News
Mystery donor gives £50,000 to Manchester’s COVID hardship fund – as OneGM campaign sees 400+ contributions
Andy Burnham revealed that one anonymous person donated an incredible £50,000 to the fund on Wednesday (28 October) evening.
The Manc -
29th October 2020 
A mystery donor has donated a five-figure sum to Greater Manchester’s COVID hardship fund – leaving Mayor Andy Burnham speechless.
The new OneGM campaign – which was set up to provide extra local support for those affected most by COVID during winter – has enjoyed an incredible start; with over 400 contributions coming in since the charity page went live earlier this week.
But Burnham – who helped to set up OneGM alongside several other influential people in the region – revealed that one anonymous person had given £50,000 to the fund on Wednesday (28 October) evening.
The Mayor tweeted: “To whoever has anonymously donated £50,000 to the #oneGM campaign today, I genuinely don’t know how to thank you enough.
“You’ve given us hope that we can get people through this.
“Indeed, thanks for all your donations.”
OneGM is raising funds to get local support to those hardest hit by the economic impact of coronavirus – from tackling food poverty, to helping those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, to providing mental health support.
The campaign page reads: “Many people have already lost income as a result of Covid and the situation is getting worse. Families, friends, neighbours and whole communities now need help. But when times are tough, we pull together.
“If you feel you can give a little, please know it will all add up. Your donation will make a difference to those who need it most.
“The money raised by this campaign will enable crucial work to happen across all 10 boroughs of our city region.”
Some of the people already involved in the campaign, which launched on Tuesday, include Chris Oglesby, CEO of Bruntwood; former Manchester United footballer and businessman, Gary Neville; award-winning actor, Julie Hesmondhalgh; Right Reverend Dr David Walker, Bishop of Manchester; and Lucy Danger, CEO of EMERGE which runs FareShare Greater Manchester.
Also involved are Olympian Diane Modahl, Chair of the Greater Manchester Young Person’s Task Force and Trustee of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity; Karina Jadhav, Founder and Owner, Menagerie bar and restaurant; and Liz Taylor, CEO of corporate events company TLC Ltd.
You can learn more about OneGM and make a contribution to the COVID hardship fund via the JustGiving page here.
