Charity car boot is set to celebrate 10th year
ACAR boot sale raising money for a charity for children is celebrating its 10th anniversary next month.
Kids Car Boot, a family event which children and parents flock to in Cheadle on the first Sunday of every month, was launched by dad-of-four Shane Crawford in 2009.
Shane, aged 50, of Wilmslow Road, Cheadle, was on a mission to raise £100k for children’s charity Barnardo’s by developing an event which supported the community, while teaching his four children about business and hard work.
At the car boot sales, families can book a stall to sell their unwanted toys, prams, clothes and games, while customers can come along and hopefully bag a bargain.
Anything left over at the end of the event is donated straight to Barnado’s to help fund projects for children.
Since it started, Kids Car Boot has raised more than £70,000 for the charity – the largest for children in the UK – thanks to donations left behind at the end of the events.
This has allowed Banardo’s to open up a baby and Kids shop in Farnworth, while Shane has also launched another monthly car boot sale event – this time in Uppermill, Saddleworth – to add to his fundraising efforts.
Shane, who has been supported at events by his children Sam, now aged 22, Ben, 20, Emma, 18 and Harry, 11, who runs the cafe, said: “Kids Car Boot is a true family event and is proof that you can develop a business where you can provide an environment where everyone can benefit.
“Families who book a stall to sell their unwanted goods benefit in four ways. It helps them clear their house of clutter, children who run the stalls learn valuable life skills in a fun environment, and it helps families recycle and make a little extra money too.
“Customers can come along and buy some fantastic bargains, and at the end of the event anything left over can be donated to Barnardo’s to help fund local projects for children less fortunate than ours.
“As a family we are very proud of what we have achieved. We feel our Kids Car Boot events, over the past 10 years, really have provided a great service to thousands of families in the community in a warm, safe and fun environment.
“Best of all is the fact that our events have raised over £70,000 for Barnardo’s, it’s just amazing.”
The 10th anniversary Kids Car Boot event will be held at The Kingsway School, High Grove Road, Cheadle, on Sunday, February 3.