Burntwood Football Club Nets Cash Boost

A grassroots football club in Burntwood has received £1,500 donation from M6toll to fund security improvements at its ground.

Burntwood Dragons and Phoenix football club was selected as one of the M6toll’s monthly winners for its Drive for Charity in the Community campaign.

The charity fund aims to support community groups and projects across the Midlands as part of a £45,000 initiative.

Burntwood Dragons and Phoenix football club has more than 500 members, with 27 teams, comprising boys and girls aged 4-years upwards. The club will use the money for repairs following vandalism, and the installation of a new CCTV security system.

Alison Mayne, from the club, said: “Unfortunately our club has been victim to vandalism, with damage to signage, gates and locks and it’s really disheartening for the players, coaches and volunteers.

“This funding couldn’t have come at a better time as we can now make the repairs and put the necessary provisions in place to avoid this happening in the future. We’re extremely grateful to the team at M6toll for its support.”

Since the M6toll opened 15 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.

This year, its online scheme will see £20,000 given to one ‘charity of the year’, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects.

Maxine Estevez, from M6toll, said: “Grassroot football clubs like Burntwood Dragons and Phoenix always play such a huge part in local communities. It’s lovely to hear about the volunteers who coach and develop these children who are so passionate about the sport and their club.

“Our commitment to the welfare of our local community doesn’t end when people drive through the toll booths. We care about the towns and villages surrounding the motorway and our Drive For Charity scheme is designed to support them.”

In total, £43,000 will be distributed through the scheme, with a further £2,000 set aside for charity appeals suggested by M6toll staff.

The M6toll runs for 27 miles, from Junction 3a on the M6 all the way round the North East of the West Midlands, re-joining the M6 at Junction 11a. The road has an exemplary safety record and is equipped with emergency telephones, 24-hour control room and mobile Incident Support Units.

Discover more of the Great Work Funded By Drive For Charity Here.

Back to news

Community fund boost for sensory garden

A recreational charity for people with special and additional needs has received a £1,500 cash boost to improve a sensory garden.

SNAP (Special Needs Adventure Playground) in Cannock was selected as the M6toll’s first Drive for Charity in the Community winner.

The charity fund aims to support community groups and projects across the Midlands as part of a £45,000 initiative.

Samantha Scrimshaw, Life Skills worker at SNAP, said: “We provide indoor and outdoor activity sessions for both adults and children with special needs.

“Our playground has lots of equipment to improve gross motor skills, such as climbing frames, but the facilities to stimulate the senses of our visitors need some improvement. We aim to purchase wind chimes, water play and sensory plants to help them to understand their emotions and develop sensory processing, supporting their social interaction and communications skills.

“We are so grateful to M6toll for this fantastic donation, which will make a huge difference to the project.”

The Pye Green Road facility provides a wide range of activities to support people with special needs and their families, from autism-friendly hairdressing and Makaton, to messy play and Lego sessions.

Since the M6toll opened 15 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.

This year, an online scheme will see £20,000 given to one ‘charity of the year’, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects.

Andy Cliffe, chief executive of M6toll, said: “Our commitment to the welfare of our local community doesn’t end when people drive through the toll booths. We care about the towns and villages surrounding the motorway and our Drive For Charity scheme is designed to support them.

“A monthly cash fund of up to £1,500 is available for charities, schools, sports clubs or voluntary organisations helping to enhance the lives of local people.”

In total, £43,000 will be distributed through the scheme, with a further £2,000 set aside for charity appeals suggested by M6toll staff.

Organisations can apply for a funding boost of up to £1,500, with the M6toll Drive for Charity Committee keen to help those smaller causes that might not otherwise attract financial aid.

Details of community and charity support work undertaken by M6toll under its Drive For Charity programme can be found at here.

To read another article on our Drive for Charity work, Click Here.

Back to news

Ronald McDonald House Birmingham

Ronald McDonald House Charities UK launches new family room funded by M6toll

Ronald McDonald House Charities UK has launched a brand-new family room at its Birmingham House for families of hospitalised children, thanks to a £20,000 donation from M6toll.

M6toll donated £20,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities UK through its Drive for Charity campaign, which over the last 15 years has donated more than £1 million to good causes across the region. The funding has enabled the charity to design a new recreational room in their Birmingham House, which is to be known as the ‘teenage lounge’, dedicated to sick children’s siblings who are staying in the House.

The charity provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation for families with children in hospital. They currently run 12 Houses across the UK including a 66 bedroom House in Birmingham. Over the last ten years the Birmingham House has housed more than 7,000 families, whose children are based in Birmingham Children’s hospital.

The launch event welcomed representatives from M6toll, families staying in the House and VIPs, including Anita Bhalla OBE and the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Birmingham, to the launch of its new teenage lounge.

Andy Cliffe, chief executive at M6toll said: “It is vital that businesses engage and support local communities and it is a real pleasure and honour for us to be able to fund this room. It is a fabulous charity and we hope the new facility can be used by many families for many years to come.”

Natalie Wood, corporate fundraiser at Ronald McDonald House Charities UK, said: “We’re delighted to open our new teenage lounge, which has kindly been refurnished thanks to a grant from M6toll.
“As an independent charity, we rely on generous donations from local communities and businesses. For us to have a partnership with a company like M6toll has been amazing, especially as we hope it will help alleviate some of the anxiety associated with having a seriously ill sister or brother in hospital”

Olivia Saxelby, a parent who is currently staying in Ronald McDonald House Birmingham, said: “The new room is incredible and will provide the perfect space for siblings and parents to relax and take a moment to step away from the stresses of hospital life.”

In total, £43,000 will be distributed through the company’s Drive for Charity Partner scheme this year, with additional monthly donations of up to £1,500 continuing throughout the year through the Drive for Charity in the Community scheme.

Details of community and charity support work undertaken by M6toll under its Drive for Charity programme can be found at 142.93.39.117

Alternatively, you can read another Drive for Charity Article Here to discover more about our campaign.

Back to news

Motorway Support for Birmingham Hospice

A Birmingham charity has received support from the M6toll to maintain its infection control procedures.

Funds from the motorway’s Drive for Charity scheme were used by Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice to purchase ten new hands-free silent closing bins, which will be placed in patient rooms at the Hospice in Selly Park.

Pamela Hodgetts, corporate partnerships officer at Birmingham St Mary’s, explained: “At Birmingham St Mary’s, we help people and their loved ones to live well when they’ve been diagnosed with an incurable illness, by providing our expert care in people’s homes, in the community and at the Hospice itself. That’s why we’d like to say a really big thank you to the M6toll for this thoughtful donation – the bins will help prevent  the spread of infection at our Inpatient Unit at the Hospice, helping to boost patient safety and wellbeing.

“On any given day, the Hospice is caring for 400 people living across Birmingham and Sandwell. Providing them with the care and support they need costs more than £8million a year, so help purchasing essential supplies like this is vital.”

Information about the work of Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice can be found at www.birminghamhospice.org.uk.

Since the M6toll opened 15 years ago, operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) have donated more than £1million to local good causes.

This year, an online scheme will see £20,000 given to one ‘charity of the year’, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects.

Maxine Estevez from M6toll, added: “Hospices provide an invaluable service to our local communities. We learned that their old bins were no longer suitable, one reason being they were not soft closing. It had never occurred to us how distressing noisy slamming bins could be to patients, so we are pleased to be able to help resolve this.”

Details of community and charity support work undertaken by M6toll under its Drive For Charity programme can be found here.

Read Another Article on our Drive for Charity Work Here.

Back to news

Fantastic Five Shortlisted for £20k Cash Boost

Five worthy Midlands organisations have been shortlisted for a £20,000 community cash boost.

The M6toll has announced the finalists for its Drive for Charity Partner 2019, who will now go head-to-head in an online vote, with the group amassing the most votes scooping the top prize and a further £8,000 for the runner-up.

The shortlisted organisations are:

• Buddy Bags Foundation
• Hospital Radio Stafford
• Midlands Air Ambulance Charity
• Staffordshire Wildlife Trust
• Stephen Sutton Multi-Academy Trust

Andy Cliffe, chief executive of M6toll, said: “Our Drive For Charity initiative has already donated more than £1million during the 15 years since the road opened.

“This year we wanted to work with an organisation that would be a partner in the fullest sense of the word. We asked all the applicants to the scheme to tell us how we could support their projects through marketing and PR, fundraising and volunteering opportunities.

“More than 160 charities, schools and voluntary groups applied to be our 2019 partner, giving our Social Committee a tough task to select the final five, but we are delighted with those going forward to the public vote.

“Each of these fantastic organisations provides vital services for people across the Midlands, enhancing the lives of those living in our region.”

The online vote is live from Thursday 6 June till Tuesday 16 July, and the overall Drive for Charity Partner 2019 winner will be announced on Thursday 15 August 2019.

The Drive for Charity 2019 scheme was launched in March by Midland Expressway Ltd, operators of the M6toll. In total, £43,000 will be distributed through the initiative, with additional monthly donations of up to £1,500 continuing throughout the year through the Drive for Charity in the Community scheme. You can read about more of Our Community Work Here.

Back to news

How Troop Aid sent an M6toll donation all around the world

Since we opened in 2003, M6toll’s Drive For Charity initiative has given away more than £1million to good causes. Now we are calling on charities and local people to help us distribute the cash. The scheme will see £20,000 given to one ‘charity of the year’, and dozens of smaller awards and support for community projects.

In 2014/15, one of our partners was Solihull-based Troop Aid – a small charity which operates globally, ensuring British servicemen and women receive grab bags containing necessities when they arrive at hospitals and medical centres, no matter where they’re serving. We’re proud to have been able to provide £10,000 to supply these packages for injured troops at home and abroad.

We caught up with Pam Sutton, who works tirelessly to secure funding to provide even more of these essential packs.

“The contribution from the M6toll was invaluable. We’re proud to say that all the funds we receive go exactly where you expect – into packing bags for the troops. We were able to send these supplies to 400 people who were injured in service, so when they arrive into care they have toiletries, clothes and the basics to get by.”

Since the initial donation, we have continued to support Troop Aid wherever we can.

“The support we’ve received has been immensely beneficial. The team have been supplied with TAGs, which means we can send more deliveries out, and be more time-efficient as an organisation. All the money saved using the TAGs has helped us to provide even more bags for the troops.

“We’ve also been invited to attend open days at Roadchef Norton Canes services, where we can hand out information to the visitors and raise awareness of Troop Aid. It is such an effective way of spreading the word and getting fundraisers on board.”

We continue to support local charities and community projects. Our Social Committee provided the team at Troop Aid with further funding last year in support of a new project enabling them to provide emergency grab bags to a Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ship.

The application process to become our Charity Partner for 2019/20 is now open. The winner will receive funding in the sum of £20,000 with the runner up receiving £8,000. Further information and an application form to become our Drive For Charity partner is available on our Drive for Charity page.

To have a closer look at all the great work Troop Aid does, or to see how you could help them, visit www.troopaid.info

Discover More of our Drive for Charity Work Here.

Back to news

M6toll helps happy hens into their new home

A Cannock primary school’s ‘funky free-rangers’ project was given eggs-actly the boost it needed by the M6toll.

Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL), operators of the M6toll, chose St Luke’s Church of England Primary School to receive £2,000 of funding after hearing about their plans to rear chickens and sell the eggs.

The donation helped to purchase a selection of hens, a sturdy and safe hen house and chicken run which is located on the school field, enabling children to interact with the birds on a daily basis.

Assistant headteacher Mike Thornhill said: “We already have an allotment at the school, which provided a healthy harvest, but the children hatched a plan to set up their own Funky Free Rangers egg sales.

“The entire project has offered them an eggs-ellent learning eggs-perience – from developing a business plan and selling shares to help pay for the chicken feed, to creating their own marketing plan, complete with advert and jingle!

“They carefully researched hens and we travelled to the Domestic Fowl Trust in Stratford upon Avon to select ‘our girls’. We now have a crack team of hen handlers taking responsibility for the welfare of the hens, who are a much-loved addition to the school family.”

Representatives from MEL visited the school to meet the happy hens and find out how they had settled into their new home.

Sheena Hawkins, from M6toll, said: “You’d have to be really hard-boiled not to be inspired by the children’s plans for this project, which has helped them to develop their entrepreneurial skills as well as giving them a deeper understanding of where their food comes from.

“The way they have taken responsibility for the chickens is a credit to the school and its values of nurturing and taking care of others.

“We were treated to some of the first eggs that their girls had laid and they were delicious, so I’m certain this tasty business opportunity will be an eggs-traordinary success!”

M6toll recently launched its new community funding initiative – Drive For Charity. For more information about MEL’s charity support click here

You can also Read Another Drive for Charity Article Here.

Back to news

Drive For Charity along M6toll route

Britain’s only privately funded motorway has today launched a £45,000 scheme to support a wide range of community projects, charities and voluntary organisations across the Midlands.

M6toll’s Drive For Charity initiative has already donated more than £1million during the 15 years since the road opened, and the company is now calling on local people to help distribute this year’s cash.

An online competition will see £20,000 given to one ‘charity of the year’, and dozens of smaller awards made to community projects.

Andy Cliffe, chief executive of M6toll, said: “Our commitment to the welfare of our local community doesn’t end when people drive through the toll booths. We care about the towns and villages surrounding the motorway and our Drive For Charity scheme is designed to support them.

“A monthly cash fund of up to £1,500 will be given away to charities, schools, sports clubs or voluntary organisations helping to enhance the lives of local people.

“We are also seeking applications for our Drive For Charity Partner 2019 – one special charity that will receive £20,000 as the main focus of our support for 12 months. The winner will be selected through an online vote, so all charities across the region are invited to apply.”

Nominations for monthly Drive For Charity in the Community funding and applications for the Drive For Charity Partner 2019 competition can be made at 142.93.39.117
In total, £43,000 will be distributed through the scheme, with a further £2,000 set aside for charity appeals suggested by M6toll staff.

Organisations can apply for a funding boost of up to £1,500, with the M6toll Charity Committee keen to help those smaller causes that might not otherwise attract financial aid.

Andy added: “In recent years we have seen an increase in appeals for help from local charities, schools and sports clubs for whom an award of as little as £100 could mean the difference between children not taking part in football or proudly running out in a funded team kit.

“To name a few, last year we donated £500 towards the refurbishment of the children’s outpatient department at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield and £500 for arts and craft materials for Special Needs Adventure Playground (S.N.A.P) in Cannock.

“We look forward to supporting many more local groups to make a positive difference along the route of the M6toll.”

Click here for more information and to apply, or you can read another Drive for Charity Article Here to discover more about our campaign.

Back to news

School’s first aid project hailed a success thanks to M6toll

A Great Wyrley primary school is celebrating after 29 pupils passed a first aid course thanks to a £2,000 cash boost from a scheme linked to the M6toll road.

Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL), operators of the M6toll, chose Moat Hall Primary School to become one of its School Foundation Scheme winners.

The scheme aims to provide primary schools located within a five-mile radius of the M6toll with the opportunity to access funds for projects and activities that cannot be run through normal school funding.

The primary school, in John’s Lane, applied for the funding to help set up a first aid club for KS2 pupils and two teachers, with training provided by HMB Training Services.

Members of the school council had expressed pupils’ wishes that they wanted to be trained so that they would know how to react, either at school or at home, if there was a medical emergency.

Mrs Yvonne Dickens, who works with the school council, said: “The club is now an integral part of school life, empowering children with the skills, ability and confidence they need to help in an emergency.

“The children were incredibly dedicated during the six-week course. They will now be listed on a duty roster to cover the playground at breaktime, and they will also train other pupils by sharing their knowledge.”

Representatives from MEL attended a special assembly at the school during which the pupils were presented with their certificates and tabards, which they will wear while on duty.

Headteacher Jane King added: “It is a wonderful achievement and shows real determination, resilience and perseverance. We are incredibly proud of them.

“The children were so committed to the project that they had already started fundraising for it. We were therefore delighted to be chosen as winners of this very generous donation which meant that we could start the scheme much sooner than anticipated.”

Maxine Estevez, from M6toll, said: “The School Foundation applications were of an extremely high standard, and we found it difficult to choose a winner.

“Over the years, we have seen what a huge difference the funding can make, and we could see that the first aid scheme was extremely worthwhile. It is clear that the school and its pupils are very dedicated to making it a long-term success.”

M6toll will be launching its new community funding initiative – Drive For Charity – this spring. For more information about MEL’s charity support visit 142.93.39.117

You Can Read Another Drive for Charity Article Here.

Back to news