CSR Briefs: Cure Leukaemia; Quiss; Saxonby

Birmingham business journalist uses writing skills to help cancer victims

 
WELL-known Midlands business journalist John Duckers has published a children’s book 30 years after it was first written following a link-up with charity Cure Leukaemia.

Duckers is a former business editor of the Birmingham Post and now freelances in PR and the media.

He is also a contributor to TheBusinessDesk.com, with a regular Friday highlight from his duckersanddiving gossip blog.

The Amazing Adventures of the Silly Six  tells the story of Angus McMonty, a snake who is really a softie, Felicity, the dog, Suzi, the cat, Percy, the parrot, Nasher, the hamster, and Mole.

It is aimed at a wide audience of youngsters, primarily in the five to 12 age range.

Duckers said: “I wrote it in the typewriter era and, despite being turned down by publishers at the time I have always believed in it. Children seem to like it.

“So last summer I dusted it down, put the 40,000 words onto computer, revamped small sections and got it prepared for another push.”

James McLaughlin, chief executive at Cure Leukaemia, said: “This is a wonderful gesture by John and our thanks go to him for making this contribution.”

Purchasers are being urged to go direct to Cure Leukaemia to order their copy – £3.99 of the purchase price of £9.99 will go to the charity when bought direct. The contact details are Cure Leukaemia, Studio 21b, Victoria Works, Vittoria Street, Birmingham, B1 3PE, Tel: 0121 236 9202 and info@cureleukaemia.co.uk.

The book can also be bought via Amazon, WH Smith, Tesco, Waterstones and other outlets.

 

Quiss and Hawkins link up for Kenya school project

QUISS Technology, the Tamworth-based IT managed services specialist, has teamed up with long-time client Hawkins to help development of a primary school in Kenya.

It will be providing laptops for the children there to use.

Hawkins, a firm of forensic scientists, recently part-funded members of a team from All Hallows Preparatory School in Shepton Mallet for a charitable visit to Kenya. The school has a long association with Sang’a Primary School, near Nanyuki, in a remote region of Kenya where there is no mains electricity or water.

The young pupils at All Hallows raised money to provide clothing, teaching resources and sanitary facilities for their Kenyan counterparts.

John Anderson, operations director at Hawkins, said: “It is important that successful businesses like ours continue to offer support, wherever possible, for those less fortunate. Hawkins provided financial support to members of the team sent by All Hallows and when the question of providing computers to the Kenyan school cropped up, I knew where to turn.

“Once Quiss were asked, there was no hesitation and a number of laptops were offered. The portability and built-in features of laptops make them the obvious choice for surviving the rigours of a remote Kenyan school.”

Ian Wesley, customer support manager at Quis, said: “It’s good to be reminded sometimes that things we all take for granted here in the UK, like a laptop and printer, can have such a profound effect on the lives of people elsewhere in the world.”

Saxonby director to sleep rough for charity

 
JAMES Wood, a director of Shropshire home builder Saxonby, will be sleeping rough in Ludlow tomorrow night to raise awareness about youth homelessness and raise money for charity.

Organised by Ludlow Rotary Club and Ludlow College as ‘Ludlow Cares’, the sleep-out hopes to raise in excess of £30,000 for Barnardo’s, St. Basils and a selection of local charities supported by the Rotary Club.

Mr Wood will take up the challenge in his voluntary role as chair of The Shropshire Housing Alliance.

He said: “This Friday I will be sleeping rough in Ludlow to help raise awareness of youth homelessness. The Shropshire Housing Alliance helps hundreds of rough sleepers each year and I am passionate about getting people off the streets and providing them a platform from which to launch a happy and healthy life.”

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