Animal loving businesses come together for PDSA

A GROUP of animal-loving professional services firms have signed up to help raise awareness of the plight of an animal charity aiming to raise £2m to help Birmingham pets.
 
Bosses from three city centre firms have all pledged their support for PDSA, the UK’s leading vet charity, which has launched a new initiative to fund a brand new PetAid hospital for Birmingham.
 
FleetMilne Property, Beckford James Chartered Financial Planners and Benussi Law have all come out in support of the charity’s efforts.

“Our current home on Hagley Road West is over 45 years old and the growth in demand for our free veterinary services has meant that we desperately need more space to be able to treat more sick and injured animals.
 
“Work to find a new location for the hospital, which treats pets from across Birmingham, Sandwell and Dudley, is currently under way; but we need local people to support us by getting involved in events like this to help us raise the £2m we so urgently need.”
 
Nicola Fleet-Milne, managing director of FleetMilne Property and owner to five year old terrier, Boris, said: “Boris is part of my family and if my circumstances meant that I could no longer afford to look after him, PDSA would be there, just as they are for thousands of pet owners across the region.

“Birmingham businesses always step up to support charitable causes and PDSA’s appeal should be high on the list of priorities.” 

Quilter Cheviot joins forces with Blues for Christmas charity push

WEALTH management company Quilter Cheviot has linked up with Birmingham City football club to give ill children and adults a Christmas treat to remember.
 
Blues players and staff from city-based Quilter Cheviot donated their time and money to buy hundreds of presents for children and adults being cared for in city hospitals and hospices.
 
They made their first special delivery to the deserving adults when they visited St Mary’s Hospice, the first of three visits to distribute Christmas gifts.
 
The club and company linked up with city charity the Lily Mae Foundation to buy ward gifts for children currently staying in Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Heartlands Hospital. The players paid for the individual gifts and the company’s contributions paid for the ward gifts.
 
Quilter Cheviot colleagues Kirstie Rees and Dean Lomas – who is also a trustee of the Lily Mae Foundation – took part in a marathon present-wrapping session with Blues staff, supporters’ groups and commercial partners at St Andrew’s.

Lomas, a business development manager at Quilter Cheviot, said: “It is genuinely humbling to be able to be involved in something like this and a source of real joy when you see the children’s faces as they meet their footballing heroes.”
 

Cube hotel and restaurants announce two-year partnership with Cure Leukaemia

BIRMINGHAM-based charity Cure Leukaemia has announced a new two-year partnership with Hotel Indigo Birmingham, theclubandspa and the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill.

The three organisations, housed in the Cube building in Birmingham city centre, will be committed to raising funds for the charity with a host of ideas and initiatives in the coming months.

This partnership will add to the growing number of Midlands businesses such as Warwickshire County Cricket Club, Deloitte, The Binding Site, Clever Cherry, Pinsent Masons and OGL Computer who are also supporting the work being done at Cure Leukaemia.

Adam Munday, the general manager of Hotel Indigo Birmingham and the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse, said: “Cure Leukaemia is a fantastic charity that, like us, has a growing reputation across the region for excellence and so it made perfect sense to join the Cure Leukaemia family.

“I know the tremendous work Professor Craddock and his team are doing to combat this dreadful disease and I look forward to suggesting ways in which we can assist them by raising crucial funds.”

Fashion show raises money for Ronnie Bowker Foundation

A FASHION show organised by a West Midlands-based charity, has raised almost £1,000 for deserving causes in the region. 

The Ronnie Bowker Foundation, formed in memory of the late Ernst & Young regional managing partner, organised the event, which took place at Solihull’s John Lewis store.  Around 90 people attended the show, which was followed by an opportunity to shop at the store.

Mr Bowker, who passed away  late in 2011, was a well-known figure locally, not only because he was at the head of Ernst & Young’s Birmingham office for 15 years, but also because of his extensive involvement in and contribution to the community and the arts in the city.

The Ronnie Bowker Foundation Fund is focused on assisting on the arts, culture, education and training. 

The fund is getting closer to its £100,000 target and it has made donations to such local causes as the Tru Street dance group, a Digbeth-based group which runs dance classes centred in the heart of the local community.