Agents Do Charity - fantastic help for communities during lockdown

If anyone told us six weeks ago that agents would still be doing such amazing work for their communities during lockdown - while still trying to keep their own businesses running - we would have been amazed.

Now, at the start of May, we remain in awe of the industry’s ongoing work. 

Everyone mentioned this week let us know of their efforts by emailing us at press@estateagenttoday.co.uk - please do the same and we would love to feature your good deeds next Friday.

Darlington Memorial Hospital: The active and generous team at My Property Box have served up free barista-style coffees and teas to NHS heroes working at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Ben Quaintrell, founder and managing director of the Darlington-based agency, hit upon the idea following a conversation with one of his landlords, who works as a paramedic in the town.

Ben approached the coffee company, Adoro Caffe, and arranged for one of their coffee carts to be positioned outside the hospital between 9am and 5pm on Wednesday this week, with strict social distancing measures in place of course.

NHS staff were treated to free beverages while members of the public were invited to pay for their drinks, with the money being donated to the NHS charity.

Ben says: “I and all the staff at My Property Box wanted to show our gratitude for their hard work in extremely difficult circumstances.  I hope that the simple gesture of buying them a cuppa made them feel appreciated and helped them through their day.

“It was a privilege to serve a few brews myself and at the same time get the opportunity to thank some of the NHS staff personally for all they are doing.”

And Pat Chambers, charity manager at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, adds: “This is a much appreciated and very thoughtful offer for our hard-working colleagues. We’re very well catered for but it was lovely for colleagues to take a short break outside and pick up a barista coffee at the same time. 

“Donations to our charity help fund amazing projects that enhance the great work of the Trust, helping to ensure patients and staff receive the support they need during these challenging times. Thank you to Ben and the team for helping to make a difference.”

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Volunteering Around Snodland: CWB Property in Snodland, has been at the centre of a massive volunteer effort that is bringing deliveries of food and medical prescriptions to people across the town and surrounding villages.

Its owner Warren Bowman explains: “When we opened in 2016 our goal was to be a community focussed agency. So, when this awful disease broke out, we wanted to do something positive to help people.

“Back on Monday March 16 I was about to create our latest flyer but then I started thinking about how bad COVID-19 could get and how many people would be stranded indoors and how we can do our bit to help them. We came up with the idea that we could get a message out to people in need.

“I created a leaflet that offered help to anyone who needed it. We put posts out across all the local Facebook sites telling people what we were doing and managed to get 7,500 leaflets delivered in one day by volunteers. It was truly astonishing and shows the community spirit we have in this area.”

A Facebook group was set up by agency members Rebecca Ruler, Heather Liveston and Sandra Wild,  for people to register to help or who required help, and local councillor Karen Sowton volunteered her services to join the community effort.

To date the initiative has helped over 120 people to get their prescriptions and food parcels, and the agency has also donated 200 Easter eggs to local doctors, schools, chemists and a local care home.

Sherwood Forest Foodbank: A foodbank in Mansfield Woodhouse that helps  those in need will itself get a helping hand when people put their house on the market with a local estate agency.

BuckleyBrown will donate £100 of the selling fee for any new listing that it obtains before the end of this month, May, to the Sherwood Forest foodbank.

Agency co-director Jon Brown tells Estate Agent Today: “We’re proud to be a local business and we always want to do what we can for the local community. For example, we have already donated food and items such as nappies to the foodbank.

“We wondered what more we could do and following a discussion with the foodbank, we decided that we will donate £100 of the selling fee for any new listing that is obtained before the end of May.”

The Sherwood Forest foodbank is part of The Trussell Trust network, and is a project founded by local churches and community groups that works with a range of local agencies who meet people who are at risk of going hungry.

Since mid-March, it has given out a total of around two tonnes of food and other items and project manager Keith Hadfield adds: “We welcome the support of companies like BuckleyBrown. We have had a lot of support but it is about the people who use our service, and they can range from people who are homeless, to those who have suddenly lost their jobs and need to feed their families.”