Agents Do Charity - fun in the sun

From bike rides to boxing, agents and property professionals have been turning up the heat with their fundraising exploits.

Remember, if you have charitable exploits you want the rest of the industry to know about, email press@estateagenttoday.co.uk, or contact us on social media, and we’ll do the rest.

My Property Box: Darlington-based estate agent My Property Box has raised more than £2,700 for north east heart charity Red Sky Foundation after a team of 15 tackled England’s highest mountain – Scafell Pike.

Their magnificent effort in summiting the 3,209ft-high Scafell Pike launched the start of a series of fundraising events to mark the firm’s 10th anniversary.

The team – made up of 15 My Property Box staff, one from Newcastle-based sister company Groves Residential and Lettings, together with four friends and two dogs - took eight hours to complete the hike.

Ben Quaintrell, founder and managing director of My Property Box, said: “As the boss I felt the pressure was on me not to stop for a breather too many times.

“We all had a brilliant day out and enjoyed some fantastic views from the top, improved by the knowledge that we were raising money for a worthy cause.

“Our team was a blend of ages and fitness levels, but despite the tough going, we stuck together, and returned with a real sense of achievement.

“I’d like to say a huge thanks to all those people who sponsored us. Our original target was £2,000 and to raise a total of £2,715 so far is magnificent.”

This September it is also staging a James Bond-themed fundraising ball in aid of the charity at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield.
Tickets for the My Property Box Red Sky Ball on 9th September are £65 per person, or £600 for a table of 10. To book call Rachel Bainbridge on 01325 582 101.

iamproperty: Proptech firm iamproperty has raised £4,172.11 through charity events in June including a family fun day and boxing match. 

Employees gathered with their family and friends to enjoy their annual Family Fun Day at Newcastle Racecourse which raised £3471.16 for their charity of the year, Tiny Lives Trust. 

On the sunny Saturday afternoon, families took part in a variety of entertainment including inflatables, food and drink and classic fairground games, with founders Jamie Cooke and Ben Ridgway stepping up to be the target for the ‘wet sponge stocks’. 

Raffle tickets were available on the day to be in with a chance of winning a selection of prizes with all money raised going into the charity pot. 

Also in June, Ellen Gration, business development manager, took to the ring for a charity boxing match, in aid of Tiny Lives Trust. 

After winning the competition she raised £700.95 – taking the total raised over the weekend to £4,172.11. 

Ben said: “Our annual Family Fun Day is a highlight in the calendar and was more enjoyable than ever as it made its welcome return this year. 

“Raising as much as possible for Tiny Lives Trust, which was voted for as our charity of the year by our team, is a big focus for us and it was great to see our people and their families getting involved all for a good cause. 

“Special recognition to Ellen for raising over £700 through her boxing match.  We’ve got lots more planned for the rest of the year to continue to raise money for our chosen charity.”
 

technologywithin: Workspace management software technologywithin has raised £550 from its annual Gran Fondo cycle ride for The Society of St James, a charity dedicated to supporting the homeless in Hampshire.

The 11 riders were made up of managing director Jon Seal, members of the technologywithin team along with businesses including Savills, Airivo and other colleagues from the property industry.

Jon said: “We’re delighted to have raised more money for our charity partner The Society of St James, they are an incredible grassroots organisation that make such a huge difference to our community.

“We’re already organising next year’s Gran Fondo cycle and we’re keen to raise more money and awareness of their important mission.”

Countrywide Surveying Services: Members of the training academies of Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS) and SDL Surveying have completed their Route 66 Charity Challenge, raising more than £3,600 for LionHeart, the independent charity for RICS professionals.
 
The virtual challenge - which took place over the course of June and consisted of travelling the length of Route 66 in the USA by walking, running, cycling and swimming - was completed by 20 individuals from both businesses’ training academies.

The teams’ progress was captured via the Strava app, plotted on the Route 66 charity map, with updates posted on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter under the hashtag #SDLCSSRoute66.

During the month, Team CSS covered 4,114km - the whole of Route 66 and more.

However, Team SDL pipped them on the overall distance covering a total of 4,218km. The teams raised a combined £1,206 in sponsorship during the challenge but CSS and SDL both matched this amount which resulted in a final total of £3,618.

Sarah Chalmers-Stevens, head of professional development at CSS, said: “This was a light-hearted challenge between two firms who continue to demonstrate their commitment in attracting new talent into the surveying industry and investing heavily in their training and development.

“Although SDL just pipped us on the overall distance, it was a brilliant all-round effort from everyone involved and we are incredibly proud of the teamwork and dedication our training academy showed. The real winner here is LionHeart, and we are delighted to have been able to support a charity which is so close to our hearts."

Adrian Drummond, assistant training and quality care manager at SDL Surveying, added:  “It was so pleasing to see the time and effort everyone took in contributing to this challenge and though we are very pleased that SDL came out on top this time, what is really important is the amount of money both academies have raised for LionHeart, and the excellent work this will help fund. This has always been about the charity and the opportunity to all bond together as a team, as we look at developing the next generation of surveying talent.”

Carolyn McDonald, fundraiser at LionHeart, said she was blown away by the amazing efforts, adding: “We rely solely on generous donations from RICS professionals so donations through fundraising are vital to our work. We are delighted the SDL/Countrywide challenge raised £3,618, which includes match funding from both companies. 

“This will really help us continue to keep making a difference to people at even the most difficult of times. Thanks again to all those involved - we can’t wait for next year’s challenge.”