Mondelez unveils growth plans

VOLUNTEERS from Mondelēz International’s sales and finance team in Birmingham spent the afternoon developing an outdoor growing area for students at Colmers School on the Leys Allotment site in the city.

Joined by representatives from The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), the team of 25 worked to remove weeds, empty compost bays and fill raised beds as part of the organisation’s Health for Life initiative.

Currently supporting six secondary schools across South Birmingham, Health for Life is a £3m, five year initiative funded by the Mondelēz International Foundation and delivered in partnership with the Health Education Service and TCV.

Purvi Modha, trade terms finance manager at Mondelēz International, said: “The day proved to be a big success. We were able to create an area which the students will use to grow their own fruit and vegetables in order to learn more about healthy living.”

Marie Wellings, project officer at TCV, added: “It was great to see the help from Mondelēz International employees at Colmers School; it allowed us to complete tasks which are more difficult for the school children. We’d find it really difficult without their support. 

Mondelez International is a snacks division of Kraft Group, which owns Birmingham chocolate maker Cadbury’s.

Businessman gets on his bike for Action for Children

A BIRMINGHAM  businessman has completed a challenging three-day, 200-mile unsupported bike ride from Calais to Paris as part of a year-long quest to raise money for Action for Children.

Craig Smith, general manager at Hockley Building Services (HBS), and friend Graham Yaxley each carried about 18kg of equipment – including tent, sleeping bag, food and clothing – when they undertook the ride.

Craig, a Midland Board member of the Action for Children’s Byte Night sleep-out in St Paul’s Square, hopes to raise £2,000 from the ride and has already had £1,000 in pledges.

The pair, whose travel expenses were sponsored by HBS in Marston Green, cycled 85 miles from Calais to Abbeville on their first day and camped next to the River Somme, eating Army-style rations and energy bars to keep up their strength.

The following day they took a hilly route and spent 13 hours in the saddle, covering another 85 miles, while on the third day they cycled 38 miles to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

“Carrying all that equipment while climbing those hills was horrendous but we deliberately took a difficult route to challenge ourselves further,” said Craig.

Students demonstrate their caring side

STUDENTS from Birmingham and Solihull, who are undertaking an employability course, put learning aside briefly to raise money for teenagers with cancer.

The students, all aged 16 to 18 and on study programme at the Chelmsley Wood offices of Pertemps People Development Group, are on a course designed to better prepare young job seekers for the world of work.

As part of their employability and personal development award, the students engaged with a community team-building activity and chose to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

They organised a cake sale, raffle and name the teddy competition to raise as much as they could for the charity.

Both staff and the public bought cakes and raffle tickets to ensure the event was a success, with more than £230 raised.

TCT regional fund raising manager in the West Midlands, Michelle Aucott, praised the group’s efforts. “Young people giving something back to their peers and their own community is always to be applauded,” she said.

Poppleton & Appleby tee off to raise minibus cash

A MIDLANDS business recovery and insolvency firm has accelerated its drive to provide minibuses for local schools through its annual golf day.

A star-studded golf classic and gala dinner staged by Poppleton & Appleby saw the firm donate its 49th Sunshine Coach to Chadsgrove School and Specialist Sports College in Bromsgrove.

The firm, which has offices in Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton, marked 28 years of support and involvement with the Variety Club Golf Society at the event which was held at the Marriott St Pierre Hotel and Country Club in Chepstow.

Celebrities in attendance included comedians Jimmy Tarbuck and Tom O’Connor, snooker star Willie Thorne and TV’s Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman. 

The latest minibus donated by the firm was presented to children and teachers at Chadsgrove School on Meadow Road in Bromsgrove during an official presentation.