Wirral Ark

17/09/2026

The view from the top!

The official photos from our abseil last weekend show just the scale of what our brave abseilers undertook 😱

Huge thanks again to all of them for their willingness to scale a 110 foot lighthouse to help homeless people here on the Wirral break the cycle of homelessness.

If you want to donate in support of our amazing abseilers, then here is the link to Gary's page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/garychadwick 😊

15/09/2026

The new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, threw the spotlight on rough sleeping recently with his vow to end it as soon as possible.

Rough sleeping is defined as sleeping out in the open (tents or in doorways for example) or in buildings not designed for habitation (stairwells, cars or carparks). Research has shown that people are around 50% more likely to have spent over a year sleeping rough if they are also experiencing mental ill-health. It's why we have a dedicated health care nurse on site to help break the cycle of ill-health and rough sleeping.

In 2024/2025, we helped a total of 163 people. Of those, 40% were rough sleeping, making up the biggest proportion of all the homeless people who came to us for help.

Breaking the cycle of rough sleeping takes time, compassion and the right support but it is possible. Every fundraiser and donation helps move people away from rough sleeping FOR GOOD.

Can you help us end rough sleeping here on the Wirral?

14/09/2026

What a day! Huge thanks to our intrepid abseilers for their bravery on Saturday abseiling down Leasowe Lighthouse. 😍

At 110 feet tall, it is certainly a challenge for those who don't have a head for heights. The rain and the wind on Saturday morning wasn't helping! But luckily the sun came out, the wind dropped slightly and the abseil went ahead.

Despite a lot of nerves (especially from Arky bear!), they all managed it with the support of their family and friends who came down to cheer them on!

Mike, Josh, Gary, Graeme, Becky and Ali/Arky, between them have raised £985 for Wirral Ark. A magnificent sum which will go directly to helping homeless people here on the Wirral. ☺️

14/09/2026

🥄 A Slightly Different Donation Request! 🍴

The generosity of the Wirral community never ceases to amaze us, and we are incredibly grateful for the support we receive throughout the year. ❤️

While we always welcome donations, sometimes we find ourselves in need of some rather random items... and right now, it's cutlery!

At Wirral Ark, we provide meals every day across our hostels, and somehow knives, forks and spoons have a habit of disappearing over time. If you are a business or individual with any spare cutlery you'd be willing to donate, we would be extremely grateful.

We're also always happy to receive: ☕ Mugs
🍽️ Plates

Donations can be dropped off at Mary Cole House, our main hostel building,7 Sidney Street ,Birkenhead.

Alternatively, if you have items to donate but can't get them to us, please email [email protected] and we'll see if we can arrange a collection.

Thank you for helping us ensure the people we support have everything they need, right down to the humble knife, fork and spoon. 💙

12/09/2026

So today’s the day Team Ark take on the Leasowe Abseil challenge!!! The weather may not be looking great at the minute but I know it will be perfect at 1 pm when our team come down the side!!🫣🫣🫣Please come down and cheer on the guys ! And meet our mascot bear 🐻 Arky !! GO TEAM ARK

10/09/2026

Meet Mike and Josh - the latest members of one very competitive family taking on the Wirral Ark abseil this weekend!

Merril, Wirral Ark’s Deputy CEO, also in the picture, took on the abseil last year. And now Mike and Josh have decided it’s their turn to take on the challenge and, more importantly, challenge Mum! 😂

They’re an adventurous, outdoorsy family, so you might think an abseil would be right up their street, even if they have been roped (ahem!) into it. There is, however, one slight problem…Mike is scared of heights! 😱

We love that this family is getting behind Wirral Ark; taking on a challenge, facing fears and raising money to support the people we work with.

So, Mike and Josh… Merril has set the benchmark. How will you fare? 😆

Good luck to all our abseilers this weekend, you are absolute stars! 🌟

09/09/2026

It’s Teddy Bears Day today! 🧸

A perfect day for us to launch our campaign to get our Ted Without a Bed book delivered to schools!

Who better to help us than Local Postal Service?

Paul uses an electric vehicle to do his deliveries all around the Wirral so it’s great for the environment too 🙌🏻

Paul from Local Postal Solutions popped by in the summer holidays with his little assistant to get to know Ted 😃

Look out for your Ted book winging its way across the Wirral to your school soon 🤩

08/09/2026

Meet our latest Wirral Ark abseil hero!

At 54, he’s a local singer, an all-round good sport… and, in his own words, someone who gets “roped into doing everything by his wife!” 😂

There’s just one small problem with this particular challenge…

He’s absolutely terrified of heights! 😱

So why is he doing it? Because he’s seen first-hand the amazing work Wirral Ark does and wants to do his bit to support the charity.

He’s also hoping his colleagues at West Wallasey Fleet Hire Services will get behind him and help him raise as much as possible.

We think taking on something you’re genuinely terrified of to support people who need a safe place, compassion and a way forward makes him a bit of a hero already. ❤️

Good luck this weekend, Ali!

https://www.justgiving.com/page/alistair-lee-1

05/09/2026

Only 1 week to go!

We’re delighted to introduce Becky, who is taking on our charity abseil to raise vital funds for Wirral Ark.

Becky has been passionate about rock climbing for more than eight years, mainly climbing indoors at walls across the UK, although she loves getting outdoors whenever she can.

So perhaps an abseil isn’t quite as terrifying for Becky as it might be for the rest of us! Although we’re sure stepping over the edge will still be a challenge…

Becky recently graduated from Leeds Beckett University with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, developing strong communication and people skills along the way.

So, what inspired her to take on the challenge?

Becky says she really admires Wirral Ark’s mission to support people in our local community and help those who need it most. She wanted to challenge herself, while raising awareness and giving back to such an important local cause.

We’re incredibly grateful to Becky for taking on the challenge and helping us raise awareness of the work we do.

Good luck Becky, we will be cheering you on next week!

04/09/2026