Agents Do Charity - charitable goals

Welcome to this week’s Agents Do Charity, our chance to salute those who do so much to help others.

If your agency is doing a little charitable something which we should bring to the attention of the industry, please email press@estateagenttoday.co.uk - and we’ll do the rest! 

Michael Day: Industry figure Michael Day of Integra Property Services will be taking part in the one million step challenge for Diabetes UK again this year during the months of July, August and September.

The challenge involves walking one million steps and requires an average of 10,870 steps every day for the ninety-two days involved and will result in around 500 miles being covered during that time.
Michael, who has been a type one diabetic for more than 35 years, was motivated to take part both as a personal challenge, a plan to get fitter and, crucially, to raise awareness and money to support Diabetes UK and the work it undertakes helping the near 5m people in the UK who have diabetes.

In 2023, Michael successfully completed the challenge and raised £3,500 with support from family and friends both within the property industry and elsewhere.

He said: “I am excited to undertake the one million step challenge again in 2024 and would like to thank all those that supported my efforts both through their encouragement and financial donations last year. I hope that many of these supporters will feel able to do so again this year.

Day said: “I’ve also signed up for the ten-mile London Bridges walk on September 29th in aid of Diabetes UK.

“Last year I did the London Bridges walk and reached the one million step milestone as I crossed the Millenium Bridge.”

Find out more and donate: https://step.diabetes.org.uk/fundraising/michael1249
 

Manning Stainton: Leeds Dads, the voluntary organisation that brings together dads for social interaction and support, has been able to continue its programme of Leeds-based sessions thanks to funding from estate agent, Manning Stainton.

The Leeds-based group, which has been running for 12 years, was going to have to cancel its regular sessions, as it had run out of funding, but Manning Stainton has stepped and donated £600.

This donation will enable Leeds Dads’ to continue to run its monthly breakfast club at Chapeltown Nursery and its twice monthly soft play group in Beeston for a further three months.

The sessions are attended by over 100 dads and children each month, and they are the only dad-focused events that run in the city, providing a valuable space where dads with young kids can socialise and support each other. All are free to attend, to ensure that anyone can join, no matter what their financial situation.

Speaking about the donation, Alex Wilson, committee chair at Leeds Dads, said: “The groups we run are really valued by the dads that attend, with many saying they’re a social highlight and provide them with a vital support network where they can open up and talk freely about parenthood and life.”

“We put a donation bucket by the door, but have never charged set fees to attend our groups, as we want them to be fully inclusive. This has always worked, but rising costs and less grants and donations coming in than normal resulted in us running out of funds and we had to cancel all our sessions from September onwards.

“When Manning Stainton heard about this, they jumped in and offered to cover the costs of running the sessions for three months, so we can continue providing a safe space for dads and their children to socialise and support each other.”

Mark Manning, managing director at Manning Stainton, added: “The team that run Leeds Dads have created a thriving community of dads with young kids, and the sessions they host give local dads the chance to socialise and talk openly about fatherhood and all the challenges and joys that come with it.

“They provide a brilliant service for men and young children, and we’re delighted that our donation will keep their much-loved sessions going.”