Thursday 3 Oct 2019
Selfless Network Rail signaller nominated for Pride of Britain fundraiser award
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central
A Network Rail signaller has been nominated for a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain award after raising more than £40,000 for Dementia UK.
Manjinder Kang, better known as Manny, is part of a team of signallers in Birmingham helping to keep trains across the West Midlands moving.
The life-long Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter originally set out to raise £5,000 but has now raised eight times his target.
Manny was nominated for the Pride of Britain award by a football fan he’d never met but who’d followed his altruistic efforts on social media.
The signaller was then shortlisted as one of four regional finalists who’ve appeared on ITV regional news in the West Midlands this week. Manny’s film will be broadcast on ITV News Central in tonight’s 6pm programme (3 October).
Manny said: “It’s a real honour to have been nominated for this award but I really feel like what I’m doing is completely normal. Everyone has within them the ability to help other people when they’re in need, and all they need to do is tap into it. It amazes me that so many people can now do that by following my fundraising challenges to help a charity as important to me as Dementia UK. It is a young charity and they need help and their support is vital so I just felt passionate about helping a charity that is growing.”
Anna McNee, regional fundraising executive for Dementia UK, said: “We are thrilled that Manny has been nominated for the Pride of Britain Award. Not only has Manny raised an incredible amount for Dementia UK, but he has also helped to spread awareness of the Admiral Nurse service and become one of our highly valued Volunteer Ambassadors. We would like to thank Manny for helping us to achieve our aim of ensuring that every family who needs it can have access to a dementia specialist Admiral Nurse.”
Manny raised the impressive sum for charity by mobilising his fellow football fans and Network Rail staff through selling thousands of samosas, running and cycling for hundreds of miles and by raffling signed football shirts and Wolves memorabilia.
From the four West Midlands finalists, one will be chosen by a panel of judges to join celebrities at the glitzy Pride of Britain awards ceremony later this month and compete in the national ITV Fundraiser of the Year category.
Now in its 20th year, the ceremony will be presented by Carol Vorderman and broadcast on ITV.
You can find out more about Manny’s ongoing fundraising at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/MKANG
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