Monthly dress-down days raise crucial funds for charity
Julie Phillips, Team Leader for the reception and post room at Stannah Management Services Ltd has arranged a series of monthly dress-down days throughout the year to raise crucial funds for a variety of charities. Each month the grand total has received an extra boost from the 150% charity match-funding from Stannah which ties in with the 150th anniversary.
The fundraising which was organised by Julie and started back in February, involved everybody at Head Office donating £1 each month on the designated dress-down day. The first charity of choice in February was the Macular Disease Society who offer information and support to sufferers of the condition as well as funding research to hopefully one day find a cure. The grand total in February was a whopping £516.38.
In March, the £287.70 raised from the dress-down day went to the Abel Foundation, a charity set up to aid the sufferers of Mitochondrial Disease and help their families deal with the life-threatening disease. Mitochondrial Disease is a chronic, genetic disorder for which there is currently no cure.
In April, a grand total of £252.58 went to Breathe Easy Andover, a support group in the Andover area for people living with a lung condition, which is part of the British Lung Foundation.
May was a dress-down day with a difference as the funds were being raised in aid of Headway, the brain injury association. Everyone who took part from Head office donned their most fabulous hats on the day in addition to their comfy casuals and with Stannah’s contribution managed to raise £265.60
In June, it was the turn of the Joseph Patrick Trust (JPT) which is the welfare fund within Muscular Dystrophy UK. The trust provides grants towards the cost of specialist equipment such as powered wheelchairs, electric beds and adapted computers for children and adults with muscular dystrophy or a related neuromuscular condition. The team raised £344.00 for the trust.
Andover Neighbourcare was the charity of choice in July and August and over the two months £312.15 was raised. The local, Andover based charity provides a wealth of services to those in the local and wider community who are in genuine need. The services they provide include help with transport, shopping, cleaning, gardening, relieving carers as well as internet training and much more.
The dress-down days will continue for the rest of the year and the hope is that they will also carry on into 2018.
Julie Phillips, Stannah Management Services
As Julie says, “Holding these dress-down days has shown how just a small contribution from everyone can make such a difference to the lives of others.”
Thanks to a donations box kept on reception at Head Office and by encouraging staff and visitors to Head Office to donate any loose change, an additional £279.13 has also been raised for the Countess of Brecknock Trust Hospice, which is a specialist palliative care unit within Andover War Memorial Hospital.
That brings the grand total raised through the monthly dress-down days, loose change donations box and the Stannah 150% match-funding to an enormous £2,257.54!
You can find out more about each of the charities by visiting their websites:
http://theabelfoundation.org.uk/
http://www.musculardystrophyuk.org/get-the-right-care-and-support/equipment-grants/jpt-grants/