From a sunny beach day to marathons in the rain, the hills of Snowdonia to the heart of Leeds’ financial district, there were no barriers for an investment management and stockbroking firm when they supported St George’s Crypt.
Fundraisers at the Leeds office of Redmayne-Bentley raised £5,480 for the city organisation, which supports homeless and vulnerable people in the city, after it was chosen as the branch’s 2016 Charity of the Year.
For assistant head of dealing Colin Adshead, one challenge was not enough as he undertook the London Marathon in April last year, the Great North Run in September and the Snowdonia Marathon in October, raising more than £1,000 towards the total.
Karen Leach, a member of the firm’s Interactive Group of people who coordinate the efforts of staff to volunteer and raise funds for charitable organisations, said: “We’re really pleased to have raised this amount, as it was the result of a lot of work from our staff. It really opened our eyes to the work that the Crypt does.
“We met some wonderful people, both among the staff and clients, and it was lovely to see how the work we did for them will help them.”
In August, the firm brought the seaside to Bond Court when it held a seaside fun day, decking the reception out in the style of a British beach with ice creams for sale and activities on offer such as hook-a-duck. This raised £265 towards the total. Members of the Interactive Group also collected change in charity buckets in various locations in Leeds, and bake sales and dress-down days were held throughout the year.
In addition to raising money, members of staff took time out to provide practical support for users of the organisation’s services, such as volunteering to serve meals.
Verity Griffiths, community fundraiser at the Crypt, said: “I would like to thank Redmayne-Bentley for the fantastic amount of money raised, but also the good, practical help that the members of staff have brought to us by helping with the tea time service.
“This is really appreciated as it shows it’s not just about money but also about human connection. Our clients need shelter and sustenance but also interaction with others. These down-to-earth, practical conversations go a long way to making people feel valued again. ”
At its care centre in Great George Street, St George’s Crypt provides emergency accommodation, for men and women who are, or at risk of becoming, homeless or rough sleeping. It works with local authorities and the NHS to help ensure nobody has to endure two consecutive nights out in the cold, or that vulnerable people are not discharged from hospital with nowhere to go. Their work also includes two specialist accommodation projects working with addiction.
In addition to accommodation, the charity has two shops and two cafés, which both provide training opportunities for service users to gain work experience and new skills.
You can find out more about St George’s Crypt’s work at www.stgeorgescrypt.org.uk.
Ends
Notes to the Editor
Photographs available on request