B&Q greeter and fundraiser, 91, nominated for Pride of Britain award

ITV Granada Reports journalist and presenter Zoe Muldoon met Alan who is nominated for the regional Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year award 2024.

A 91-year-old DIY store worker who has raised more than £175,000 in memory of his son has been nominated for a Pride of Britain award.

Alan Wrigley, from Oldham, has worked as a greeter at the homeware chain B&Q for the last 20 years and raises money for various charities.

As well as collecting cash for charity, he has taken part in bungee jumps and swam with sharks to help fund wheelchairs for four boys and a little girl's Disneyland trip.

The 91-year-old started fundraising almost three decades ago, after his eldest son died from a heart attack and his grandson passed away.

"A little bit later I started collecting and that just kept me going", Alan said.

In May 2022, he was invited to the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace to receive a British Empire Medal for his fundraising efforts.

"The letter came through the door that I'd been nominated for it", he said. "I know I'd done a lot of good things, but so have a lot of other people.

"But I like doing it. It's not something I'm forced into to, I just do it. I think if I ever retire, I think I'd just give in. You need to have something to keep your mind going."

Alan is among four finalists nominated for the Pride of Britain Regional Fundraiser of the Year Award 2024 for the North West.

When asked what it would mean if he won, Alan said: "It would be a feather in my cap. I would like to win it but I'm not here for that. I'm here because I enjoy it."

What is Pride of Britain?

Pride of Britain Awards celebrate the achievements of truly remarkable people who make our world a better place.

Nominated by the public, the winners are from all walks of life, of all ages, and from all over the country. Their achievements are awe-inspiring and a lesson to us all.

Since the first Pride of Britain in 1999, royalty, prime ministers, and hundreds of leading figures from showbiz, sport, politics and the arts have all taken part.

Hosted by Carol Vorderman, the Awards attract an audience of around five million viewers every year in a primetime slot on ITV - making it the highest rated awards show of its kind on British television.

Listen to the ITV News entertainment podcast, Unscripted.