Salford Red Devils swapped scrums for pulling buses to help end homelessness across Greater Manchester, raising thousands of pounds in the process.
Their coach, Paul Rowley cheered on a dream team consisting of club colleagues, Krisnan Inu, Andrew Woolfenden, Chris O’Connor and Jack Cairns, with the five made up by the charity’s CEO Fran Darlington-Pollock.
They were challenged with pulling the iconic yellow Bee Network Bus along a 30 metre course at Manchester Central, all whilst raising funds for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity (for which Paul Rowley is an ambassador).
It was part of the annual Bus Pull Challenge – a new fixture in the city’s fundraising calendar, which tasks businesses and organisations to team up pull a bus in the fastest possible time.
They joined 48 teams from across Greater Manchester, who all battled it out to become ‘Greater Manchester’s Strongest Team’. The combined efforts saw a total of £26,586 raised so far for the charity, which will go towards helping end homelessness across the city region, including their flagship A Bed Every Night scheme – with more still to be counted.
The Salford Reds set the bar high with their guest appearance, but the winning public team Next Level Networking Founders smashed Resource Solutions’ record with a blistering time of 00:24:088 over the gruelling 30 metre course.
The event follows its inaugural success in 2023, already raising an additional £16,500 over last year’s total, with more set to come in. This year’s edition also included delicious food and drink served up by Manchester Central’s coffee van and Junction, with a portion of the sales going directly to the money raised. Beats from prominent local labels XI Records, Manchester DJs, and charity ambassador Matty White also joined the team for 2024.
The event saw an outpouring of support from the city’s wider business community, with We Are Footprint joining as headline sponsors for the event. Stagecoach and First Group provided the 10,800kg buses on the day, with further support from Go North West and Clear Futures.
Equipment to pull the buses was provided by GM Fire and Rescue, Manchester Breakdown Service, and Lifting and Safety Services.
Andy Burnham, Mayor for Greater Manchester, said: “The Bus Pull event is a perfect example of the generosity and spirit of Greater Manchester, and it was great to see it back.
“No one should be without a home, and because of the support of so many businesses sponsoring and participating in this fundraiser, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity are able to fund pioneering work that can make a real change.
“This is what makes us proud. Thank you to everyone who got involved.”
The funds raised will all be directed to supporting initiatives like the A Bed Every Night Scheme, which supports people sleeping rough or at risk of doing so. Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity has funded over 78,000 nights of accommodation in this scheme since they launched, as well as supporting projects and initiatives to help stop homelessness before it becomes a reality.
Their work, helped by city-wide investment, also includes improved access to health services and mental health support and has contributed to a reduction of rough sleeping by 67% in the same period.
Paul Rowley, head coach at Salford Red Devils and ambassador for Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, said: “I’m super proud of being a small part of what was a great day for the charity. The lads and I had great fun taking part, but it was great to see so many different people coming together for one cause. I think we’ve all done Manchester proud today.
“A big thank you to everyone that came along and donated. These funds are vital for allowing us to end homelessness once and for all.”
Fran Darlington-Pollock, CEO Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, said: “That was phenomenal! We beat our fundraising total from 2023 and nearly doubled the number of teams entering. To also see so many people coming to enjoy the show was a very proud moment for all at the charity.
“From all of us at Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, thank you. Together, we can end homelessness.”
