Companies from across the city got into the swing of fundraising for Southampton Hospital Charity’s Red & White Appeal when they were each set the challenge of raising £500 (‘a monkey’) in the lead up to Christmas.
Companies took part in the Monkey Challenge, raising over £9,000 which will go towards the £1.76million campaign to create a specialist day unit for patients receiving treatment for leukaemia and other life threatening blood disorders at Southampton General Hospital.
Southampton Hospital Charity would like to thank employees from companies who took part in the Monkey Challenge – Aviva, Barclays, Heath Hotel, RBS Corporate, Skandia and Southern Water.
Each company that completed the Monkey Challenge was entered into a prize draw and the winners, RBS Corporate employees who were chosen by the Southern Daily Echo’s Editor Ian Murray, have been awarded tickets for a day out at a Go Ape challenge centre for up to six colleagues.
The team of fundraisers organised an alternative golf day and raised a total of £7,433.70 for the Red & White Appeal. Earlier in the year one employee also took to the skies with a tandem parachute jump and raised £1,300 for the charity.
Dan Salanson, Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking at RBS Solent said, “We are delighted to have had the Red and White Appeal as our chosen charity in 2011 and the team have thoroughly enjoyed fundraising with events such as our Red & White golf day which raised money for the Monkey Challenge. Our thanks go to all the local accountancy and legal firms who supported us in making the event so successful.”
Dan continued, “We were really pleased to hear that we had been drawn as the winners of the challenge, whilst doing our bit to help support blood cancer patients and we are looking forward to sending six monkeys from our team to Go Ape for the day!”
Southampton Hospital Charity’s fundraising manager Carrie Bolt said, “We are delighted to announce the winner of our Monkey Challenge. Congratulations to RBS and to all of our generous corporate supporters who have got behind the Red & White Appeal and have come up with some fantastic fundraising ideas, from golf days to calendars. We are so grateful for all your support.”
Carrie continued, “We hope that everyone will continue to support us on Red & White Appeal Day, Friday 9 March. £1.1million has now been raised towards our £1.76million target and with £660,000 left to raise we hope that businesses will come together and do what they can to help us towards our goal.”
Could you take the plunge with a sponsored skydive on Thursday 8 March or Saturday 10 March? Or could you organise your own fundraising activities on Friday 9 March - a red and white themed dress down day, paying for parking at your workplace, a cake sale or by having a collection for loose change?
If your business could support the Red & White Appeal, please contact Carrie Bolt on 023 8079 8881 or email carrie.bolt@uhs.nhs.uk| to get involved.
Posted on Tuesday 31 January 2012