Member Article

Savvy business ideas bag £9000 for hospice

Bristol’s only adult hospice is celebrating after a new fundraising campaign raised almost £9000 in just 10 weeks.

The Accumulator Challenge saw 12 local businesses go head to head in an attempt to raise the most money for St Peter’s Hospice with an initial investment of just £50.

Businesses including Hughes Price Walker, Doubletree by Hilton, Bristol City Centre, The Bristol Port Company and Almondsbury Garden Centre all took part in the challenge employing different methods to turn their £50 into more cash.

From raffles and cake sales to collecting 20ps in Smarties tubes and taking on lunchtime triathlons, the fundraisers did what they could over 10 weeks, with all the money raised going towards supporting patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

The winning team was independent postal service ONEPOST, based in Portishead, which raised £1586.20 using a variety of methods including organising a static bike ride in the foyer, covering the distance between Portishead and Paris.

As well as naming the Accumulator Champions, St Peter’s Hospice also handed out awards for Most Valued Team Member to Charlotte Weaver of ONEPOST, Most Innovative Idea to Doubletree by Hilton for their lunchtime triathlon and Best Name to The Bristol Port Company for their ‘Great Bristol Port Bake Off’.

St Peter’s Hospice corporate fundraiser, Caroline Booth-Morris, said: “We are delighted with the results of our first ever Accumulator Challenge which raised a fantastic amount in just 10 weeks.

“The businesses that took part did a great job of running and marketing their own fundraisers, and we’re so grateful for the time and effort they put in.

“We’re already looking forward to this year’s challenge and hope that even more businesses come forward and invent even more imaginative ways to raise funds for the hospice!”

Charlotte Weaver of ONEPOST said: “We loved taking part in the St Peter’s Hospice Accumulator Challenge and winning was just the icing on the cake!

“St Peter’s Hospice cared for my aunt in 2016 and I was so impressed with the incredible care given to her and the family. My colleague Iain Followell’s Grandad was also cared for by the hospice so there was a strong personal connection for us as well as the desire to help a local cause.

“Everyone worked really hard and enjoyed taking part in the challenge together. We have grown quite quickly as an organisation and working on the challenge has encouraged our teams to get together and get to know each other better.

“We’re delighted we raised such a great amount for a great local charity.”

Other local businesses to take part in the challenge included Consumer Intelligence, Quarter Hotel Group, Recruit UK Ltd, Holiday Inn City Centre, Holiday Inn Bristol Airport, Coutts, and Sainsbury’s Clevedon Hill.

As Bristol’s only adult hospice, St Peter’s Hospice cares for more than 2,670 patients each year as well as supporting family members.

All services are provided free of charge for patients and their families and this care costs around £19,000 a day. In order to continue providing vital care for the people of Bristol, St Peter’s Hospice relies on donations from fundraising and money generated by the 50 hospice charity shops in Bristol and surrounding districts.

To find out more about St Peter’s Hospice please visit www.stpetershospice.org

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clarke Willmott .