Epic abseils, sweltering marathon runs and cake sales have all helped to raise £20,000 for hospice care for children and young people.
Colleagues at Southern Co-op’s head office in Portsmouth set themselves a target to raise £10,000 in a year for Naomi House & Jacksplace – their chosen charity – as part of the retail society’s community engagement programme Love Your Neighbourhood.
Just six months in, colleagues have already doubled their target funds which will go towards an all weather surfaced play area.
Naomi House and Jacksplace hospices provide expert hospice care to more than 325 life-limited and life-threatened children, young people and their extended families from Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Berkshire, West Sussex, Surrey and the Isle of Wight.
Jessica Hughes, community investment manager at Southern, said: “All of the team at our head office were given the chance to vote for our charity partner for the year and Naomi House came out on top.
“The passion Southern Co-op colleagues have for the charity has shown in their amazing fundraising efforts. We couldn’t have dreamt of achieving the target so soon let alone £20,000 in just six months.”
Events included abseiling the Spinnaker Tower, a football tournament, running the London Marathon, spooky bake sales, taking part in the Jurassic Coastal Walk and everything in between.
Jill McDonagh, corporate fundraiser from Naomi House & Jacksplace, visited the team to share her thanks.
She said: “The way the team at Southern Co-op have set about their fundraising with such boundless passion and energy is absolutely brilliant.
“Right across the organisation, they seem to be getting involved and doing something amazing to support the region’s life limited and life-threatened children and young adults. We can’t thank them enough.”
Southern colleagues will continue to raise funding for Naomi House & Jacksplace until January 2019 so it is hoped that this figure will grow even further.
