'You're all incredible': Sunderland mum's reaction to 'pay it forward' group success
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Members of Bea's 500 Crew pay £1 a week into a pot and the money is used to help other people in need.


Ninety families have received help
Up-to-date figures show the group has raised more than £16,000 and has helped 90 families when they needed it most.
Some of the causes included;
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Three siblings who lost their mum and were about to be made homeless.
A mum whose son had to go into hospital.
Another woman whose husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Three hundred people have joined Bea’s 500 Crew
Cheryl Archbold, from Roker, set up Bea’s 500 Crew and it has now reached the milestone of 300 members.
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She said: “You don’t really realise what a difference it can make when you give £1 a week but it is huge. Just incredible.
“It can be really difficult when you hear people’s stories. You are hearing real stories from people who are going through challenging times.”
‘It’s not a life-changing amount of money but it is enough for people to know that we care’
The big advantage of Bea’s 500 Crew is it can help people immediately.


Cheryl added: “It’s not a life changing amount of money but it is enough for people to know that we care, and that there are people out there who are thinking of them.
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Hide Ad“They are giving them an injection of cash when they needed it most.”
“It might be hospital costs, petrol, meals.”
Cheryl is saying thank you in the best way possible - by running a 'pay it forward' group which helps people in need.
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She said: “The money won’t change someone’s life but it shows that other people are thinking of them.”
Tests showed one side of her heart was enlarged and not functioning properly.
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Cheryl was already a member of a similar group called Friends 500 based in Merseyside which helped her during her hour of need.


"When we were discharged from hospital, I immediately knew that I wanted to replicate the group in the North East."
To find out more about Bea’s 500 Crew, visit here.
And to learn more about organ donation, visit: www.organdonation.nhs.uk, call 0300 123 23 23 or use the NHS app.
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