Charity: Shopping centre has Christmas all wrapped up for children’s charity; Turner & Townsend raise £65,000; and more

SHOPPERS at Lakeside Village will be able to get their gifts wrapped this Christmas while helping to raise funds for a local charity.

Business leaders from across Doncaster have pledged their support to help the team with the special wrapping sessions in the run up to December 25 to raise money for Doncaster School for the Deaf.

A special Christmas present wrapping session, which will launch the start of the centre’s late night Christmas Shopping, will take place on December 14 between 5pm and 8pm within the indoor area to enable shoppers to buy and get their present wrapped.

John Magee, centre manager at Lakeside Village, said: “We are thrilled that the business community is supporting our Christmas fundraising drive for this important local charity.

“This year it is our turn to give something back and we are delighted to be able to offer this special Christmas wrapping service which means that people can buy their presents and then get them wrapped, for a donation to the charity, and they can take them home without family members being able to peek at what has been bought.”

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PROESSIONAL services consultancy Turner & Townsend has raised £65,000 for Action for Children over the past year, beating its target by 30%.

In its first year of partnership with one of the UK’s leading children’s charities, Turner & Townsend has set up an education fund to provide grants for disadvantaged families, paying for school uniforms, study guides, text books and other vital educational items.

Since December 2015, the company has supported a series of fundraising events across the UK and Ireland, including sponsored sleep outs, the RideLondon – Surrey 100 cycle challenge and the Great North Run.

With more than one in four children in the UK living in poverty, Turner & Townsend is committed to helping remove barriers to education and create more opportunities for children and young people. It aims to inspire them and improve their employability and skills with a particular focus on the construction industry.

Turner & Townsend is also supporting the charity’s internal transformation programme, with UK and Ireland managing director Jon White and managing director of advisory Bill McElroy acting as mentors for senior leaders within Action for Children. In addition, there is a range of volunteering support to help young carers, children’s centres and short breaks for disabled children.
Jon White said: “It’s a huge achievement to have raised £65,000 for Action for Children since we launched our partnership a year ago.

“We know that more than one in four children in the UK now live in poverty, and this can have long-lasting effects on their educational achievements.

“Action for Children are doing an amazing job supporting the country’s most disadvantaged children, young people and families, and we’re proud to be helping make a difference to so many lives.”

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BRAFORD-based chartered accountants Naylor Wintersgill has won the 2016 West & North Yorkshire Chamber Raising the Bar Community award.    

Naylor Wintersgill chairman Alan Wintersgill and managing partner Victoria Wainwright accepted the accolade at a ceremony which recognises businesses that have played an outstanding role in supporting the region through its commitment to great causes, projects, and fundraising activities to make their local community a better place to live.

Ms Wainwright said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won the community award. As a firm, we are very proud to continually support and pro-actively contribute to the local community and the award is well deserved recognition for the efforts of all our fantastic team – we couldn’t have done it without them.”

Naylor Wintersgill has been part of the Bradford business community for almost 100 years.

Mr Wintersgill said: “From bake offs and dress down days to walking and cycling challenges we have had lots of fun fundraising for our chosen charities of the year, One In a Million and Marie Curie Hospice Bradford. Naylor Wintersgill is committed to making a positive impact in the local community and we are looking forward to plenty more fundraising opportunities and activities for our centenary year ahead.”