’s education and training programmes can now be offered to more Midlands’ schools, to support teachers and teaching assistants.
The packs contain reading, writing and mathematical tasks, and also include three school assembly plans, a safety pack and quizzes, all of which can be used as homework exercises. Each of the modules uses real life examples from Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, meaning the classwork is not only fun, but also educates pupils on the importance of the rapid response, pre-hospital emergency service.
Emma Gray, fundraising and marketing director for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, states: “During the past year, our interaction with local schools significantly increased, with nearly 400 educational institutions engaging with our Sky Champs training programme.
“With the extended support from M6toll and the introduction of online learning management system, Moodle, we can now roll out the education packs, virtually. This means managing the learning resources will be easier and the content more widely accessible for further schools located in our operating patch to support children’s learning and development.”
Andy Cliffe, chief executive at M6toll, adds: We are delighted to be extending our partnership with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity for an additional 12 months, helping them further the Sky Champs initiative. The introduction of an online learning platform will ensure that content is widely available to aid learning and development benefitting many local schools and children.
To find out more about the Sky Champs’ Education Programme, CPR and Bleed Control training or to access the resources on Moodle, visit: www.midlandsairambulance.com/education, and search for the charity on social media.
You Can Read More about our Community Work Here.
Back to newsM6toll provide vital funding to The Myton Hospices
As part of the M6toll’s Drive for Charity ‘In the Community’ funding, Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL); operators of the M6toll have provided £1500 to The Myton Hospices supporting their inpatient units.
Myton has two inpatient units in Warwick and Coventry. Both have teams of nurses, doctors and other health care professionals who specialise in helping patients and their loved ones to manage difficult symptoms, deal with any physical pain and reduce emotional distress. Their inpatient units also provide end of life care. In the year to 31st March 2020, 1,399 people received care at Myton, with 581 admissions to the inpatient unit consultant led beds. Patients in the Inpatient Units usually stay for around 10 days during which they aim to relieve their symptoms and control their pain. About half of them will then be able to go home while the rest will have spent their final days in Myton.
All of the inpatient services are provided free of charge; this includes relatives’ accommodation which is available in each hospice for family members who may not be local and wish to be with a loved one at the end of their life. Charlotte Ingram, Director of Income Generation at Myton, said: “We cannot thank M6toll enough for their support. We have to raise £9.2million this year to continue providing our services to people with life limiting illnesses, and their families, free of charge. Support from businesses like M6toll is invaluable and enables us to be here for people when they need us most, now and in the future”.
Jo Brett, MEL Social Committee Member added: “The services that Myton Hospices provide to the patients in their care is incredible and we are delighted to be able to provide funding to support the In-patient units which are vital to their patients and families”.
More information about The Myton Hospices can be found here www.mytonhospice.org/about-us/.
Since the M6toll opened 16 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.
Last year, M6toll’s online scheme saw £20,000 given to ‘charity of the year’ Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects. To find out more or to nominate a local project to receive funding please visit our Drive for Charity page.
To read another article on our Drive for Charity work, Click Here.
Back to newsM6toll support Caudwell Children with vital funding
As part of the M6toll’s Drive for Charity ‘In the Community’ funding, Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL); operators of the M6toll have provided £1,500 to Caudwell Children to assist with supporting disabled children in urgent need of emotional and practical support during this challenging COVID-19 period.
Caudwell Children transforms the lives of disabled children across the UK acting as a safety net for families who are unable to gain the help they need. Founded in March 2000, Caudwell Children aims to change the futures of all disabled children providing access to the services, equipment, therapies and treatments they need. With an estimated 800,000 disabled children in the UK, many disabled children and their families are feeling isolated during this current period of national disruption and uncertainty.
The increased burden placed on the NHS and social services by the coronavirus outbreak means that many services for disabled children will be adversely impacted for the foreseeable future, so they need Caudwell Children’s help more than ever. Caudwell Children is supporting disabled children and families through the crisis with a short breaks service via video call, access to legal advice, home activity packs and a live chat service.
Paul Deakin, Partnerships Manager at Caudwell Children said: “Everyone at Caudwell Children was thrilled to hear that we’d been awarded £1,500 from the M6toll’s Drive for Charity scheme.
This money is vital, as it will help support disabled children in urgent need of emotional and practical support during this challenging COVID19 period. Our thanks go out to everyone at Midland Expressway for kindly supporting our children and families!”
Jo Brett, MEL Social Committee Member added: “We are so proud to be able to support this amazing charity who assist disabled children, ensuring they gain access to vital services and care. We hope our funding will support the charity during these challenging times ensuring disabled children receive the emotional and practical support they require”.
More information about Caudwell Children can be found here
Since the M6toll opened 16 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.
To find out more about the Drive for Charity campaign or to nominate a local project to
receive funding please click here
Discover More of our Drive for Charity Work Here.
Back to newsM6toll announce plans for the future of Charity campaign
M6toll announce plans for the future of their Drive for Charity campaign
Britain’s only privately funded motorway has today announced that they will be continuing with their successful campaign to support a wide range of community projects, charities and voluntary organisations across the Midlands.
Unfortunately, with the outbreak of Covid-19, Midland Expressway Limited (MEL), operators of the M6toll, reluctantly made the decision to postpone the launch of their main Charity Partner scheme, which was due to see their online competition go live in March.
Andy Cliffe, chief executive of M6toll, said: “During these unprecedented and uncertain times, we took the decision to explore our options with our current Charity Partner until we are in a position to effectively communicate the scheme with other charities. We are delighted to announce that we will be extending our partnership with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity for an additional 12 months, helping them further the Sky Champs initiative, benefitting local schools.”
MEL will be continuing their support of the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC) with a further donation of £15,000 through their Drive for Charity Scheme, partnering the existing Sky Champs educational campaign which offers engaging activities for Early Years and Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils designed in line with the national curriculum. The Sky Champs educational packs have become an invaluable resource for many families over the past few months with over 220 packs being distributed to aide those who have been home schooling.
As part of their on-going Drive for Charity campaign, MEL will continue to run with the current In the Community and On the Road schemes. Andy added: “In recent months we have seen an increase in appeals for help from local smaller charities and organisations who are struggling to cope with the effects of C-19 them being unable to carry out their usual fundraising activities and are having to respond to an increased need for their services.
MEL’s commitment to the welfare of our local community doesn’t end when people drive through the toll booths. They care about the towns and villages surrounding the motorway and their Drive For Charity campaign is designed to support them.
Throughout the year around £33,000 will be distributed through the scheme, with a further £3,000 set aside for charity appeals suggested by M6toll staff.
Nominations for monthly Drive For Charity in the Community funding can be made here.
You Can Read More about our Community Work Here.
Back to newsSupporting Ambulance Staff Charity Covid-19 Response Fund
M6toll support The Ambulance Staff Charity Covid-19 Response Fund
As part of the M6toll’s Drive for Charity ‘In the Community’ funding, Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL); operators of the M6toll have provided £1000 to The Ambulance Staff Charity supporting their recently established Covid-19 Response Fund.
The Ambulance Staff Charity established the Fund to support ambulance service personnel during these unprecedented times. They wish to raise funds that will be used to continue to deliver high quality support in strained circumstances, helping to minimise anxiety and ensure the health and well-being of serving ambulance staff at this time of crisis.
Ambulance staff who dedicate their lives to supporting and saving others are themselves in need of support during this challenging time, so that they can continue to help the most vulnerable people in society. By donating to this Fund, MEL will be providing emergency funds to help the Ambulance Services across the UK who are striving to cope with the demands of fighting this pandemic. The support provided includes Mental Health support -psychological support for ambulance staff struggling with stress related illness or struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Counselling; Physical rehabilitation for ambulance staff injured in the line of duty; Welfare support/Debt Advice and financial grants and most sadly because its needed bereavement support for the families that are left behind when a loved one passes away.
Jasmin Rana, Director of Income Generation and Supporter Engagement at TASC said “We would like to thank everyone at M6toll Drive for Charity for awarding TASC, The Ambulance Staff Charity £1,000 through their community scheme. These vital funds will support Ambulance Service Personnel during these unprecedented times with mental health, counselling and welfare support, when they need it most. At this challenging time for us all, we’re determined to do everything we can to help our remarkable ambulance staff leading the fight on the front line, so that they can continue to help the most vulnerable people in society.”
Jo Brett, MEL Social Committee Member added: “During these extraordinary times it is so important that we come together to support local charities who are providing such a vital service, especially those key workers in our communities who are working tirelessly to keep us all safe and well. We are so proud to support the Ambulance Staff Charity and the amazing work they do for us all.”
More information about The Ambulance Staff Charity can be found here https://www.theasc.org.uk/what-we-do/
Since the M6toll opened 16 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1 million to local good causes, including Acorns Children Hospice.
Last year, M6toll’s online scheme saw £20,000 given to ‘charity of the year’ Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects. To find out more or to nominate a local project to receive funding please visit www.m6toll.co.uk/about-us/drive-for-charity/
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