It's truly meeting of two heroes

GRATEFUL . . . Little Millie Moran with Alan Wrigley at B&Q Oldham

ALAN Wrigley meets, greets and hands out sweets at Oldham's B&Q store.

But he's also responsible for raising more than £100,000 for worthy causes and this time it was the turn of little Moorside marvel Millie Moran.

Alan (83), from Denshaw, who transferred to the Oldham store when the Rochdale one closed in August, collected £1,500 towards a mission to send five-year-old Millie to Disney World, in Florida, after reading her story in the Chronicle.

Millie suffers from a series of rare and degenerative conditions. The £10,000 target for her dream trip has now been realised twice over, with the extra being used for things she needs to make life better, such as a customised wheelchair.

Alan handed £1,500 over to Millie and her delighted nanna, Vicky Shaw.

Alan said: "I saw her in the paper and decided I'd like to raise money for her. She's a lovely little girl."

Vicky, who was overwhelmed by Alan's generosity, said: "Alan is a hero.

"What he's done is wonderful. He's a lovely man with a big heart. He spotted Millie when we were in B&Q and he said,'You're Millie from the paper. Please can I raise money for her?' He's amazing and very humble."

Alan was named Rochdale Man of the Year in 2016 for his charity work and was recently crowned B&Q's best meet-and-greet employee from across 60 stores. He revealed his phenomenal fundraising drive, which has spanned two decades, was born out of a series of personal tragedies.

When his son, Alan, died suddenly following a heart attack 20 years ago, he began raising money for the British Heart Foundation.

Further tragedy struck when his grandson Benjamin was born with Menkes disease - a disorder that affects copper levels in the body and causes deficiencies in the brain. When he died 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 Alan's wife Nora died 10 years ago at Springhill Hospice, in Rochdale, he began collecting money for them and he also fundraises for Dr Kershaw's. As well as shaking his collection bucket, he has done a parachute jump and a bungee jump for his hand-picked causes.

Alan still stoically supports the charities and organisations close to his heart despite currently helping his son Mark to help care for his wife, Amanda, who is terminally ill with a brain tumour.

Alan, who served with the 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment in the Canal Zone, Egypt, during the Suez Crisis, said: "I love raising money. I don't put any pressure on people, I just ask if they want to contribute to whatever charity I'm raising money for.

"Raising the money makes me feel I'm helping in some small way.

"I love my job. I retired for about three months years ago, but it wasn't for me. I enjoy meeting people and chatting to them."