MP marks Volunteers' Week with hospice collection

4.39.19pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 2nd Jun 2009

Withington MP, John Leech, will be hitting the streets of Manchester on Saturday to collect donations for St. Ann's Hospice to mark this year's national Volunteers' Week.

This year sees the 25th anniversary of the initiative, which celebrates the invaluable work that volunteers do nationwide. As part of the week, Mr Leech will be helping out with a bucket collection, raising money for the organisation's 'Sunflower Collection'.

John Leech said:

"Volunteers make an invaluable contribution to people's live across Manchester but they seldom get the recognition or support that they deserve, so it's great that Volunteers' Week celebrates their work."

"Recent reports suggest that charities are in real danger of being badly hit by the credit crunch as donations dry up so volunteers are arguably now more important than ever. Without their generosity, organisations like St. Ann's Hospice would really struggle."

For more information, or to sign up for the collection, which runs on 5th and 6th June, please contact Liz Greenwood at St. Ann's Hospice on 0161 498 3621

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Notes to editors:

Volunteers' Week runs from 1-7 June. For more information see http://www.volunteersweek.org.uk/

The St. Ann's collection runs from 08.00-17.30 on 5 and 6 June. Further information is available from Liz Greenwood on 0161 498 3621 or egreenwood@sah.org.uk