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to people with life-disrupting problems |
'Undercover angel' gives charity new lease of life
Undercover millionaire volunteer donates thousands to Bristol homeless charity
From the Bristol Evening Post, Friday, February 19, 2010, 07:00.
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An undercover millionaire has given thousands of pounds to a St Pauls homeless charity, enabling it to expand into a former pub.
A fundraising appeal has now started at the Crisis Centre Ministries in St Pauls to start renovations at the Queen Vic pub, in Stapleton Road.
Workers at the charity, based in City Road, said they were gob-smacked when a new volunteer revealed herself to be a multi-millionaire, making a programme for Channel 4, and giving them one of the biggest single donations in the history of the series.
Dawn Gibbins was taking part in Channel 4's The Secret Millionaire, and had left her luxury lifestyle in Cheshire to find people to help in Bristol.
During her stay in the city she worked at the organisation's Wild Goose Cafe under the wing of deputy manager Lisa Mannion who had no idea about her identity.
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After spending time with the volunteers Ms Gibbins, who owns a holistically inspired flooring business, was moved to give a huge donation, to be revealed in the programme, in order to help continue their work.
The organisation, which has been working in the city for 25 years, feeds some 300 people each day, offering counselling and support, and helps people access rehabilitation and supported housing.
Alan Goddard, drop-in centre manager, said he almost burst into tears when Ms Gibbins revealed the amount she was donating to the charity.
He said: "We were all a bit emotional that day, that gift just changes the life of so many people.
"We are eternally grateful to Dawn and The Secret Millionaire team.
"Thanks to the gift we have now just purchased the pub which we believe will enable us to help the people who come to us more effectively, to provide a safer and more welcoming space, to provide a greater range of support and services, and to stay open for longer."
Mr Goddard, who is a recovered alcoholic, said the irony of running a pub is not lost on him.
He said: "We get a lot of addicts coming to us and they think the fact that we're moving into a pub is quite funny. It is quite historic and even has a Victorian lamppost running through it.
"We're hoping our work here, with local churches and the local community, will help community regeneration in the area."
Richard McKay, parish priest at St Nicholas of Tolentino, said: "As a local resident it's nice to see the place healing lives instead of wrecking them.
"It's wonderful news and will hopefully bring people together."
The Crisis Centre Ministries is now applying for grants and starting fundraising activities to allow the centre to open in autumn of this year.
The current centre in St Paul's will close briefly but Mr Goddard said he plans to run both centres to help as many people as possible.
To find out more, visit www.crisis-centre.org.uk.
The Secret Millionaire episode is screened on Channel 4 at 9pm on March 1 and launches a new series of the show.