Agents Do Charity - as Christmas looms into view

There’s no escaping it now. The John Lewis advert has been released, the weather is almost as cold as it should be, and estate agents are starting to let us know about their Christmas fund-raising.

If you want some well-deserved publicity for your branches’ good work, let us know on press@estateagentoday.co.uk and you can join our latest heroes....

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Depaul UK: Claire Empson, managing director of Daisylets & Daisy Sales, has slept out overnight at the Oval to raise funds for homeless charities. She still needs your help and your generous contributions.

“While sleeping out for this one night does not compare to the reality for those people who face it day in and day out, the act of solidarity will help highlight the issue of poverty and raise funds for those who need it. I truly believe we are all, or have been at some point, a short story away from being homeless ourselves” explains Claire. 

“If it hadn't been for my own great friends and family at the time, I would have been suddenly homeless myself in my 20s due to a dodgy landlord and his sudden flat repossession. Luckily for me friends offered somewhere to stay temporarily, I had a job, and had family as a backup plan and to store my belongings - not everyone is that lucky. Homelessness in London is a big issue for all age groups” she insists.

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Children’s Adventure Farm Trust: The Gascoigne Halman agency is joining forces with The Children's Adventure Farm Trust this Christmas in support of their toy appeal for terminally ill, disabled and disadvantaged children from all over the North West.

Gascoigne Halman offices in Altrincham, Hale and Sale are once again acting as drop off points for people to donate new toys and presents. These gifts will then be collected and taken to the CAFT in Millington in time for the festive season.

Plymouth Neurological Rehab Unit: An estate agent who survived a ski accident almost a year ago will be joined by his two sons as he completes a 10k run this weekend to raise funds for the unit that helped his rehabilitation.

Darren Lawson, managing director of Mansbridge Balment, will take part in the race after his company stepped in with a sponsorship package to save the annual event. The organisers, Run Plymouth, have given Darren permission for his sons Sam, 11, and nine-year-old Cameron to run the final 100 metres to the finishing line with their dad.

Among the other 2,000 competitors will be two teams of 10 made up of several staff at the Plymouth Neurological Rehab Unit at Mount Gould Hospital, which helped Darren to walk and talk again after he came out of a coma.

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Ealing Defribillator: A defibrillator has been installed outside an estate agency in Ealing thanks to an agent being inspired by the death of a friend. John Martin, owner of John Martin Estates, has bought an automated external defibrillator (AED) provided by Cardiac Science. John was inspired to see the device installed because a friend died from a sudden cardiac arrest.