Charities
Joseph Holt Appeal 2025/26
Supporting 4 Children's Charities
For 2025 / 2026, our charity appeal focuses on Children’s Charities – with the aim to raise £250,000 which will be donated to the 4 chosen charities below. Each one of these charities provides incredible support for children and the work they do is vital for the youth of today.
Charity is not something we do because we have to, it is something that we do because we want to
As an independent, regional family brewer, Joseph Holt places community at the heart of our charity activities. It forms part of our values, it runs throughout our company and it is instilled in the principles of our people who work for us.
Since 1849 charity has been part of our family history, our legacy and our commitment to our communities. Many people not be aware but our relationship with The Christie Hospital lies much deeper. In 1914 Sir Edward Holt I raised £20,000 (£2 million in today’s money) to fund, buy equipment and premises for the newly formed Holt Radium Institute. In 1933 it relocated and joined with The Christie Hospital to become the current Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute.
We also run two family Trusts; The Peter Kershaw Trust, and The Edward Holt Trust. Both of these were set up to give back to local community projects to tackle issues including homelessness, addiction and the Manchester community.
Joseph Holt Children’s Charity Appeal 2025/26
For 2025 / 2026, our charity appeal focuses on Children’s Charities, with the aim to raise £250,000 which will be donated to the four chosen charities below. Each one of these charities provides incredible support for children. From helping families and children who are struggling with the cost of living crisis to children with disabilities and sadly children receiving end of life care, these charities are unique and special.
Wood Street Mission – is an independent children’s charity helping children and families living on a low income in Manchester and Salford. They provide practical help to help meet children’s day-to-day needs and improve their life chances.
Derian House – provide respite and end-of-life care to more than 400 babies, children and young people across the Northwest. The care they provide is free for families, but services cost £6 million to run every year. We look after children and young people right up until their 26th birthday offering palliative care, respite stays, day care, holidays and end of life support.
Francis House – supports approximately 2,000 people at any one time with respite care, homecare, sibling support, end of life care and emotional and bereavement support. Alongside other children’s hospices, Francis House is at the forefront of specialist palliative care provision, caring for children with a wide variety of life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.
Fylde Kids Foundation – first began mid 2023 when local businesses saw schools and youth groups reaching out for help, it became very apparent that the children in the local community need help with basic items and everyday essentials. Our aim is to prevent more children being affected by the financial hardships that families face and ensure that all children can have access to the necessities to grow and develop equally to build a positive future.
Joseph Holt 175th Anniversary Charity Appeal - £710,266 Raised
The Christie is developing, over the next few years, a new Advanced Oncology Scanning Centre on Wilmslow Road, next to the Patterson. This building will house four CT Scanners, one of which will be a new 4D CT Scanner which will be the first in the UK. This new Oncology Centre will mean they can scan up to 45,000 patients a year, compared to the current level of 24,000.
The money raised from our appeal will go towards two important areas in the advanced Oncology Scanning Centre.
- A new Joseph Holt Reception Area, where every single patient at the Christie will go for their scan.
- Providing the complex internal fabric for the new special 4D CT scanning room that will house a cutting-edge scanner which will be the first of its kind in the UK.
Joseph Holt celebrated 175 years in business, in 2024. In order to mark this special milestone launched a two year charity appeal to raise £500,000 for The Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute. The Holt Radium Institute was founded by the first Sir Edward Holt in 1914. In 1933, this amalgamated with The Christie Hospital to form The Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute.
After an incredible effort from everyone involved across the company, the final total of money raised was £710,266 an astonishing amount of money raised for a good cause.
Some of our fundraising in action
Richard Kershaw (centre-left) together with Adam Maxwell (far left), Bill Lonergan (left), Andrew, Dave and Peter Kershaw (right) on their sponsored bike ride across France and Northern Spain.
Charity bike ride from Bilbao to St Malo
Legh Arms raising money for our Ukraine appeal
Lord Nelson Urmston raising funds for The Christie
Kirsty, Emily and Stuart from our Telesales and Commercial Team did a sponsored skydive to raise money for The Christie
Luke, Kyle and Amanda from The Morning Star in Swinton did a sponsored skydive to raise money for The Christie