Agents Do Charity - aspirational autumn

Check out some of the latest charitable endeavours from agency and property brands this week.

If you have a charitable event or donations you think the rest of the industry should know about, please email us on press@estateagenttoday.co.uk, or get in touch via our social platforms, and we’ll do the rest.

Fine & Country Foundation: The Fine & Country Foundation has launched its Autumn Grant Programme, with applications accepted from 1 October 2023.

Following the success of last year, where over £80,000 was awarded to charities both in the UK and overseas through two rounds of the Grant Programme, the organisation aims to surpass this total in 2023.

Jon Cooke, trustee of the Fine & Country Foundation, emphasised the Grant Scheme's focus on providing financial support to non-profit organisations, particularly those dedicated to combating homelessness and poverty.

Cooke said: "Grants are issued in Spring and Autumn, with Fine & Country offices worldwide encouraged to submit applications nominating a charity of their choice to receive a donation of up to £3,000.

“These proposals undergo rigorous review by The Foundation's board, and successful projects are awarded grants. The financial assistance provided to these charities will supply much-needed funds to continue their vital work within their communities."

Hunters: Easingwold Golf Club recently hosted The Hunters Golf Day in aid of The Nikki Waterhouse Trust. The event is in its 20th year and has been supporting local charities over those years.

“Everyone enjoyed the day”, said Oliver Hanlon of Hunters York, “it was great to see so many people taking part and supported by so many businesses too.”

“As well as locals there were many people and companies that had travelled 3 and 4 hours to support the day and I would like to thank them along with the Hunters team who had worked so hard to make it a success”, said Rob Smith, managing director at Hunters.

Simply Conveyancing was the headline sponsor and thanks were also expressed towards local developers Daniel Gath Homes, Yorvik Homes & Mulgrave Properties. Despite the cost of living crisis, thanks to the generosity of all those who spent so wisely on the day, the event raised approximately £15,000.

The Nikki Waterhouse Trust was set up in February 2015 in memory of the 32-year-old estate agent who worked for Hunters and was tragically taken away from her family and friends in October 2013. Nikki loved children, so it felt right to create a trust in her name to help make a difference to their lives.

“Hunters is a national network and has donated to children and organizations across the country, but local charity Martin House and York hospital have been regular recipients of the Trusts assistance. We also help individual children under 18 and we support every application if we can,” said John Waterhouse, a director of the Trust.

The Nikki Waterhouse Trust welcomes applications for funds from all over the United Kingdom. Find out more: http://www.thenikkiwaterhousetrust.com

Northern Estate Agencies Group: A team of estate agents have launched their most ambitious fundraising initiative to date this week, travelling the breadth of Yorkshire to Lancashire on foot or two wheels to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. 

More than 80 staff across the Northern Estate Agencies Group (Manning Stainton, Ryder & Dutton and Mortimers) joined for The Coffee Cup Relay between Monday 25 to Friday 29 September, walking, running and cycling their way between each of their 36 branches to raise thousands for the charity.

Sales negotiator Jacob Onyando from the Manning Stainton Oakwood branch came up with the idea for the relay. He said: “My idea was to cycle to every single branch within our network over a day, but then I realised I wasn’t Bradley Wiggins.

“I took the idea to the senior team and we agreed to extend the challenge to a five-day relay during the week of Macmillan Coffee Cup Morning, and make it on foot as well as on wheels. It’s been great to get involved with everyone from the company and feel that connection. It’s a good way of bringing everyone together.”

Northern Estate Agencies Group, which has a 36-branch network across Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Lancashire, has a long-term partnership with Macmillan, with a commitment to raise more than £60,000 for the cancer charity in the next four years. It has supported Macmillan Support in West Yorkshire since 2012.

Sarah Whyte, Macmillan’s relationship fundraising co-ordinator, said: “We are in awe of the collective effort from staff across the branches for the inaugural Coffee Cup Relay. If they manage to raise the target this could fund a Macmillan nurse for five weeks. The company’s drive to raise funds through various activities over the past decade is incredibly humbling, and all money raised will go such a long way in helping Macmillan do whatever it takes for people living with cancer.”

Mark Manning, managing director of Manning Stainton, added: “I’m proud of the whole team for making this mammoth relay happen for a charity that’s so dear to so many of us. We’ve been supporting Macmillan for the past 10 years, because we are so grateful for the invaluable clinical and emotional support they offer to people living with cancer.

“I ran the London marathon this year, so I’ll be donning my running shoes once more and running part of the relay with some of my team. Please drop into any of our branches this week to have a coffee and cake, and support this worthy cause with a much appreciated donation.”

Find out more: Coffee Cup Relay fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support on JustGiving.

David Wilson Homes: Developer David Wilson Homes has donated £15,000 to local Sittingbourne children’s charity, Demelza.

The housebuilder, which is behind the Applegate Park development in nearby Borden, has contributed towards the charity efforts in providing clinical care and emotional support to children with serious or life-limiting conditions.

Children’s charities such as Demelza, which has a hospice in Sittingbourne, are vital in aiding children and their families through difficult times. Now celebrating its 25^th anniversary, Demelza supports families by providing services such as creative therapies, short breaks, sibling support, and, when needed, end of life care and bereavement services.

In recognition of their efforts, David Wilson Kent’s Manging Director, Will Walsh, visited the centre in September to find out more about the work carried out there, future plans for the charity, and ended the visit with a cheque of £15,000 to contribute to the ongoing costs of providing care.

Will Walsh, managing director at David Wilson Kent, said: “Cuts to our healthcare service has been tough on many, but its impact on children’s healthcare funding has been one of the most hard-hit areas.

“Our children’s health should not be compromised, and all too often we rely on charities such as Demelza to provide care to those who need it most. It was an extremely insightful opportunity to visit Demelza’s centre in Sittingbourne, and to see one of their play groups in action truly showcased how important charities like this are in our local area. We are so proud to partner with Demelza, whose incredible efforts have supported families for decades, and we hope our help adds to their work in continuing to make a difference.”

Lavinia Jarrett, chief executive at Demelza, added: “We were delighted to welcome Will to our hospice in Sittingbourne to see firsthand how the incredible donation from David Wilson Homes is making a difference. 86% of our funding comes from our generous supporters, helping us to provide outstanding clinical care, short breaks, family liaison, creative therapies, end of life care and bereavement services to families in the South East. Thank you, we couldn’t do what we do without your support”.

Alongside this donation, David Wilson Kent is broadening its support for community healthcare via S106 agreements by investing over £86,000 to NHS Swale’s facilities to ensure all corners of healthcare are supported.

Michael Day: Industry consultant and trainer Michael Day has completed his one million steps challenge in support of Diabetes UK.

Michael started the three-month challenge on 1 July and completed it with a week to go whilst successfully undertaking the London Bridges 10 Mile Wellness Walk with his daughter Carrie on Sunday 24 September.

At one hundred steps per minute, Michael estimates that he has spent around 167 hours walking. That’s effectively seven, 24-hour days, during the completion of the challenge.

Michael has been a type one diabetic for 35 years and also successfully underwent triple heart bypass surgery in 2021.

He also set out to raise £500 for the charity but his efforts have actually raised more than £3,000 so far and he is hoping that the final total will be even higher.

Michael said: “The one million step challenge has been amazing on so many different levels and I am proud of what I have achieved. I deliberately went very public about my plans as this ensured I stayed focused on the end goal.

“Like the best way of eating an elephant, I broke the one million steps down into bite size pieces and actually completed an average of just over 11,750 steps every day for 85 days.

“By monitoring my progress daily I was able to keep ahead of the required ‘run rate’ and complete the challenge well within the scheduled timeframe.

“I have been encouraged by family, friends and industry contacts all of the way and have to say thank you to all of those that have sent messages of support as well as made generous donations by way of sponsorship. Every pound raised is greatly appreciated and goes directly to the work that Diabetes UK does to help people manage and minimise the impact of diabetes in their lives.

“It was particularly pleasing to receive a hand-written and personal thank you card a few weeks back from the Diabetes UK fund raising team for my efforts.”

Michael joked that he would possibly never walk again and that his trainers may soon appear on Ebay but, in reality, he will do so but at a more moderate level in the future.

Find out more and donate: https://steps.diabetes.org.uk/fundraising/michael-day2023

The Estate Agent Content Club: An industry partner is celebrating its fourth birthday by increasing the charitable support it helps agents share with their communities.

The Estate Agent Content Club (EACC) has been providing content for non-competing agents since September 2019, when it launched.

More than £38,000 has been donated overall through its charitable arm, The Karma Club, which saw it win Best Supplier Fundraising at last year’s Agents Giving awards.

EACC founder Jerry Lyons said: “When we started the club, it was with the idea we could help estate agents raise their marketing profile through consistently good content and support them with the charitable work they do in their communities.

“The Karma Club takes £5 from each member’s monthly subscriptions, which is put into a digital kitty. Then we ask our members each month if they have good community causes or local charities they wish to support, and we match fund them.

“On average, we have donated almost £800 each month we have been in business. Thanks to the generosity of our members, these amounts are match-funded. So when that’s taken into account, we’ve played a part in more than £70,000 in community and charitable giving since we began. It’s something our members love and that we are very proud of.

“It’s been an exciting four years, and we have plans to expand our business, including the launch of the Ethical Agent Network, and to keep doing all we can to help our members succeed.”

To mark the club’s birthday, it has donated an additional £455 in September to Stephen Brown’s Computers for Schools appeal on top of its regular charitable giving.

Spicerhaart: A team of around 50 fearless fundraisers took on a trio of mountain climbing challenges to raise more than £17,000 for a charity dedicated to helping poorly children and their families make unforgettable memories. 

Colleagues from across the Spicerhaart group took on mountain climbs to support the estate agency groups’ Magic Moments charity. 

Entrants could either take on the National Three Peaks Challenge in 24 hours – which meant scaling Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in a day, the National Three Peaks Challenge in 36 hours, or an ascent just up Snowdon. 

The team smashed through their £10,000 fundraising target which is a huge boost to Magic Moments which is now in its 25th year. 

The charity, which has raised more than £2.5msince it was formed in 1988, is dedicated to taking children who are being given hospice care, and their families, as well as those who have been recently bereaved, on annual trips to Disneyland Paris. 

Ben Fuller, senior residential sales consultant at haart in Lincoln, was the first to finish the 24-hour challenge and walked up and down Snowdon in a remarkable time of just 1 hour and 36 minutes – one of the quickest times ever recorded for that leg. 

Emma Barber, chair of Magic Moments Charity, said: “It was a fantastic weekend and I am so proud of everyone who took part and helped raise money for our brilliant charity. 

“We’ve organised these Three Peaks Challenge events on a number of occasions now, and the efforts people go to, and the generosity of others who donate, never ceases to amaze me. 

“The money will go a long way and help get families to Disneyland.” 

Find out more and donate:  https://magicmomentscharity.enthuse.com/profile  

Agents Giving: Industry charity Agents Giving’s Great British Property Cycle kicks off in October.

Everyone can take part and you can cycle in your own time – you can either hop on your road bike, mountain bike or static bike in your front room, office or gym and ride any mileage you can. Clock your mileage on Strava and see if collectively we can make our way round the British Isles.

This event is to help raise funds for mental health charity Mind, The Trussell Trust and for Agents Giving to help with grants towards your fundraising events – you just need to sign up, start clocking up your miles and your pennies in October.

You can ride on your own, with family, friends or colleagues, it’s all about taking part, having fun, get moving and fundraising for some great causes. You can cycle around your village or town, office to office relays or ride in your front room watching TV – the choice is yours.

Join the amazing cycle team already signed up of agents and suppliers including Kerfuffle, Property Academy, Andrews, Loop, Oakwood Homes, Acorn Group, Winkworth, Base Property Specialists, Dawsons, Beckett Estate Agents, National Home Move, Paramount, ESTAS, Pygott & Crone, Macleod & MacCallum, Veya, Sort Group and more - let’s see just how far we can cycle.

Find out more: https://agentsgiving.org/event/the-great-british-property-cycle/

If you have any fundraising planned, Agents Giving can help by providing a grant of up to £350 to help with your fundraising costs. 
The Agents Giving Grant Fund supported by The Guild of Property Professionals will help towards the costs of your fundraising challenge or event, meaning more of the money you raise goes direct to your chosen charity. 

So, if you are an estate agent, letting agent or supplier to the industry and organising an event which incurs a cost then Agents Giving can help with a grant – Agents Giving will also help with the promotion of your event. 

Find out more: http://agentsgiving.org/the-agents-giving-grant-fund

Zoopla: Property portal Zoopla and homelessness charity Crisis are celebrating a year of working together.

Throughout the past year, Zoopla has leveraged its unique data, brand recognition and leading industry position to support Crisis with changing the perceptions of homelessness. 

Together, they have also called for meaningful reform when it comes to housing benefits and the shortfall in affordable housing.

Highlights from the partnership over the last year include carrying out joint market analysis to shine a light on the availability of low-cost rented accommodation for people claiming housing benefit in England, supporting the Crisis at Christmas campaign across the Zoopla website and via marketing channels delivering 24 million impressions and a coordinated volunteering and fundraising effort across Zoopla which resulted in 207 employee volunteer days and more than £65,000 raised.

Zoopla staff have also given dozens of hours of their time to support the Crisis retail warehouse to coordinate, prepare and price up donated stock for Crisis’ network of Shops from Crisis, in addition to volunteering at one of the Crisis at Christmas centres in December last year. 

In terms of what’s next for the partnership, Zoopla said it is excited to continue to stand side by side with Crisis as they begin their 10-year strategy to end homelessness, working together wherever possible to influence key stakeholders to make the market fairer for people looking to access safe and affordable accommodation. 

Charlie Bryant, chief executive of Zoopla, said: “It’s been a hugely successful year working with Crisis, one which our staff have embraced and proactively engaged with through fundraising and promoting the need to better understand the causes of homelessness. 

“We haven't seen the increased investment in local housing allowance that we’d hoped for after the publication of our ‘Falling Short’ report, so we must continue to work together to highlight how chronic underinvestment in housing benefits prevents people from accessing affordable homes in the private-rented market. We are looking forward to making further progress with Crisis in tackling homelessness in 2024.”

Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, added: “Zoopla and Crisis share a conviction that we should – and, crucially, that we can – bring an end to homelessness. Our partnership shows how much can be achieved when charities and businesses come together with an aligned purpose.

“Their up-to-the minute understanding of the housing market, and access to unique data, has enriched our policy and campaigning by demonstrating the growing shortage of truly affordable homes in the private rented sector for the 1.9 million people who rely on housing benefit to pay their rent. 

“We are also hugely grateful to the entire team at Zoopla for getting behind the partnership with so much energy and commitment, donating their valuable time as well as vital funds to support our work to help people across Great Britain rebuild their lives away from homelessness. We are excited to continue to work together to highlight the issues contributing to rising homelessness and the solutions required to reverse these trends.”