Lichfield school celebrates cookery cash boost

A local special needs school is set to offer cookery lessons to its pupils after being backed with a £1,500 donation from the M6toll.

Rocklands Special Needs School, based in Lichfield, has been selected as one of M6toll’s monthly Drive for Charity in the Community campaign winners.

The fund aims to support community groups and projects across the Midlands as part of a £45,000 initiative.

The school provides enrichment opportunities for 14 children who have complex medical and special educational needs.

The donation will finance the cooking element of a ‘Dare to Dream’ topic, enabling equipment and ingredients to be purchased to allow the children to learn valuable cooking skills. The topic provides a balanced curriculum along with opportunities for enrichment.

The remainder of the funding will be used to pay for A Disney Themed Dining Experience during a visit to Disney Land Paris in December.

Claire Dryhurt, the Flamingo class teacher, said: “I have planned activities around the children’s favourite Disney films, and these encompass things they hope to experience.

“The cooking element of our topic will teach the children how to cook and link to the Disney film, Ratatouille. As part of our wow enrichment moment, we plan to provide a dining experience for parents, carers and VIP’s.

“The funding will help to provide unique opportunities for the children in my class to experience. We are delighted that M6toll have chosen to make our dreams come true.”

Since the M6toll opened 15 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.

Maxine Estevez of M6toll, said: “We are delighted to support Rocklands Special Needs School. We hope that the donation will offer an educational experience which the children will not forget.

“Our Drive for Charity scheme is all about supporting the towns and villages surrounding the toll road, so we are pleased to have been able to make this contribution.”

This 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 visit Drive for Charity.

You Can Read Another Drive for Charity Article Here.

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Toll road confirms continued support for Ride to the Wall

The M6toll has confirmed it will again open its toll barriers free of charge for motorcyclists heading to this year’s Ride To The Wall event.

More than 2,000 bikers are expected to stream through the booths on their way to the National Memorial Arboretum on Saturday 5 October.

The annual charity event attracts bikers from across the UK and overseas, all riding to the Armed Forces Memorial to pay their respects to serving and fallen service men and women and raise funds for the Arboretum.

James Hodson, Director of Motorway Operations at M6toll, said: “This is the twelfth Ride to the Wall, and we are proud to have supported the event every year.

“Once again, we are honoured to provide free passage to the participating riders travelling with the official groups on their inbound journey to the National Memorial Arboretum, enabling them to save more than £6,000 of toll costs.”

Motorcyclists will set off from eleven different starting points across the Midlands, assembling at the 150-acre site for an act of remembrance.

More than 3,000 registered bikes are expected to travel in official groups, accompanied by volunteer marshals, along the M6toll and through T5 (Shenstone) and T6 (Burntwood) plazas between 10am and 11am.

All lanes at both plazas will show a green arrow to allow the Ride to the Wall participants to flow freely through. The event organisers request that riders do not exit at T4 (Weeford) to avoid congestion at the traffic lights.

Martin Dickinson, founder of Ride to the Wall, added: “Last year’s event raised £151,000 for the Arboretum, so we are grateful for the support of M6toll in making this route affordable for all the bikers taking part.

“We have more than 4,000 riders registered for this year’s event and a team of volunteer marshals on hand to ensure a smooth and successful Ride to the Wall 2019.

“The route for riders using the M6toll has changed slightly this year, to prevent delays at Weeford, so we are asking all participants to familiarise themselves with the new routes and follow instructions from our marshals to ensure everyone arrives on time and safely.”

Anyone interested in supporting the Ride to the Wall charity can find out more here.

Sarah Oakden, Head of Marketing at the National Memorial Arboretum, said: “Ride to the Wall is a unique commemorative event and we are continually grateful to its many participants for their support for the Arboretum. As a registered charity we rely on the generosity of the public to ensure we can remain a free to enter site.

“Putting on the event each year requires a huge logistical effort and we’re delighted that M6toll are once again assisting by waiving tolls for registered participants as they travel to pay their respects and raise funds to support our site.”

The National Memorial Arboretum is part of The Royal British Legion, and home to more than 380 memorials, including the Armed Forces Memorial. For more information visit.

The M6toll runs for 27 miles, from Junction 3a on the M6 all the way round the North East of the West Midlands, re-joining the M6 at Junction 11a. The road has an exemplary safety record and is equipped with emergency telephones, 24-hour CCTV monitoring and mobile Incident Support Units.

Details of community and charity support work undertaken by M6toll under its Drive For Charity programme can be found here.

You Can Read Another Drive for Charity Article Here.

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M6toll backs Birmingham breast cancer charity

A Birmingham-based charity dedicated to supporting people affected by breast cancer from across the West Midlands, has received £1,500 donation from M6toll to fund a book for children.

Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer (LFBC) Charitable Trust was selected as one of the M6toll’s monthly winners for its Drive for Charity in the Community campaign. The M6toll charity fund aims to support community groups and projects across the Midlands as part of a £45,000 initiative.

LFBC will use the money to print and promote a children’s book entitled ‘Goodbye to Cansie Cancer’. The book, commissioned by LFBC and written by children’s author Joan Blaney CBE, Hon DEd, has been designed to help mothers diagnosed with Breast Cancer explain the disease and its effects to their children in a non-frightening, yet factual way.

Breast Cancer survivor Ann McNaughton, from LFBC, said: “I am delighted that LFBC will be receiving the money for what is such a wonderful project. As a mother and recovered breast cancer patient, I have personally received tremendous support over the years from LFBC, which has helped me through some extremely difficult and challenging times. The charity provides a broad range of support from real hair wigs and specialist bras through to a support group and choir.

“This little book will help free children of any blame they may feel as it explains how cancer happens, its harmful effects and how it can be treated. We want to make it available to newly-diagnosed mothers in local hospitals, clinics and health establishments. We also want to sell it to raise much-needed funds to enable LFBC to continue its critical charitable work.”

Since the M6toll opened 15 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes. This year, its online scheme will donate £20,000 to one ‘charity of the year’, with dozens of smaller awards made to community projects.

Maxine Estevez, from M6toll, said: “When our charity committee heard about the amazing work that LFBC Charitable Trust does and its latest book project, we were delighted to grant the donation. Diagnosis of cancer is devastating news for a family and the treatment that follows, which often results in emotional and physical changes, can be a daunting experience for children. This book is a fantastic resource and we’re proud to support it.”

In total, £43,000 will be distributed through the scheme, with a further £2,000 set aside for charity appeals suggested by M6toll staff.

The M6toll runs for 27 miles, from Junction 3a on the M6 all the way round the North East of the West Midlands, re-joining the M6 at Junction 11a. The road has an exemplary safety record and is equipped with emergency telephones, 24-hour control room and mobile Incident Support Units.

Read another article about Our Community Work Here.

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Midlands Air Ambulance Charity wins £20k prize

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity has scooped £20,000 to fund its Sky Champs Education Programme thanks to an online public vote.

The lifesaving organisation polled the highest support from people across the region to be named M6toll’s Drive for Charity Partner 2019-20, with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust securing £8,000 as runner-up.

The funding initiative is part of the motorway’s £45,000 scheme to support a wide range of community projects, charities and voluntary organisations across the Midlands.

M6toll chief executive Andy Cliffe said: “Since the M6toll opened 15 years ago, we have donated more than £1million to regional good causes.

“We are delighted that the public got behind Midlands Air Ambulance Charity to vote them as our Drive for Charity Partner and we look forward to working alongside them over the next 12 months.”

The Sky Champs Education Programme offers engaging activities for Early Years and Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils through a series of free, downloadable resources.

Emma Gray, fundraising and marketing director for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “The M6toll has been a committed and supportive partner to the charity for 15 years, and we are truly grateful to them, and to everyone who voted for us, for the opportunity to further develop our Sky Champs Education Programme.

“Sky Champs has proven to be a vital tool in supporting young children’s education, bringing lessons to life with real examples from Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. As it is National Curriculum-based, lesson planning is simple, and classwork is both fun and engaging. Thanks to the support from M6toll, we will be expanding the programme to enable us to reach more schools within the six counties we cover.”

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust will use its £8,000 runner-up prize to fund a series of community engagement sessions, encouraging children and families to spend more time outdoors.

Shelley Pattison, senior community engagement officer (Tamworth) for Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, said: “We were thrilled to hear we had been shortlisted alongside so many other fantastic causes, so to win the runner-up prize has given us a great deal of pride.

“As part of our Wild About Tamworth project, we will use this money to create sessions for people of all ages in Tamworth to get them outdoors, be more connected with nature and to improve physical and mental health.

“The Wild About Tamworth project is now in its 15th year and has been supporting communities to look after their local green spaces since it launched. This funding will allow us to expand our engagement level in the area and we’re really excited about it.”

In addition to its charity of the year, M6toll also offers a monthly cash fund of up to £1,500 for local schools, sports clubs or voluntary groups through its Drive for Charity in the Community scheme. Applications can be made at 142.93.39.117/about-us/drive-for-charity

Andy Cliffe added: “We look forward to supporting many more local groups to make a positive difference along the route of the M6toll.”

The M6toll runs for 27 miles, from Junction 3a on the M6 all the way round the North East of the West Midlands, re-joining the M6 at Junction 11a. The road has an exemplary safety record and is equipped with emergency telephones, 24-hour control room and mobile Incident Support Units.

Read Another Article on our Drive for Charity Work Here.

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Midlands charity steaming ahead after cash boost

A charity that is working to open the disused South Staffordshire railway as a leisure greenway has received £1,500 donation from M6toll.

Back the Track, a group of 12 volunteers, was selected as one of the M6toll’s monthly winners for its Drive for Charity in the Community campaign.

The fund aims to support community groups and projects across the Midlands as part of a £45,000 initiative.

The charity is actively working to open the disused South Staffordshire railway between Walsall and Lichfield as a leisure greenway, providing a range of benefits to the local community. It will use the donation to fund a container to house maintenance equipment

Mick Roseblade, from the charity, said: “We are a group of twelve, mostly retired, individuals who meet on workdays to remove litter, manage trees, improve pathways on the disused railway. We have currently hired diggers to provide improved drainage and are also working to introduce new access points to Chasewater and the Wyrley/Essington canal towpaths.

“We are delighted to have received this funding, which will purchase a new container to house tools necessary for the provision and long-term maintenance of the greenway.

“By providing new walkways and cycle paths, introducing flora and fauna, benches, improved access, and encouraging wildlife, we are hoping it will get people outdoors.

“We are inviting walking clubs, cyclists, dog walkers and the general public to increasingly use this traffic free greenway – providing health benefits to all users.”

Since the M6toll opened 15 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.

This year, its online scheme will see £20,000 given to one ‘charity of the year’, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects.

Andy Cliffe, chief executive of M6toll, said: “We are proud to be supporting Back the Track and what is a fantastic facility for the community. It’s lovely to hear about the volunteers who take the time to preserve, maintain and enhance this space.

“We care about the towns and villages surrounding the toll road and our Drive For Charity scheme is designed to support them.”

In total, £43,000 will be distributed through the scheme, with a further £2,000 set aside for charity appeals suggested by M6toll staff.

The M6toll runs for 27 miles, from Junction 3a on the M6 all the way round the North East of the West Midlands, re-joining the M6 at Junction 11a. The road has an exemplary safety record and is equipped with emergency telephones, 24-hour control room and mobile Incident Support Units.

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Burntwood Football Club Nets Cash Boost

A grassroots football club in Burntwood has received £1,500 donation from M6toll to fund security improvements at its ground.

Burntwood Dragons and Phoenix football club was selected as one of the M6toll’s monthly winners for its Drive for Charity in the Community campaign.

The charity fund aims to support community groups and projects across the Midlands as part of a £45,000 initiative.

Burntwood Dragons and Phoenix football club has more than 500 members, with 27 teams, comprising boys and girls aged 4-years upwards. The club will use the money for repairs following vandalism, and the installation of a new CCTV security system.

Alison Mayne, from the club, said: “Unfortunately our club has been victim to vandalism, with damage to signage, gates and locks and it’s really disheartening for the players, coaches and volunteers.

“This funding couldn’t have come at a better time as we can now make the repairs and put the necessary provisions in place to avoid this happening in the future. We’re extremely grateful to the team at M6toll for its support.”

Since the M6toll opened 15 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.

This year, its online scheme will see £20,000 given to one ‘charity of the year’, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects.

Maxine Estevez, from M6toll, said: “Grassroot football clubs like Burntwood Dragons and Phoenix always play such a huge part in local communities. It’s lovely to hear about the volunteers who coach and develop these children who are so passionate about the sport and their club.

“Our commitment to the welfare of our local community doesn’t end when people drive through the toll booths. We care about the towns and villages surrounding the motorway and our Drive For Charity scheme is designed to support them.”

In total, £43,000 will be distributed through the scheme, with a further £2,000 set aside for charity appeals suggested by M6toll staff.

The M6toll runs for 27 miles, from Junction 3a on the M6 all the way round the North East of the West Midlands, re-joining the M6 at Junction 11a. The road has an exemplary safety record and is equipped with emergency telephones, 24-hour control room and mobile Incident Support Units.

Discover more of the Great Work Funded By Drive For Charity Here.

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Community fund boost for sensory garden

A recreational charity for people with special and additional needs has received a £1,500 cash boost to improve a sensory garden.

SNAP (Special Needs Adventure Playground) in Cannock was selected as the M6toll’s first Drive for Charity in the Community winner.

The charity fund aims to support community groups and projects across the Midlands as part of a £45,000 initiative.

Samantha Scrimshaw, Life Skills worker at SNAP, said: “We provide indoor and outdoor activity sessions for both adults and children with special needs.

“Our playground has lots of equipment to improve gross motor skills, such as climbing frames, but the facilities to stimulate the senses of our visitors need some improvement. We aim to purchase wind chimes, water play and sensory plants to help them to understand their emotions and develop sensory processing, supporting their social interaction and communications skills.

“We are so grateful to M6toll for this fantastic donation, which will make a huge difference to the project.”

The Pye Green Road facility provides a wide range of activities to support people with special needs and their families, from autism-friendly hairdressing and Makaton, to messy play and Lego sessions.

Since the M6toll opened 15 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.

This year, an online scheme will see £20,000 given to one ‘charity of the year’, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects.

Andy Cliffe, chief executive of M6toll, said: “Our commitment to the welfare of our local community doesn’t end when people drive through the toll booths. We care about the towns and villages surrounding the motorway and our Drive For Charity scheme is designed to support them.

“A monthly cash fund of up to £1,500 is available for charities, schools, sports clubs or voluntary organisations helping to enhance the lives of local people.”

In total, £43,000 will be distributed through the scheme, with a further £2,000 set aside for charity appeals suggested by M6toll staff.

Organisations can apply for a funding boost of up to £1,500, with the M6toll Drive for Charity Committee keen to help those smaller causes that might not otherwise attract financial aid.

Details of community and charity support work undertaken by M6toll under its Drive For Charity programme can be found at here.

To read another article on our Drive for Charity work, Click Here.

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Ronald McDonald House Birmingham

Ronald McDonald House Charities UK launches new family room funded by M6toll

Ronald McDonald House Charities UK has launched a brand-new family room at its Birmingham House for families of hospitalised children, thanks to a £20,000 donation from M6toll.

M6toll donated £20,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities UK through its Drive for Charity campaign, which over the last 15 years has donated more than £1 million to good causes across the region. The funding has enabled the charity to design a new recreational room in their Birmingham House, which is to be known as the ‘teenage lounge’, dedicated to sick children’s siblings who are staying in the House.

The charity provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation for families with children in hospital. They currently run 12 Houses across the UK including a 66 bedroom House in Birmingham. Over the last ten years the Birmingham House has housed more than 7,000 families, whose children are based in Birmingham Children’s hospital.

The launch event welcomed representatives from M6toll, families staying in the House and VIPs, including Anita Bhalla OBE and the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Birmingham, to the launch of its new teenage lounge.

Andy Cliffe, chief executive at M6toll said: “It is vital that businesses engage and support local communities and it is a real pleasure and honour for us to be able to fund this room. It is a fabulous charity and we hope the new facility can be used by many families for many years to come.”

Natalie Wood, corporate fundraiser at Ronald McDonald House Charities UK, said: “We’re delighted to open our new teenage lounge, which has kindly been refurnished thanks to a grant from M6toll.
“As an independent charity, we rely on generous donations from local communities and businesses. For us to have a partnership with a company like M6toll has been amazing, especially as we hope it will help alleviate some of the anxiety associated with having a seriously ill sister or brother in hospital”

Olivia Saxelby, a parent who is currently staying in Ronald McDonald House Birmingham, said: “The new room is incredible and will provide the perfect space for siblings and parents to relax and take a moment to step away from the stresses of hospital life.”

In total, £43,000 will be distributed through the company’s Drive for Charity Partner scheme this year, with additional monthly donations of up to £1,500 continuing throughout the year through the Drive for Charity in the Community scheme.

Details of community and charity support work undertaken by M6toll under its Drive for Charity programme can be found at 142.93.39.117

Alternatively, you can read another Drive for Charity Article Here to discover more about our campaign.

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Motorway Support for Birmingham Hospice

A Birmingham charity has received support from the M6toll to maintain its infection control procedures.

Funds from the motorway’s Drive for Charity scheme were used by Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice to purchase ten new hands-free silent closing bins, which will be placed in patient rooms at the Hospice in Selly Park.

Pamela Hodgetts, corporate partnerships officer at Birmingham St Mary’s, explained: “At Birmingham St Mary’s, we help people and their loved ones to live well when they’ve been diagnosed with an incurable illness, by providing our expert care in people’s homes, in the community and at the Hospice itself. That’s why we’d like to say a really big thank you to the M6toll for this thoughtful donation – the bins will help prevent  the spread of infection at our Inpatient Unit at the Hospice, helping to boost patient safety and wellbeing.

“On any given day, the Hospice is caring for 400 people living across Birmingham and Sandwell. Providing them with the care and support they need costs more than £8million a year, so help purchasing essential supplies like this is vital.”

Information about the work of Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice can be found at www.birminghamhospice.org.uk.

Since the M6toll opened 15 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.

This year, an online scheme will see £20,000 given to one ‘charity of the year’, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects.

Maxine Estevez from M6toll, added: “Hospices provide an invaluable service to our local communities. We learned that their old bins were no longer suitable, one reason being they were not soft closing. It had never occurred to us how distressing noisy slamming bins could be to patients, so we are pleased to be able to help resolve this.”

Details of community and charity support work undertaken by M6toll under its Drive For Charity programme can be found here.

Read Another Article on our Drive for Charity Work Here.

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