Holiday hampers from Wilkes help feed Ladywood families

BIRMINGHAM and Solihull law firm The Wilkes Partnership has been striving to make sure local children don’t go hungry during the holidays.

With the Birmingham Child Poverty Commission showing that 49% of children in the city – nearly 137,000 – live in England’s top 10% most deprived areas, Wilkes decided to partner with the Ladywood Community Project and Birmingham Central Foodbank to help local families.

Tim Coplestone, partner at Wilkes, said: “With approximately 86% of children in Ladywood entitled to free school meals, there’s a lot of extra pressure on families’ budgets during the summer holidays when free school lunches aren’t available. Some families don’t have the money to spare and many children can simply end up going hungry.

“Alongside Birmingham Central Foodbank, local charity the Ladywood Community Project had set up a great scheme to prepare and distribute food hampers to those families in need, so we got staff around the firm on board to donate nutritious long-lasting food.

“With Ladywood being on the doorstep of our Church Street office, participation from all departments was high, and we estimate that the food collected went to form hampers that helped at least 15 families in need.”

Gerardine Giblin at the Ladywood Project, said: “It was great to see such enthusiasm from the team at Wilkes, with some of their volunteers also helping to pack and distribute the hampers to local families.”

Clement Keys raises more than £8,000 for Ronald McDonald House

FOLLOWING a year-long partnership, accountancy firm Clement Keys has raised more than £8,000 for Ronald McDonald House Birmingham, smashing its original target of £5,000.
 
Staff completed numerous fundraising activities including dress down days, raffles and an in-office nail bar. Most notably, a 23-strong team from the firm took part in the Whole Hog Challenge, a gruelling 7.5 mile assault course across tough terrain in Staffordshire. One employee, Anne Witsey, also completed a sponsored head shave.
 
Ronald McDonald House Birmingham opened its doors to families of children being treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital in 2009. It is run by an independent charity – Ronald McDonald House Charities – which gives families with sick children a free place to stay in or near specialist children’s hospitals across the UK. 

It enables parents and other primary carers to remain close to their children and care for them while they are in hospital.

Joe Bates, managing partner at Clement Keys said: “We’re committed to supporting local charities and helping them to provide much needed support to people in our community. The service that Ronald McDonald House offers is invaluable and I’m proud that we’ve been able to contribute to its continued success.”
  

Mitsubishi man has fundraising plan for food bank

A MEMBER of staff at a Mitsubishi dealership in Bilston is looking for people to take part in a fundraising event for a food bank.

Paul Harrison is hoping 150 people will take on the Food on the Run 5km event at Buntingsdale Recreation Field, in Little Drayton, in aid of the Market Drayton Foodbank.

Paul, aftersales manager at Autosales Mitsubishi in Vulcan Road, decided to organise the fundraiser after seeing the rise in people turning to foodbanks.

He said: “I’d rather foodbanks didn’t have to exist but anything I can do to help is great. I’m hoping we can raise £1,000 from this event, which would make a real difference to the foodbank and the community.”

This is not the first fund raiser Paul has organised. In 2014 he put on the Silly Vicar fun run, with 130 people taking part, which raised £850 that was divided between Market Drayton Foodbank and Christ Church in Little Drayton. 

This year’s event, which takes place on September 20th, will also include a bouncy castle and face painting for children and a display of vintage cars and motorbikes.

Trowers & Hamlins gearing up for Great Birmingham Run

EIGHT runners from law firm Trowers & Hamlins have signed up for the Great Birmingham Run Business Challenge on 18th October, to fundraise for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Six women and two men from various departments across the city centre-based firm are currently training hard for the event.

It’s the first time that Trowers & Hamlins has signed up for the half marathon, although the firm hosts regular fundraising events for Birmingham Children’s Hospital, its chosen charity.

Amardeep Gill, team coordinator and managing partner, said: “We are really excited to fundraise for such a worthy cause. We will probably be entering one team – although there’s a real mix of running abilities; some of us take part in running events regularly, whilst others have never run before!

A new incentive has been added to this year’s Morrisons Great Birmingham Run Business Challenge, with Midlands companies given the chance to win an exclusive professional training session for their team by submitting a 60 second training video.