Lynchs' limited edition t-shirts raise £1,400 for healthcare heroes

A local band has made a major donation to Wigan hospitals’ new charitable fund to support staff.

Lynchs gifted almost £1,500 to the Three Wishes Healthcare Heroes Fund by selling limited edition T-shirts.

The first set of shirts released by the four-piece sold out in just 20 minutes and led to a second set being produced to meet the incredible demand.

And, as the second runs also sold out, the band began receiving photos of fans sporting their merchandise across the UK and Europe.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, also supported the cause sharing a photo of himself wearing one of the T-shirts and praising the band for their “fantastic gesture.”

The £1,414 raised will be used to help support the psychological wellbeing of staff across Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh (WWL) Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust sites.

The WWL Healthcare Heroes Fund was set up for staff welfare following several enquiries from the local community asking how they could help. Donations to this fund will then go on to support WWL staff and their wellbeing through the pandemic and beyond.

Mary Fleming, Chief Operating Officer at WWL, thanked the band and their fans for the donation saying: “At times like this, the wellbeing of our staff is especially important and donations like this are key in helping us to continue to provide the support our staff need. The enthusiasm from LYNCHS and their fans is incredibly touching and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated to this cause.”

The band’s frontman, Breb Lynch, said: “It’s been exciting to see how a simple T-Shirt can bring people together and raise so much money; our fans generosity has been amazing.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the bravery of our heroic health workers and to see the money spent helping them get back on their feet is the worthiest of causes.Thank you to everyone who has supported this campaign and to everyone getting us through this crisis.”

If you would like to donate to the fund directly, text ‘WWLHEROES’ to 70480, donate £5 (Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message) or visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/wwlheroes to make a donation or set up your own fundraising page.