Stockton Mayor Raises Record £46K for Two Charities

When Councillor Stephen Richardson became Mayor of Stockton, he set out to make a difference. By the end of his year in office, he'd raised £46,108 for local charities through parmo nights, salsa dancing, and community walks.

Two organizations received the bulk of the record-breaking donation. Butterwick Hospice and the Moses Project each got £20,055, with one contribution doubled through the Big Give matching program.

At Butterwick Hospice, the money couldn't come at a better time. Director of care Allana Massingham explained that hospices across the UK are facing serious financial challenges right now.

"To have a donation such as this helps us maintain and develop our services even further," she said. The hospice reopened its adult inpatient unit in 2023 with eight beds, maintaining a higher staff-to-patient ratio than most facilities can afford.

The Moses Project serves a different but equally vital mission. For 15 years, husband and wife founders Brian and Stella Jones have run what they call "a drop-in with a difference" for men struggling with addiction.

The numbers tell an incredible story. The project has sent over 700 men to rehab, helped more than 650 men off the streets, and served over 200,000 hot meals with just nine staff members and 16 volunteers.

The Ripple Effect

Neil Ivin came to the Moses Project two years ago during traumatic times. "The place is amazing," he said simply.

Kevin Lewis, 59, credits the program with turning his life around. "I was knocking about with the wrong crowd, getting into drugs and drink. Since I've been coming here I've felt a lot better and kept out of trouble."

Jim Purdie arrived after a family bereavement and now has his own flat, partly thanks to project support. "I'm going in the right direction, but if I didn't have this, I don't know," he said.

The donation will help the Moses Project pursue new housing for clients and expand support for homeless women. Volunteer Michaela Garvey explained the immediate impact: more tents, sleeping bags, and daily meals for men who often go all weekend without food.

Trustee Laurence Waters sees the best success stories when clients disappear from the program. "They get jobs, get married and move on," he said.

Sometimes the most powerful change happens when one person decides to care enough to throw a fundraising ball.