Mecca Bingo Chester workers help reach £1.5m charity milestone

Team members from Mecca Bingo in Chester are celebrating after reaching an incredible fundraising milestone of £1,500,000 for deserving charity Carers Trust.

The partnership between Carers Trust and the Rank Group, which owns Mecca and Grosvenor Casinos, first began in February 2014.

Since then, its employees from Mecca Bingo in Chester have worked hard to raise as much money as possible by undertaking various charity initiatives and fundraising activities in the local area.

Thanks to the relentless dedication of the teams and fantastic support from their customers in Chester, Rank Group has achieved this remarkable milestone.

General manager at Mecca Chester Dave Lowry: “We’re incredibly proud of the efforts of all our team members and most importantly, our customers and everyone in Chester who has dug deep into their pockets to help us to support such a worthwhile charity.

“The sad reality is that three in five people will become carers in the UK at some point in their lives and with seven million carers in the UK already, it’s crucial that there is funding available to provide the important support they need.

“We’re delighted to know that we have contributed in some way to the invaluable help the charity offers, and will continue our fundraising endeavours to ensure Carers Trust can carry on assisting the amazing people who desperately need their support.”

CEO of Carer Trust Gail Scott-Spicer added: “The fundraising efforts of team members from Grosvenor Casino and Mecca Chester and their customers have been phenomenal.

“Their incredible support has made a vast difference to local unpaid carers by providing them with respite breaks, grants to buy essential items such as washing machines and giving them the opportunity to go on courses and learn new skills.”

The funds raised will go towards Rank Cares Grant Funds which were set up to provide financial support to carers aged 16 and above. The aim of these funds is to help remove the barriers placed on a person by their caring role and reduce some of the stress and isolation that can come with caring.

Three years into the partnership, the funds raised for Carers Trust have helped over 6,000 carers to access essential equipment, much-needed breaks, the opportunity to learn new skills, and the chance to meet other socially isolated carers.