Agents Do Charity - or should that be May do charity?

We’re used to remarkable changes in just a short time - a week ago, who would have thought Theresa May would have been prime minister with a new cabinet in place?

One thing doesn’t change though - the dedication of people in our industry to help those in need through charitable good works.

We have another bumper bundle this week, all of which contacted us on press@estateagenttoday.co.uk to show the industry what they are doing and get a little extra support into the bargain.

Here are this week’s fine examples...starting with someone close to Estatre Agent Today.

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Exeter Samaritans: Estate Agent Today’s editor, Graham Norwood, is one of many volunteers taking part in a 15 miles sponsored walk for the Samaritans in Exeter, a charity close to his heart. 

“Exeter Samaritans is open 24/7 and in 2015 was contacted around 42,000 times by people in distress - that’s just the Exeter Samaritans. It costs around £40,000 a year to operate this branch alone and it gets no grants at all, relying solely on donations” explains Graham.

He’s doing his 15 miles walk on Saturday July 23 and hopes to hit the £850 mark in sponsorship. Please do give for this amazing charity - you can support Graham on...

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Graham-Norwood

Thanks a lot!

Rainbow Trust Family Support Worker: Estate agent Cubitt & West has announced £30,000 funding for a vital member of Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity’s Surrey Care Team, supporting families with a life threatened or terminally ill child.

Staff at the Crawley, East Grinstead and Horley branches met Family Support Worker Nicki Phelan and heard more about her role, which they are funding. 

Nicki talked about the impact Rainbow Trust has on local families caring for a seriously ill child. The charity’s Leatherhead based team of Family Support Workers care for over 150 families in Surrey and surrounding counties, helping them to cope in extreme and uncertain situations, so that they do not have to cope alone.

Cubitt & West, the largest estate agent in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire, will fund Nicki’s vital role for a year through its Community Foundation Fund. A further £11,000 will be raised through staff fundraising, including employees from all 15 branches taking part in The Nuts Challenge, a seven kilometre army assault course on September 4.

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SportsAid: Staff at the Bushmead branch of Harrison Murray have been busy raising money for local football star Abbie Roberts. 

The team took some inspiration from the recent Euros by setting up a penalty shoot-out with local school, Bramington Primary in Luton, donating prizes to the best goal-scorers.

Fifteen year old Abbie from Dunstable has already captained England internationally and currently plays for MK Dons. She is currently sponsored by the branch through charity SportsAid and was more than happy to offer some hints and tips to the youngsters.

Abbie received £750 to help her with her expenses at the beginning of 2016 and is looking forward to helping the branch raise money to top up this fund throughout the next season.

Alan Cave, manager for the Bushmead branch of Harrison Murray, said; "We are thrilled to be involved with this initiative to help someone that is part of our local community.”

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National Star: A team from leading Gloucestershire and Worcestershire agent, The Property Centre, together with Dee & Griffin Solicitors set itself a tough challenge – to climb the National Three Peaks in 24 hours. And not only did they succeed but they’ve raised a whopping £5,000 for charity too.

“I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved ”, said Steve Jones, Partner at The Property Centre and one of the team to scale the heights of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon. “It was certainly a hard physical test – we’ve got the blisters and battered knees to prove it!”

Conquering the National Three Peaks was the brainchild of Alex Diett, Manager of The Property Centre’s Abbeymead Branch in Gloucester. From first suggesting the idea back in January, he worked tirelessly to organise everything and make sure the team was well prepared.

You can still donate via the team’s Everyday Hero giving page at https://cando.everydayhero.com/uk/TPC-National-Three-Peaks-Challenge

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The Wallich: After recently taking on the muddiest assault challenge in the world for their chosen charity, The Wallich, estate agent Dawsons is ready to get ‘game, set and match’ with a Wimbledon themed dress down day to raise further funds for this great cause.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to raise money for The Wallich and support their amazing work helping vulnerable people get the help they need to live safer, happier and more independently, we are hosting a tennis themed fundraiser, and this year’s event provides plenty of inspiration! At the centre of activities will be our dress down day, think John McEnroe sweatbands, Boris Becker Wigs, Serena Williams skirts or a combination of all,” says Joanne Summerfield-Talbot, director of residential sales at Dawsons.

As well as doing their very best impressions of the tennis world’s leading and most iconic sports stars, Dawsons staff will be hosting and taking part in a themed online tennis quiz throughout the course of the day, whilst team members will also be putting their culinary skills to the test with some Wimbledon themed recipes.

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TDS Charitable Foundation: Organisations that support landlords and tenants have just a few weeks left to apply for a share of a £70,000 funding pot from the TDS Charitable Foundation.

The amount of money available to fund innovative projects that benefit the private rented sector has been increased for 2016, and people are urged to submit their bids before the deadline on Wednesday August 10.

In particular, the foundation is looking to make funding available to commission a feasibility study into establishing a dedicated research centre for the sector in England and Wales.

Organisations that have successfully applied for funding in the past include Designs on Property Ltd, which was awarded £15,000 to fund a series of 12 independent reports on the private rented sector, the first of which looked into the typical buy-to-rent landlord and was published earlier this month.

Industry expert and report author Kate Faulkner says: “Without the funding from the TDS Charitable Foundation we would not have been able to carry out this independent research, which I believe is vital if we are to fully understand the industry in which we work and start challenging the misperceptions surrounding the private rented sector.”

For more information visit: www.tdsfoundation.org.uk. The successful applicants will be announced in the autumn.

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Woddlesford Primary School:  Manning Stainton has come up with the goodies to help make a local school’s summer fair a great success. The Rothwell branch answered the call from Woodlesford Primary School for raffle prize donations by providing a luxury Marks and Spencer hamper packed full of delicious treats.

The raffle was among a range of activities at the event organised by the Parents Teachers Association which raised over £4,000 on the day for school funds.