A 71-year-old amputee will travel over 100 miles to Twickenham using only public bus services this weekend to fundraise for a derelict rugby club which gave him a new lease of life.
Barry Mackleston, Wythenshawe community rugby club’s general secretary, will use his concessionary pass on ordinary bus services from Manchester on Friday 7 March to arrive in Twickenham on Saturday 8 March.
The ex-transport worker began volunteering at the club club to revive his mental health following his life-changing hospital stay, during which he lost his leg.
He said: “As you come out of hospital, depression hits you because your life has completely changed.
“The rugby club got me back into life again. It got me back into having a role, having an importance, and doing things that matter to a few people.”
Founded in 2015, Wythenshawe currently struggles with collapsing floors, unsafe electrics, and a growing problem with rodents.
Players are forcefully left dirty after matches as showers have been unusable for months, making it increasingly difficult to host matches.
Mackleston said: “If this was a house, you would genuinely class it as a swamp. It is not the place you would like to send a five to twelve-year-old and tell them to clean up.”
He is grateful to Manchester City Council for allowing them to use the council-owned Painswick Park but fears they do not recognise its importance, leaving the club to take matters into their own hands.
He attributes his improved wellbeing to the club and is determined to give back through the fundraiser.
He added the club serves as a fundamental hub for Wythenshawe, especially because they are part of the STAR* scheme.
The STAR* charity partners with grassroots rugby teams to help young players with adverse childhood experiences or mental health challenges reach their full potential.
Hayley Leonard, mother of a junior player at Wythenshawe and now a STAR* ambassador, believes the club and the scheme have had an outstanding impact.
She said: “They helped save my little girl.
“My daughter has personally used her Christmas money to contribute to the fundraiser because we’re so grateful to them”.
The committee are aiming to raise £1,500 to pay for new showers, flooring, and fix the electrics.
Mackleston also anticipates his bus pass challenge will showcase the capabilities of wheelchair users and inspire others to push boundaries.
The route is set to start from Manchester airport, via Leicester and Northampton, where he will rest for the night on Friday.
He will then continue the journey into London, through Milton Keynes and Luton, with his final stop in Twickenham on Saturday afternoon.
Mackleston hopes to celebrate his long journey by attending England’s Six Nations game against Italy at Allianz Stadium the next day.
Feature image credit: Barry Mackleston with permission.
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