Brewery staff raise the bar for youth club

JW Lees staff have brewed up a cocktail of fund-raising ideas and inspiration to support Oldham’s new youth centre.

The brewery, already founder patrons of the exciting Mahdlo project, have found their staff more than willing to put all hands to the pumps when it comes to raising cash for the new state-of-the-art centre.

Employee Paul Collinge set the pace when he completed the gruelling New York Marathon in three hours, 37 minutes, raising £732.30.

After getting his breath back, he said: “It was very hard but fantastic.

“The views along the way were superb and the atmosphere was awesome.”

Not to be outdone, the JW Lees transport team chipped in by cutting out chips and throwing their weight behind the next challenge — losing 81 lbs and raising £184.40.

And the JW Lees Be Yourself Committee raised a further £99.84 with dress-down days, cake sales and a donation from their staff Christmas party.

The team has also been out and about spreading the Mahdlo word among colleagues, friends, family and young people in the area.

The efforts from the Middleton Junction brewery added up to a cheque for £1,016.

Gill Turner, PA to managing director William Lees Jones, said: “Raising awareness of Mahdlo is very important and we are all really excited.

“We will do anything we can to help and are looking forward to the opening and seeing the Mahdlo centre full of young people.”

Claire Crossfield, development manager at Mahdlo, added: “The team from JW Lees is very supportive of Mahdlo.

“We are delighted to be working with them. They really are making a positive difference to Oldham’s young people.”