Local organisations have raised thousands of pounds for St Elizabeth Hospice following the local charity’s Turners Hyundai Accumulator Challenge.
In September 2015, 25 teams from Suffolk businesses, schools and colleges were given £50 and three months to turn that into as much charity cash as possible, in any way they wanted.
The teams all came up with a range of fun and innovative ideas to raise more money to support local people living with a progressive illness such as cancer, motor neurone disease and heart failure.
The winners of the Turners Hyundai Accumulator Challenge, raising a fantastic £3,182 is Ipswich based, Suffolk Life, who specialise in self-invested personal pensions. Their four teams raised the funds by holding a variety of activities, including a departmental bake off competition and running a successful sweet shop for staff.
Brian Ward, Suffolk Life digital savings office manager, said: “The Suffolk Life teams have really embraced the Turners Hyundai Accumulator Challenge with a variety of great fundraising ideas, support and generosity from everyone involved.
“We are delighted to have supported and helped raise funds for St Elizabeth Hospice.”
Ian Turner, managing director of Turners Hyundai, and trustee of St Elizabeth Hospice, said: “Congratulations to Suffolk Life on their tremendous achievement. Thank you to all the teams who took part in the 2015 Turner’s Hyundai Accumulator Challenge and I look forward 2016’s event.”
Other teams who took part include groups from: Ansaback; East Bergholt Surgery; Asda, Stoke Park; Barclays Bank; Tothill Services; Specsavers, Stowmarket; Asda, Whitehouse; Asda, Stowmarket; Morrisons, Hadleigh; Tesco, Felixstowe; Easton & Otley College; and Wood Ley Primary School.
Tothill Services took on the most daring fundraising of all, with one employee skydiving to raise money! Stephanie Baggott raised £800 by leaping out of a plan 10,000ft above ground.
Students at Easton & Otley College also embraced the challenge, putting their business skills to the test by opening a shop called ‘This and That’ on the Suffolk campus. The shop has raised nearly £600 so far and is remaining open for the rest of the school year, with students continuing to develop their entrepreneurial skills and raising more funds for their local hospice.
Other fundraising activities included: offering customers the chance to drench staff in stocks in return for donations; Halloween fancy dress and games; cake sales; quiz nights; Christmas fayres; and selling old fashioned sweets.
Brian Taylor, St Elizabeth Hospice’s partnerships fundraiser, said: “We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who took part and raised vital funds for the hospice. All the money raised for the challenge will go towards providing care and support for patients and their families here at the hospice, at home and in the community.
“Congratulations to Suffolk Life on their win and well done to the other teams who worked so hard, coming up with brilliant fundraising initiatives and wacky money-making ideas to raise money.”