60 Dos with Barry

The Stockport-based insurance director celebrates his 60th birthday this year, and is drawing up a marathon series of events to raise cash for The Christie local cancer centre's children's unit before the landmark date.The project - dubbed 60 Dos with Barry - will feature 30 groups and individuals raising funds with cake sales, concerts and quiz nights between 11th January and 11th March 2016.

Then Barry, a keen runner and a long-term member of Stockport Harriers, will spend the last two days of that period (Thursday 10th and Friday 11th March) jogging between a further 30 insurance companies in Manchester to visit the fundraisers. The tireless fundraiser is aiming to collect as much cash as possible before he celebrates his big day on 23rd March.

All the funds will then benefit 60 patients at the unit where Barry is both a patron and an ambassador. The money will be mainly used to enhance play therapy facilities at the unit. Barry, director of Thompson Insurance Consultants in Stockport, began fundraising after his wife Chris was treated at The Christie. Barry raised more than £224,000 in 2014 when he launched his Project 150 for The Christie during his year as President of the Insurance Institute of Manchester, smashing his original target of £150,000.

Barry explains: "I haven't set myself a fundraising target on this occasion because I want this to be fun for everyone involved, let's do something special and out of the ordinary before I reached the big day. We have 30 events and parties already arranged and I am confident we can sign up all the organisations and individuals I need to complete the 60."

Get involved!
Would you or your company like to get involved and support Barry in his fundraising project in aid of The Christie? All you need to do is thinking of a fundraising idea with your colleagues and friends, put your plan into action, and then contact us to arrange a time for Barry to collect your cash on either Thursday 10th or Friday 11th March 2016.

Here are a few fundraising ideas to get you started:
- Bake off
- Can you guess...?
- Fancy dress to work day
- Games day
- Raffle
- Quiz night