Mayor aims to raise record £10,000 for three charities

A LORD mayor is hoping to raise a record-breaking £100,000 by the spring of next year for three “life-saving” charities in a Yorkshire city.

The national record for Lord Mayor’s Charity Funds is £80,000 by a former Lord Mayor of York, Coun Keith Hyman, the city’s civic head during 2012-13, and the record for Sheffield is £30,000.

The South Yorkshire city’s Lord Mayor, Coun Magid Magid, has chosen Sheffield Flourish, which supports people with mental health issues, Unity Gym Project, that helps young people, and Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Services, which gives aid to women who have suffered abuse or trauma, for his fundraising drive.

He said 37 groups pitched to him for the funding, but not one of the three he eventually chose, adding: “There are some really large charities that do amazing things and have already got a massive profile in Sheffield and the resources to pump money into marketing so it was quite important for me to really get behind smaller charities I felt it would have the most impact on.

“There are a lot of smaller charities that are saving people’s lives so it’s important that those don’t get left behind and I thought mental health, women and young people seemed like a good balance.”

Coun Magid’s fundraising efforts will start next month before coming to a close in May next year.