Celebrating a Year of Impact: Wood Street Mission in 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, we’re reflecting on the incredible difference Wood Street Mission has made in the lives of children and families across Manchester and Salford.

This year has been filled with milestones, each one a testament to the power of community, generosity, and the belief that every child is important.

Childhood Experiences

• 437 children took part in our Childhood Experience events, enjoying opportunities to play, learn, and create lasting memories. These moments remind us that joy and discovery are essential parts of growing up. Thank you to our incredible partners who make these experiences possible. If you’d like to contribute you can donate .

Inspiring a Love of Reading

• Our Book Roadshows reached 2,999 children, bringing stories and imagination directly into local schools.
• Together, we distributed an astonishing 14,710 books, opening doors to new worlds and sparking creativity in young minds.
• Beyond the roadshows, we donated 990 books, magazines, and comics to schools across Manchester and Salford, ensuring classrooms and libraries remain vibrant spaces for learning.

School Uniforms for Confidence and Equality

• Starting a new school year can be daunting, but thanks to our supporters, 2,171 children received brand-new school uniforms in 2025 through our Smart Start project. These uniforms not only ease financial pressures on families but also help children feel confident and included.

Family Basics: Supporting Everyday Needs

• Through our Family Basics programme, we supported 2,714 children, providing essentials that make daily life more manageable for families facing hardship. From clothing to household items, these basics ensure children can grow up in safe, nurturing environments.

Christmas Appeal: Making the Season Special

• 2,602 children received gifts through our Christmas Appeal this year, ensuring that no child missed out on the magic of the season. Families were able to choose the presents that were right for their children, with 1,039 parents and guardians supported to make those choices. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, volunteers, and corporate partners, we helped make Christmas a little brighter and a little easier for families across Manchester and Salford.

Looking Ahead

We are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved this year. Thousands of children have received books, uniforms, experiences, and essentials that they would otherwise have gone without. These milestones show the strength of our community and the impact of every single supporter.

But the truth is stark: there are still an estimated 90,000 children living in poverty across Manchester and Salford. For every child we’ve reached, many more are waiting. Poverty doesn’t pause, and without continued support, the progress we’ve made risks being undone.

To keep going, we need your help. Every donation, big or small, makes a direct difference. It means more books in children’s hands, more uniforms for the school gates, more basics for families struggling to get by.

As we step into 2026, we remain committed to tackling child poverty head-on. Together, we can ensure that no child is left behind. But we cannot do it alone.

Please donate today and help us continue this vital work.