A fundraising appeal set up in memory of Professor Sir John Hills, a long-term supporter of Trafford Hall’s work with low-income residents and frontline staff has now reached over £17,000.
John was a Professor of Social Policy and Director of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion at the London School of Economics; a brilliant academic who was dedicated to tackling poverty and inequality.
John sadly passed away on 21st December 2020. On the day of his funeral, Dame Sue Owen, a former civil servant, Permanent Secretary, and close lifelong friend of John’s, generously donated £1000 to Trafford Hall in his memory. Sue then decided to share the idea of an appeal in John’s memory for the National Communities Resource Centre at Trafford Hall with other friends that knew John. Through her personal contacts, Sue has already raised over £17,000.
Trafford Hall is due to reopen in July 2021, having been forced to close two years ago due to lack of funding. The Hall offers a unique resource for people from low-income communities to come away in a peaceful environment and develop know-how, skills, and action plans to tackle local problems.
The fundraising appeal aims to raise £66,000 for the charity by July 2021 – one thousand pounds for every year of John’s life. We invite all those who knew John or support his work on tackling inequalities and supporting social housing to donate to the charity in his name.
We hope to raise funds in John’s memory for the relaunch of the charity and to provide training programmes for families, young people, and community leaders.
When donating, please make sure to tick the Gift Aid option if eligible. This allows us to claim back 25p from the government for every £1 donated, boosting the value of your donation by a quarter.
