Steps issues plea for fund-raising help

THE head of fund-raising for Steps in Shepshed has issued a plea for help as the centre battle to keep running despite losing thousands of pounds in fundraising during the Covid-19 crisis.

It costs £250,000 to run the Conductive Education Centre and although the service is being maintained virtually during the pandemic, the level of money raised for the charity has been dramatically reduced in recent months although the Steps team is determined to keep the free service going when they are able to reopen the building on Loughborough Road, Shepshed.

Head of fund-raising, Trish Mabbott, said: “The basic annual running costs of the Steps Centre is just under £5,000 each week. We have to find most of this money ourselves, from a variety of sources.

“We can usually rely on donations of about £2,500 per month from people holding local fund-raising events but since the Covid-19 crisis, this amount has reduced dramatically, and we desperately need help.

“If you or anyone that you know could think of a way of raising money for Steps during these extremely difficult times, we would be enormously grateful.

“The Trustees and Steps staff are determined to ensure that the Centre will re-open with the free service that is offered to families in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire, as soon as it is safe to do so.

“We really need your support more than ever before and ask that, if you are able, you consider texting STEPS to 70660 to donate £5. Alternatively, you could donate via our website www. stepscentre.org.uk”