James Bond actor Daniel Craig has donated £10,000 to three Northern dads who began a 300-mile trek in the name of charity this past weekend.
Andy Airey, Mike Palmer, and Tim Owen – known as ‘3 Dads Walking’ – set off on their 15-day trek on Saturday 9 October and began to walk a total of 300-miles between their homes in Greater Manchester, Cumbria, and Norfolk.
The trio are raising funds for youth suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS.
After each of their teenage daughters took their own lives, the dads – including Mike Palmer from Sale in Trafford, began talking about what they could do to prevent other families from going through the same heartbreak that they suffered, and so they set on the idea of walking from each of their homes in a bid to raise awareness.
They set up a JustGiving page in aid of PAPYRUS – which provides support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person – and decided upon a fundraising target of just £30,000.
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But after just two days since the trek began, they have already smashed that target by a whopping 788%.
They have raised a total of £236,671 – and the figure is still climbing by the minute.
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The impressive fundraising sum has not only been assisted by coverage on a number of local and national news and media coverage, but was also given a helping hand when Chester-born actor Daniel Craig – of course, most known for the role of James Bond – donated £10,000 to the worthy cause.
“Daniel Craig has clearly been very moved by the indescribable pain which the three dads and their families continue to suffer following the tragic loss of their daughters to suicide,” a spokesperson for PAPYRUS said of Craig’s donation.
“His generosity and the kind donations from many others will help Andy, Mike and Tim to bring something positive out of the utter devastation of losing a child to suicide and enable PAPYRUS to continue giving hope to young people who are struggling with life.”
Mr Palmer – from Sale, whose daughter Beth died in 2020 – said that being part of the challenge was “not a club I want to belong to, but [it gives us] an opportunity to fight back and maybe make a difference.
“We hope that by linking our three homes and telling our three daughters’ very different stories, we will put a spotlight on young mental health.”
You can donate to Andy, Mike, and Tim’s trek via the JustGiving page here, and find more information about their journey on the 3 Dads Walking website.
Updates from their journey are also shared on Twitter and Instagram.
Featured Image – 3 Dads Walking
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Greater Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Dozens of local restaurants will be adding an extra £1 onto every bill over the festive season to help fight street homelessness.
People in Greater Manchester are once again able to give back while they dine at some of the best restaurants the region has to offer in the run up to Christmas, as the successful StreetSmart fundraising initiative is back for another year.
This year, 26 fantastic restaurants have come together to support local homeless charities as the campaign launched this past Saturday (1 November).
Manchester independents such as Mana, Erst, Climat, 10 Tib Lane, Ezra & Gill, Tartuffe, and Blue Eyed Panda are among those taking part in the campaign this year, alongside several city centre chain restaurants such as Lina Stores, Tampopo, Banyan, Manahatta, and San Carlo.
StreetSmart works by each participating restaurant adding an extra £1 to every bill they deliver throughout November and December, with all of the money raised going directly to local homeless organisations, thanks to StreetSmart’s official sponsorship from LandAid.
The funds raised by StreetSmart in Greater Manchester this year will support the crucial work of organisations such as CentrePoint, which funds Independent Living Advisors for young people, and Real Change Manchester, which plugs into the existing homelessness charities to provide that extra boost of funding that makes all the difference.
The StreetSmart team says it’s determined to deliver another record-breaking year in 2025, and provide much-needed support to the services that help some of the most vulnerable people in the city.
Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas / Credit: Supplied | Rifqi Ali Ridho (via Unsplash)
“The festive period can be an incredibly tough time for the vulnerable people in our community,” explained Glenn Pougnet, who is the Director of StreetSmart.
“StreetSmart provides a simple way for people to help some of our city’s most in need. Giving back whilst dining out at Christmas is what StreetSmart is all about, and we’re thrilled to have so many restaurants already taking part.
“Every £1 added to a bill adds up and makes a huge difference.”
Featured Image – John Carey (Supplied)
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Police appeal for information after pedestrian killed on Mancunian Way followed earlier welfare concern reports
Emily Sergeant
Police are continuing to appeal for information after a pedestrian was killed on Mancunian Way during the early hours.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that the shocking incident occurred at approximately 12:50am on Friday 31 October when it was reported that a Volkswagen Passat had collided with a man in his 20s.
Sadly, the collision was fatal and the pedestrian died at the scene.
The driver of the Volkswagen, a man in his 40s, was subsequently arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Following the incident, subsequent police enquiries have established that a call was made to the force shortly after midnight which reported concern for a man walking on the carriageway, and GMP says it believes the man in that report was the man who was involved in the fatal collision.
Officers were sent out as ‘high priority’ to carry out an extensive search of the surrounding area after the report was made, but it was said that they couldn’t locate him.
#UPDATE | Officers are continuing to appeal for information following the fatal collision on Mancunian Way this morning.
We have referred ourselves to the IPOC after reports that the victim was possibly spotted on the carriageway earlier that morning.
— Manchester City Centre Police (GMP) (@GMPCityCentre) October 31, 2025
Due to this earlier report, GMP has confirmed that it has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to look into its response to the search.
The victim’s family is aware, have been updated, and they are being supported by specialist officers at this time.
GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit is still appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward, and are particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have CCTV footage, dashcam, or mobile phone footage from the area in the moments leading up to the incident.
“This is a tragic incident for all involved and we express our deepest condolences to the family of the man who has lost his life, and whom we are doing our utmost to support at this time,” commented Sergeant Andrew Page.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 4741, quoting log number 111 of the 31/10/25, or by using the ‘report tool’ or LiveChat function on the GMP website – www.gmp.police.uk
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
11th October 2021 
