Former school teacher nominated for Pride of Britain award for raising thousands for charity

Photo: CAFOD

Brian Bennion (back centre) with some of his school pupils

Former Catholic school teacher Brian Bennion, who has been helping to fundraise for communities living in poverty for more than 40 years, has been nominated for a Pride of Britain award.

Working alongside students, teachers and parents at Holy Family RC and CE College in Heywood, Brian has helped to raise more than £40,000 for the Catholic development agency CAFOD.

Originally founding the CAFOD group at Holy Family College in 1976, Brian has been a crucial part of the fundraising – supporting daily collections which take place at the end of each school day, alongside annual fundraisers during Harvest, which brings the whole school together for a Family Fast Day meal and soup kitchen.

“The children are fantastic,” said Brian. “They understand completely what CAFOD is trying to achieve and support this, trying to help the people they know need their help. If it wasn’t for them, the group wouldn’t have been going for forty years!”

The CAFOD group meets once every two weeks and is comprised of as many as twenty-five students aged between 11 and 16.

Over the years, in addition to fundraising, the students have even been visited by overseas speakers from countries like Nigeria, Uganda and Albania, who Brian says reinforce CAFOD’s message and deepens their understanding of issues affecting people around the world.

For Brian, it’s all about empowering young people to act to help others. “It’s all about facilitating the young people and enabling them to achieve,” Brian continued. “I see parents who I taught years ago who ask me, ‘are you still doing CAFOD?’ and it just shows that people remember the impact years later.”

Brian and the school’s fundraising for CAFOD go towards helping communities around the world gain the tools, skills and knowledge to lift themselves out of poverty.

Ann Wilson, CAFOD’s local representative in Salford, said: “Brian has been supporting CAFOD since 1976 and has raised thousands of pounds over the years in the school where he taught, and he has helped to set up a CAFOD group in his parish.

“He is a superb man and totally committed to CAFOD. Throughout the years, he has undoubtedly helped hundreds of people to live a better life. 

“The nomination for the award is a brilliant achievement for both Brian and all of the students who have been a part of the group over the years, we’re very grateful.”