In brief: Lodders charity bid, BeanIT, Mid-Counties Co-op

Lodders in the pink for week of cancer charity fundraising

A MIDLANDS law firm is in a race to raise money for cancer charities. For Stratford-upon-Avon-based Lodders, Race for Life 2010 will be the culmination of a week of fund-raising. It takes place on Sunday June 27, with a 2.30pm start, at Stratford Racecourse, Luddington Road. Around 2,600 women will walk, jog or run five km looking to smash the local fundraising target of £165,805 for Cancer Research UK. Race for Life is Cancer Research UK’s flagship, with over 230 events taking place across the UK. Jennie Patrick, who along with Sonia Kang has organised the Lodders’ contribution, said that, although a number of individuals from the firm had taken part in the race previously, this was the first year an official team had been entered. To emphasise the new approach they will be running in Lodders T-shirts, pink cowboy hats and pink leg warmers. Ms Patrick said: “The idea is to have a great day out with family and friends and in the process help more people beat cancer.”

BeanIT is bouncing after first year

A MIDLANDS IT services company is celebrating its first year of trading. BeanIT, which is based in Tamworth, was established by Allan Bean in June 2009, and now has five staff and 50 clients. Before establishing the business, Mr Bean worked for corporate IT firms abroad and in the UK, and had also previously owned three successful IT businesses. Mr Bean said: “We specialise in helping small to medium size businesses in  the Midlands, and our reputation has mainly grown from word-of-mouth recommendation. I’m delighted to be celebrating the company’s first year of trading, as we have managed to establish ourselves relatively quickly within a competitive marketplace and during what can only be described as a tough economic climate”.  The company is a family business with Allan’s daughter Roxanne (, and son Adrian, both working in the business.

Midcounties Co-op celebrates corporate responsibility achievement

THE MIDCOUNTIES Co-operative has celebrated after achieving ‘silver’ in the UK’s leading voluntary benchmark of corporate responsibility. Midcounties chief executive Ben Reid said: “This is the first time we have taken part, so to be awarded silver is a fantastic achievement. We are an ethically driven retailer with co-operative values and principles behind everything we do, from the responsible way we conduct our business to working with and supporting the communities in which we trade.” Midcounties has won a string of awards in the past 12 months for its positive approach.