Unsung local heroes could land a share of £100k Pride of Britain fund

Local heroes could land up to £2,500 to help them boost their communities, thanks to a new fund set up to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards.

Grants of £2,500, £1,000 and £500 are all available as part of the Pride of Britain Fund’s £100,000 giveaway for good causes, and you can nominate the people or groups who you think should receive it.

It could be someone who devotes their time to make sure older people have companionship and a warm meal, or an unsung hero who spruces up the high street with flowers.

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It may also be a sports club, where volunteers give kids a safe space to play, or a youth group putting people on the path to a brighter future.

One such charity which goes the extra mile to make Manchester a better place to live is Mustard Tree, which is dedicated to putting the principle of ‘love thy neighbour’ into action. Founded 30 years ago and set up on Christian principles, the charity still upholds the value of caring for those in the community facing economic hardship.

What started as one man, founder Dave Smith, giving out food and clothes to homeless people on the streets evolved into a charity which supports people to try and break the cycle of homelessness. Mustard Tree does this by helping to furnish the homes of individuals starting tenancies after a period of homelessness, but also by providing training and volunteering opportunities to try and create a route out of poverty.

Mustard Tree’s CEO Jo Walby said: “People who were in a lot of need and deprivation have had their pride and faith restored because they’re now helping us run the charity. If you need to increase your income you can come to us for food or clothing but we will also work on longer term issues around debt management and also train you in things like cooking, barista skills, volunteering. It’s the principle of ‘if you give a man a fish he eats for a day but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime.”

Recently, the charity has seen the impact of the cost of living crisis in terms of the demographic of people now using the service. Jo said: “When I first joined the charity in 2017, we had people coming in who had a relationship breakdown or were stuck in a cycle of addiction and living in their cars, or people leaving prison with no home to go back to - traditional reasons for homelessness or poverty. But before Covid the biggest demographic using our food club was pensioners. Then the cost of living crisis has meant we now have people in NHS and supermarket uniforms coming in but to access help.”

Mustard Tree runs a ‘community shop’ model, which means anyone who is in need can simply walk into one of their premises in Manchester or Salford and get help from the reception staff and support team on site.

Running as a true community operation, Mustard Tree’s work is made possible through the generous donations of local people, which are used in directly helping people living across Greater Manchester.

And Mustard Tree is just one of the countless incredible initiatives across Manchester that’s striving to improve the lives of people in our communities.

Charities like this are the perfect example of deserving recipients that could be nominated for the Pride of Britain Fund.

The £100,000 giveaway is part of celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, which are screened on ITV1 later in the autumn.

The fund, a charity that aims to spread the Pride of Britain spirit, was set up to help charities and community organisations across the UK.

It has already given grants to more than 100 groups, including Manchester youth charity N-Gage, which was founded by Christie Spurling, and has helped to transform thousands of young lives.

A £30,000 grant from the Pride of Britain Fund helped his charity buy a mobile youth club to engage with young people in the places they hang out. The converted 25-seater bus is kitted out with games consoles, tablets and music technology.

When Carol Vorderman announced the grant, Christie said: “It’s amazing. Thank you so much. I am literally speechless. It will make a massive difference.”

Grants of £500, £1,000 or £2,500 are available, and you can apply for help with work you are doing, or you can nominate someone you know about to receive funding.

The Pride of Britain team will create a shortlist, but the final decision will rest with local communities all over the country, so you will be able to vote on who gets the funding in your area.

To apply, scan the QR code and complete the online form or go to reachforms.co.uk/POB to access the form.