Postmen step out to aid heroes

DOZENS of Royal Mail staff will swop mail bags for marching boots when they take to the streets for a charity mission.

A 50-strong team of employees will walk from Manchester city centre to the Bishop Park monument, Grains Bar, on Sunday to raise funds for Help the Heroes, which supports injured service men and women.

The team will be made up of staff from delivery offices and mail centres in Oldham, Stockport and Manchester.

The 12-mile march is the brainchild of Oldham’s delivery-sector manager Gordon Flannery, a former member of the Queen’s Regiment.

He said: “I think it’s important to back the soldiers and other service personnel who are doing a difficult job in very dangerous circumstances in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We’re being joined on the march by my brother, who has just finished his service in the Army and now works for the MoD in Germany.

“The Royal Marine Association has kindly agreed to give a presentation at the end of the event.

“We’ve had great support from local companies and we hope to raise about £3,000 for Help the Heroes.”

Support so far has come from Costco, Grains Bar Hotel, Leesfield Developments, Manchester City FC, Manchester United FC, Quadrant Catering and Thorntons.

Anyone who would like to sponsor the team can contact Gordon at gordon.flannery@ntlworld.com