£15,000 donated to local Home-Start charity

£15,000 cheque presented to Donna McKenna with Jo Oliver, programme delivery service manager from the council's environmental management service

A family support charity in Rochdale has received a cash boost of £15,000 raised from recycling metals found following cremations.

The money was raised as part of the nationwide scheme, run by the Institute of Cemetery and Cremation Management (ICCM) and OrthoMetals which has led to a total of £13,486,000 donated to good causes since its inception in 2006.

Alongside raising the money from recycling metals found, the scheme also reduces the need for metal ores to be mined, which is another important environmental benefit.

The £15,000 donation raised from cremations held at Rochdale's crematoria was paid earlier in the year to Home-Start Rochdale, which is a local support charity offering practical and emotional support for families with children under the age of 12.

The donation is earmarked to help significantly towards the work in supporting these families with young children across the borough.

Councillor Liam O'Rourke, cabinet member for environment and facilities, said: "We are delighted to have played our part in the donation of this substantial sum of money to Home-Start Rochdale who works tirelessly to support many of our young people and their families in Heywood, Middleton, Rochdale and the Pennines. 

"We are proud to support the ongoing success of the scheme, which can only happen thanks to families who give us express consent to collect metals following the cremation of a loved one. We hope that this helps some way knowing that they have played their part in helping so many others through difficult times.”

Donna Arden McKenna, CEO at Home-Start, said: "We are so grateful to receive the donation of £15,000, which will go a long way to helping our charity to provide one-to-one support for parents and children who have been affected by bereavement and loss. 

“Our trained volunteers offer free, confidential support, a shoulder to lean on, and a listening ear to help those who have recently lost close relatives or friends for however long we are needed.

“If it's a chat over a cup of tea, a walk in the park, help to access appointments and community activities, or simply some reassurance and a listening ear, then we can help."

If you are a local charity offering bereavement services to borough residents, you can apply to receive a donation in the current round, which closes in July 2022. The last round alone ensured that an extra £2,010,000 was raised via 134 separate nominations to good causes across the UK.

See rochdale.gov.uk/funerals for further information and how to apply.