Agents Do Charity - the first Pudsey-tactic edition...

There's just a week to go to Children In Need, the UK's largest fund-raising event of the year - as we are delighted to have our first picture from an agent getting into the mood...

Harrington Lettings in Hove has been super-quick at getting in touch. It is holding a cake sale in our office and has one of our staff members dressing up at Pudsey - that;'s quite a Onesie there...

The agency is also operating a raffle/sweepstake to win two tickets to see Brighton against Liverpool on December 2. Check out the agency's Facebook entry (@Harringtonslettingsagents) and Twitter feed (@HarringtonsLett).

Thanks to Rachel Erridge and her team for sending this through.

If you are doing anything to fund-raise, please let us know - and this year, please send us your photographs and videos!

You can give us details of the fund-raising which we can put on Agents Do Charity, our regular Friday section of Estate Agent Today. 

Or you can send us photographs/videos of your fund-raising, which we will run on EAT and LAT over the next 10 days or so.

In the meantime, here are this week's other heroic fund-raising events.

The Rosemary Appeal: West Berkshire agency Jones Robinson is to give another £10,000 to help the Rosemary Appeal get closer to its fundraising target to build a new cancer centre and renal dialysis unit at West Berkshire Hospital.

The £10,000 gift, in addition to £10,000 already donated, is being awarded as match funding through The Good Exchange on-line funder/fundraiser matching platform.

Newbury and Thatcham Hospital Buildings Trust and Newbury Cancer Care Trust have already raised over £3m in just 12 months. But the appeal still needs to raise another £1.6m and is looking for charitable trusts, corporate sponsors and individual donors and fundraisers to help.

Colin Weatherup, fundraiser and spokesman for The Rosemary Appeal said: “We are extremely grateful to Jones Robinson for offering another tranche of funding to the Rosemary Appeal. Companies pledging to match individual donations through The Good Exchange demonstrate how the local community and business can work together in partnership to achieve goals that benefit the wider community and the match funding approach offers a great incentive for more donors to get involved."

Since becoming The Rosemary Appeal’s official corporate sponsor in February, Jones Robinson has been busy organising and running a number of events to raise awareness and funds.

Jones Robinson Partner, Charles Robinson said: “With community at the heart of our business, becoming involved with an appeal like this is a natural step for us. It has been a real pleasure talking to people and raising awareness of this fantastic and important cause which affects so many and is so close to our hearts.”

The Newbury-based estate agents held a 24-hour static cycle ride event which smashed its initial target managing to raise over £4,000 through sponsorship, cake sales and bucket donations on the day of the ride. More recently, staff organised a rounders tournament for local businesses and managed to add a further £1,250 to the fundraising pot.

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Agents Giving: Last winter UK property industry charity Agents Giving had a fantastic response to its Winter Coat Drive, which saw the collection of more than 100 bags full of unwanted coats which were then donated to homeless charities throughout the UK.

The charity is continuing to push for agents to keep on collecting for their local communities now the weather is getting colder.

Michael Stoop, director of Agents Giving, explains: “We have had a fantastic response to the Winter Coat Drive with property agents and experts alike collecting coats for those in need. Most winter nights the temperature will drop below zero, and the vulnerable are in desperate need for insulation to keep warm, which is why we are continuing to push for agents to keep on collecting coats and donating.”

Spencer Lawrence of Paramount in West Hampstead adds: “It’s such a simple job but it has a huge impact for those in need, especially during the cold nights. Thanks to our staff and clients we collected bags of coats for Wrap Up London.  It is a simple request, but it has had a domino effect and we plan to collect even more coats this year.”

As part of the drive Agents Giving has been asking their supporters to send tweets and email images of their collections, companies including Chestertons, Embrace Mortgage Services, Paramount, CJ Hole and @PropertymarkUK have all joined in, collecting coats for charities including, Calling London, Launchpad Reading and YMCA.

Also don’t forget your local foodbank this winter – Agents Giving are proud to support The Trussell Trust, the UK Foodbank Network to help tackle poverty in the UK.  Agents Giving have this year been encouraging agents nationwide to support their local foodbanks.  You can donate a food parcel, donate your coats, fundraise for them or volunteer your time this winter.

A further festive initiative is being carried out by Agents Giving Partner Ravensworth, who is donating 10% of all its Christmas card sales to Agents Giving; a generous contribution which will help Agents Giving with its charitable activities in the New Year.

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Lord Taverners:  A festive three-mile fun run is coming to Chelmsford this December and there is still time to sign up and secure your place. The Dash for Cash kicks off in the Chelmsford Cathedral grounds on December 16 and follows a route to Writtle.

It has been organised by Beresfords estate agents and is raising money for Lord Taverners, a charity that offers disadvantaged and disabled youngsters the chance to get involved in sport.

Runners will pound the streets between the Beresfords branch in Duke Street – adjacent to the cathedral – and arrive at the estate agent’s St John’s Green branch in Writtle.

The route will pass through two of the city’s biggest parks, Central Park and Admirals Park. All runners will receive a mince pie, mulled wine (only those over the age of 18) and a medal when they complete the course.

To sign up, complete the entry form here then head along to the Lord Taverners MyDonate page here in order to complete the donation fee. Once this is done please send your completed entry form to s.lynch@beresfords.co.uk/. 

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Homeless In Nottinghamshire: Adam Kingswood of Kingswood Residential writes: "I recently took part in a overnight sleep out to raise money for the Homeless in Nottinghamshire. With just a sleeping bag and pillow, I slept under the stars with other local business people to raise £950, which contributed to a collective total of £80,000 raised from everyone involved." Congratulations Adam!