School Service team puts best foot forward for fundraising challenge

A team from our Caritas School Service will be donning their trainers for a special sponsored walk to help raise funds so they can carry on their work. 

The group, made up of staff who provide vital social work, counselling, art therapy and crisis support in schools across Greater Manchester and Lancashire, will be walking just under four miles at Pennington Flash as part of our Every Step campaign. 

Helen Chambers from the School Service, said: “As a team we spend a lot of time indoors working alongside schools, children, young people and families who are facing crisis, who require specialist support or who need safeguarding and protection.   

“The work is incredibly rewarding as we know we’re making a real difference and enabling positive change for the people we work alongside, but as fundraising to continue our work becomes increasingly challenging, it’s important we do everything we can to make sure we can continue to be there.  

“We’ve decided to do a walking challenge that is suitable for walkers of all abilities, and it’s something that will get us out in the fresh air together as a team. We can’t wait to get moving and are looking forward to putting on the trainers and raising as much money as we can for our charity.” 

The walk will take place on 20th June and is part of Every Step, a campaign which is asking people from across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and beyond to consider doing something which pushes them out of their comfort zone this year. This can be something physical or mental – anything goes as long as it is a challenge for the person taking it on.  

Patrick O’Dowd, our director, said: “As the cost-of-living crisis continues, there are more and more people needing our support and this includes schools who are also finding their resources are incredibly stretched.  Our School Service team is an important extension to the in-house team of many schools locally, and we’re proud that they are able to apply decades of specialist experience to help them to work alongside children, young people, families and school staff. 

“This challenge is a great opportunity for the team to get out in the fresh air as a group and celebrate their achievements while also raising much-needed funds for Caritas.  I’m really grateful to each of them, and also to everyone who is signing up to take part in their own challenge this year for our charity. Huge thanks.” 

To sponsor the School Service team, visit If you can’t take part but would like to sponsor the team, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/schoolteam 

To find out more about the School Service and the work the team provides, visit: https://www.caritassalford.org.uk/service/school-service/ 

There are lots of other events taking place through the year, so why not take a look and sign up for one too?  You can join one of our Caritas challenges, or come up with your own!  Visit https://www.caritassalford.org.uk/campaign/every-step/ now for more information.  

Thank you!