Oldham-based finance company raises thousands to bring festive joy to children and rough sleepers

WeDo Business Services group has rallied to bring cheer to disadvantaged children and homeless people this Christmas. The team has donated £1,250 worth of gifts to the Cash for Kids charity’s Mission Christmas appeal and a further £1,250 to homeless charity Shelter.

Group chief executive Mark Lindsay said: “Christmas is a time for families and caring for those around you – anyone who knows me knows I have a big family and that Christmas is special to me.

“It was easy for me to agree with the team when we chose to support the efforts of Shelter to help support homeless people. It’s an issue which still haunts me in modern Britain.

“Similarly, it pulls at the heartstrings when I hear children waking up to no presents or special moments on Christmas morning.

“So, our offices have also decided to support Mission Christmas. The team and the business have donated generously to help make a small difference to children at this magical time of year.

“We are a family-centric business and, at our core, we operate like a family, so these causes and those who support them are very close to our hearts.”

WeDo has over 75 staff across its headquarters in Oldham and additional offices at MediaCityUK in Salford, Sheffield, Bromsgrove, Swindon and Feering in Essex,

The group provides small and medium-sized companies services, including invoice and trade finance, start-up funding, accountancy, HR, back-office and IT services.

Annalise White, head of the back office at WeDo, who organised donations for Mission Christmas, said: “We chose to take part in Mission Christmas this year because we wanted to make a positive difference to families and help to ensure more children will wake up to a gift on a day that should be so thrilling for them.

“As an auntie myself, there is nothing better than seeing a child smile excitedly when opening presents at Christmas, and everyone deserves to experience this.”

WeDo has supported numerous charitable and community causes during 2023, including being a headline sponsor of Manchester Remembers. This football match raises money for charities set up following the Manchester Arena terror attack.

The team’s efforts this year have raised thousands of pounds for organisations including Mustard Tree, Bliss, Cancer Research and Bury Hospice, with staff taking part in events ranging from the Sheffield 10k to Tough Mudder and a fire walk.