Agents Do Charity - a supplier, a climb, a competition, and awards

Hello and welcome to our latest doffing of the cap in honour of those in our industry fund-raising for great causes. It’s never more touching than as we approach Christmas to consider so many doing such great work, even in strange times.

Please let us know what you’re doing and you could be featured here next week, in our final Agents Do Charity before Christmas - just email us on press@estateagenttoday.co.uk and we’ll tell the industry.

Now, buckle up and here we go…

Hospices: An industry supplier has teamed up with 16 independent estate agents in England, Wales, and Scotland, to donate £3,200 to hospices.

The Estate Agent Content Club, which provides written articles and graphics to non-competing independent agencies, launched the Helping Our Local Hospices campaign in the last week of November.

Its charitable arm - the Karma Club - offered to match fund any of its members who wanted to donate £100 to their local hospice.

Jerry Lyons, the founder and self-proclaimed Chief Tea Boy of EACC, says: “Covid-19 has meant 2020 has been a brutal year for hospices who often rely solely on fundraising. With all events pretty much wiped out since March, they have been under extreme pressure to keep providing the magical and much-needed care and support they provide people who are in the winters of their lives.

“I know from personal experience how much their work matters because my Mum saw out her days in a wonderful hospice.  I’m proud of our members for stepping up, putting their hands in their pockets and making it possible for us to match fund their donations and donate to the local hospice in their area.”

One such member was John Paul from the Castledene Group in the north east. He adds: “All the best agencies do all they possibly can to support their local communities. Hospices are under a lot of financial strain due to the pandemic, and every bit of help they get is greatly appreciated. We’re proud to have played our small part in the Helping Our Local Hospices campaign, it’s a great idea and very timely from Jerry and the Karma Club.”

The 16 agents who donated were: The Castledene Group; Drewerys of Kent; Mackay Property Experts; CWB Property; Regal Estates; Scottish Property Centre; LL Estates; Knightsbridge Estates of Leicester; Helmores; James Kendall Estate Agents; Alan Batt Estate Agents; Storeys of Cheshire; Champion Stuart; Village Properties; Grey & Co; Martin & Co Chelmsford.

To find out more about the Estate Agent Content Club visit here.

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Fine & Country Foundation: London Fine & Country agents will be trekking the distance of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest - albeit on London’s Primrose Hill -  to raise funds for fighting causes of homelessness and poverty around theworld. The expedition takes place next Friday where attendees will be walking up and down Primrose Hill 178 times, around 58,000 steps, to match the climb of Mount Everest.

Luke McCarthy, director of Fine & Country St Johns Wood, has organised the fundraiser and will be joined by Ed Gilbert and Mark Pesci, two other branch directors.

McCarthy says: “Since many fundraising events have been cancelled across the world, we wanted to do our bit to help bring in funding to the Fine & Country Foundation that is essential to fighting poverty and homelessness globally. We invite the public to come on down and support us, or abuse us, so long as they put a little in the fund. We have no idea how long this will take, and we will attempt it all in one go or sleep and carry on until we reach the top.”

Funds raised will be donated to the Foundation pot, which will contribute to the next Spring Grant where the Foundation grants life-changing donations to various deserving charities.

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A Charity Of Your Choice: Colin Stokes, the managing director of property man agreement platform Adiuvo, has launched a competition in which you can win £1,000 for a charity of your choice.

“Over the holiday season we provide not just the usual out of hours response but extra cover to allow our clients to shut fully or partially over the whole period” Colin explains, who says his firm’s 12 days of Christmas are actually December 23 to January 4.

“Whoever can guess the closest to the total number of emergencies (not calls) we will log over those 12 days wins a donation in their name to the charity of their choice” he says.

It sounds a terrific way to give to a great cause - more details of how to post your entry can be found here.

London Food Banks:  London estate agents JOHNS&CO has just launched its annual food bank initiative, which seeks to collect a variety of non-perishable food, toiletries, sanitary products, nappies and more for the Trussell Trust food bank.

The initiative is taking place across nine developments in London including some of the most renowned new-build residential schemes in the capital such as Ballymore’s West Hampstead Square and Embassy Gardens in Nine Elms.

The Trussell Trust has said it is expecting a 61 per cent increase in contributions this year following the challenges presented by Covid-19 and the increase in willingness from the public and organisations to get involved and help out.

Residents across these schemes will be able to donate via the food banks provided by JOHNS&CO and hopefully make a significant difference to those struggling at this time of year.

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Agents Giving: In case you missed it, the Agents Giving Virtual Acts of Kindness Awards Winners were named recently, at an online event with Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp. 

It raised £1,442.90 for NHS Charities Together. 

A full list of winners can be found here.