The Mayor of Barnsley, Cllr James Michael Stowe, is delighted to announce that he has raised a staggering £20,730.32 for his chosen charities - Barnsley Blind and Partially Sighted Association (BBPSA), and Barnsley Hospice, during his mayoral year.
The phenomenal amount raised has been split equally between the two local charities which the mayor personally chose at the beginning of his term. Representatives from the two charities were invited to the mayor’s parlour this week to be presented with their cheques for £10, 365.16 each. The total amount raised included a payment made direct to each charity from proceeds raised at the Mayor’s Charity Golf Day, which was hosted by Wates, along with match funding from the Wates Family Enterprise Trust.
Throughout the year, the mayor organised and hosted a number of fund-raising events which were a great success. Perhaps most notable was the mayor’s 23 mile charity walk which turned into a 26 mile hike across the borough. This was followed by the Mayor’s Charity Ball, Golf Day and a number of fabulous karaoke and social events. In addition to these large events, generous donations were made through the year from colleagues, councillors, and members of the public.
Here, the Mayor of Barnsley expresses his personal thanks: “As my term as mayor comes to a close, I am absolutely over the moon to be able to hand over a cheque for over £10,000 to each of my chosen charities. I never in my wildest dreams expected to raise so much.
“I am honoured to have had the opportunity to raise money for these charities which has been such a joint effort between colleagues, partners, and residents. There are so many people to thank, I couldn’t possibly name them all. But to every single person who has, in some way, contributed towards my fundraising efforts, whether that be buying a raffle ticket, supporting the charity walk or simply donating, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. At the start of my mayoral year, I said I hoped I could do my charities proud and together we’ve done just that.
“As well as raising much needed funds, my fundraising events have been a pleasure to organise and host. They’ve brought people together, broken down barriers and urged people to step out their comfort zone – whether that be walking 26 miles or taking to the microphone for karaoke.
“A final word from me – to the people of Barnsley, I thank you for digging deep and supporting these amazing charities and all the invaluable work they do.”
The Chair of BBPSA, Rebecca Green, said: "The BBPSA would like to express sincere thanks. It was a privilege and an honour to be selected as a charity of the year. And we would also like to congratulate the mayor and his team on their stellar fundraising efforts, they are all amazing."
Martine Tune, CEO and Chief Nurse at Barnsley Hospice, said: “We are delighted that the Mayor and Mayoress have generated so much money for both chosen charities throughout the term of office. The amount raised is testament to their passionate support and hard work.
“Barnsley Hospice only receives a third of its funding from the government (via the NHS), which means we rely mostly on fundraising and charitable donations to fund our essential services. This will help us continue providing crucial specialist palliative and end of life care for the people of Barnsley, and we cannot thank the Mayor and Mayoress and everyone involved enough.”
Keep an eye out for the new Mayor’s Charities which will be announced next week at the 2024-25 Mayor Making Ceremony.
