Buckets of praise for B&Q Alan

PRIDE in Oldham nominee Alan Wrigley - collects thousands of pounds for local causes at B&Q

HE'S raised more than £100,000 for local causes through his fundraising and daredevil stunts and, despite being 83, he's no intention of hanging up his collection bucket just yet.

Alan Wrigley is a well known face at the doors of B&Q Oldham.

Not only is he renowned for his incredible charity work, he's also earned the title "Sweetie Man" after handing out candy to the children of customers at the Westhulme Way store which he spends a £1,000 a year of his own money on.

Alan, from Denshaw, is loved by all who meet him and the countless people he's helped with his amazing fundraising at B&Q both in Oldham and Rochdale.

Over 20 years he's done parachute and bungee jumps and helped dozens of worthy causes including the appeal to send Millie Moran to Disney World Florida, The British Heart Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Dr Kershaw's and Springhill Hospice.

Now the people of the borough have a chance to show their appreciation after Alan was nominated for a prestigious Pride in Oldham award.

Fundraising

Alan, who was crowned B&Q's best meet-and-greet employee earlier this year, has carried out a lot of his fundraising on the back of some very personal tragedies.

He began when his son, Alan, died suddenly following a heart attack and he began raising money for the British Heart Foundation.

When his grandson, Benjamin, who was born with Menkes disease - a disorder that affects copper levels in the body and causes deficiencies in the brain - passed away aged three, Alan began raising money for the When You Wish Upon a Star charity, which makes dreams come true for poorly youngsters, and Francis House Children's Hospice, in Didsbury, where Benjamin was cared for.

When his wife Nora died 10 years ago at Springhill Hospice he raised cash to create a beautiful decking area there for visitors to enjoy a meal and a drink.

Alan still stoically supports the charities and organisations close to his heart and is now a strong supporter of Dr Kershaw's Hospice. He's been nominated for a Pride in Oldham accolade by his son Mark and Alison Taylor, from Dr Kershaw's.

Mark said: "Week in, week out, he can be found standing at the door of B&Q with his collection buckets and sweets for hours at a time, even bad weather doesn't deter him and he once walked to work when the roads became blocked due to heavy snow. His warm smile and infectious personality have made him a highly respected and admired ambassador for local charities.

"A customer posted an article on social media regarding his charitable works and it received over 41,000 likes, going viral reaching as far as Canada and Australia. From this a TV producer became aware of him and he became the subject of a TV documentary "Growing Old" shown on ITV, it showed him carrying out his fund raising activities and then interviewed him about his life and values.

"My father is a very humble, quiet, unassuming man who does not seek any kind of recognition and has found the recent publicity quite bemusing, his only wish is to help others. As his son I feel extremely proud of the difference my father has made to the local community."

Alison said: "He has just given us £1,140 that he collected at B&Q which is amazing. He also recently raised £1,500 for the victims of the Manchester Bomb."