Mander Centre in the Community
2006 has been a very successful year for the Mander Centre supporting and raising much needed funds for several charitable bodies. The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, PRUPIM’s (owners of the Mander Centre), Charity Partnership for this year has benedited through events held within the Cnetre. The Mander Centre has also been responsible for increasing awareness for local Charity Follow Your Dreams as well as the MacMillan Trust.
The Centre staged two main events this year to support the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. August saw the Centre transformed from a modern shopping mall to Ancient Greece and Ceasar and his loyal subjects took over the Centre for a day!! In the true spirit of the day Centre Manager, Graham Evans and his team lead the way in togas and laurel leaf head gear whilst store managers, shop assistants and local people donned bed sheets and wandered around the Centre raising money for the worthy cause.
Then in September, intrepid explorers Pete Sutton, Graham Walker and Steve Wilcock squeezed into wet suits and took to the underworld of sea weed, shipwrecks and SHARKS!! as they risked life and limb to dive with the most feared fish of the sea all in the name of charity. Thankfully, the biggest nip they received was that of the zip on their wetsuits which reportedly pinched around the neck! The water babies raised nearly £1000 for the charity which was added to the £26,000 pot which had been raised collectively by PRUPIM’s Centres all over the country during 2006.
Other events staged at the Centre have included a Coffee Morning in aid of MacMillan Cancer Trust and inviting Follow Your Dreams to set up their own stall selling goods made by special educational needs students in the area. Follow Your Dreams were joined during the week by Guest of Honour and Patron of the charity Greg Silvester