Forever Mancunians aims to introduce and tell the stories of featured guests whose vision, commitment, and dedication in making a difference to the lives of others in our local communities is both interesting and inspiring.
In Episode 010 of the Forever Mancunians podcast series, Maureen Holcroft and Noreen Bond from Daffodils Dreams in Wigan, share their story, commitment and response to the concerning issue of child poverty impacting on the lives of children and young families across Wigan.
Maureen founded Daffodils Dreams in 2019 after reading a local newspaper article about ‘Child Poverty’ and discovering that almost 40% of youngsters in several areas of Wigan were living below the poverty line.
Daffodils Dreams believes that all children deserve the right to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives, and should therefore be afforded the same opportunities to thrive, regardless of background or the financial situation of their parents.
In this podcast episode, we discover more about what Daffodils Dream does to support children and local families experiencing hardship and living in poverty.
This extends to providing basic essentials, such as affordable clothing and creating opportunities to develop life skills alongside signposting via a range of community connections and local support services.
Maureen recalls the experience of supporting a young mother who, after experiencing racial abuse, was quickly moved into emergency accommodation with her three young children, having to leave swiftly with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Just a few days later, the young family each received care bundles courtesy of Daffodils Dreams, and the young mum later visited Daffodils Dreams to express sincere thanks and describe their gratitude as “Being just like Christmas”
Noreen Bond also spoke of the connection with local families and young people wishing to give something back, and how awareness brings empathy and inclusion. When he was just 7 years old, Archie used his birthday money to purchase books for other children to enjoy, while another boy was overjoyed to learn that the coats he had donated had helped another boy in need.
Daffodils Dreams remains guided by the belief that every child and local family deserves the opportunity to thrive, to dream big, and to build a brighter future.
You can listen to Episode 010 featuring Maureen Holcroft/Noreen Bond or check out all the Forever Mancunians podcast episodes here: https://forevermanchester.podbean.com/
