Member Article

New scheme finds highest bid for charity room auctions

Charity Escapes, a North East based not-for-profit organisation, is calling on hotels and holiday home owners to sign up to its initiative that sees spare getaways auctioned off for charity.

Working with hotels and other holiday providers, the charity, which is the trading arm of The Middleton Foundation, aims to achieve the highest potential donation for charity from any donated holidays, room nights or short breaks.

Established in 2016 by Jeremy Middleton CBE, Charity Escapes works in partnership with established charities such as CEO Sleepout, the Children’s Heart Unit Foundation and the YMCA to raise money from donated holidays.

The charity already works with a number of holiday providers, including Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, Small Luxury Hotels of the World and Edinburgh Hideaways, and this year expects to raise around £50,000 for selected charities by placing the donated getaways in high-profile auctions, raffles and events.

Charity Escapes facilitates the process of managing donation requests for hotels like the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, which can see as many as 1,000 requests a year.

Project Director Rick McCordall said: “Speaking to hotels and holiday home owners, we know they are often asked to donate room nights and packages, but more often than not the decisions of what to donate, and to whom, are reactive rather than proactive.

“Our aim is to provide a unique opportunity to raise as much money as possible for good causes, ensuring that their property is presented and promoted in the right way to their target audience. After all, a hotel’s generous donation provides them with an excellent marketing opportunity, which is often overlooked.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mike Renton .