Schoolboy nets sports prize thanks to opticians

BIRMINGHAM schoolboy Samuel Graham has won £250 worth of sporting equipment for his school by keeping his eye on the ball.

Cricket loving ten-year old Samuel, a pupil at St Mary & St Margaret’s Church of England Primary School and a Warwickshire under 10s cricketer, took part in a ‘Spot the Cricket Ball’ competition run by Scrivens Opticians, who sponsor Warwickshire County Cricket Club. 

The prize also included a family ticket to the NatWest T20 Blast Finals day at Edgbaston.

The competition was run in 24 Scrivens branches across the West Midlands, as part of a ‘You Can’t See The Signs’ campaign to highlight the importance of eye checks in children.

Scrivens Opticians marketing manager Martin Elwell explained: “We recognise the importance of regular eye checks for young people, because having correct vision is key to a child’s learning.”

The money will go towards tennis nets.  Headmaster Mark Street said: “It was a lovely surprise when Samuel told us of his achievement.  As a school we see sport as central to our pupils’ physical and mental wellbeing, as well as giving them an opportunity to develop discipline and team skills.

“We are grateful to Scrivens Opticians for their kind donation, which will help us build on the breadth of sports we offer our children by purchasing tennis nets.”

Team from JLR set to tackle the Morrisons Great Birmingham Run for Cure Leukaemia

MORE than 50 office staff from Jaguar Land Rover and ten employees of its PR provider Pink Squid are set to run the Morrisons Great Birmingham Run to raise funds for Cure Leukaemia on Sunday October 18th.

Training has already begun in earnest for the employees of the Midlands- based car manufacturer who have set a target of more than £12,000 in fundraising for Cure Leukaemia, a figure that would be worth £120,000 in potentially life-saving drugs for blood cancer patients in the region.

Joining the Jaguar Land Rover team are ten employees of London-based PR agency Pink Squid.

Graham Thompsett, head of talent acquisition at Jaguar Land Rover said, “We at Jaguar Land Rover are delighted to support Cure Leukaemia and the Morrisons Great Birmingham Run Birmingham Half Marathon.

“This event and the charity has captured our hearts and minds and hopefully will also have made us a little bit fitter.”

James McLaughlin, CEO of Cure Leukaemia, said: “We are thrilled to have such a strong team from JLR and Pink Squid running for the charity.”

As is a team from The Binding Site

RUNNERS from Birmingham business The Binding Site are also in training to take part in the Morrisons Great Birmingham Run Business Challenge and raise funds for Cure Leukaemia.
 
The company, which employs more than   400 staff at its office in Edgbaston, specialises in producing highly sensitive and highly specific antibodies used for the detection of certain cancers and immune system disorders.

An official partner of Cure Leukaemia, the company supports the charity throughout the year and has entered a strong team of runners for the last three years. This year, it has also entered the Business Challenge and is looking forward to competing with other Birmingham businesses on the day.

Charles de Rohan, CEO of the firm, said: “The Binding Site is very proud to be an official charity partner of Cure Leukaemia. We know the tremendous work they support at the Centre for Clinical Haematology and across the region and I’m delighted we will have another strong team for the Morrisons Great Birmingham Run.

“It is true that I said last year would be my final half marathon but Cure Leukaemia’s fantastic ‘Just One More’ campaign has changed my mind!”

Accountants scale new heights to raise cash for children’s hospital

STAFF at a Midlands-based accountancy firm have swapped their desks for the great outdoors to raise vital funds for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
 
Prime Accountants, which has offices in Coventry and Solihull, has collected over £16,700 – cash that will play a key role in supporting the children’s hospital over the coming months.
 
Taking inspiration from the Three Peaks Challenge, the accountancy firm devised a back-breaking task that combined climbing with cycling and rowing challenges.
 
Known as the Pedals, Paddles, Peaks – or ‘3 Ps’ – challenge, it saw staff, clients, friends and family members mix and match their choice of activity, with fundraisers coming together for three weekend events over the summer.
 
In conquering the challenge across three weekends, the team has racked up a total of more than 1,000 miles of cycling, 45.5 miles of rowing, and three days of climbing.
 
Director at Prime Accountants and team leader Kevin Johns said: “The 3 Ps is one of the toughest fundraising endeavours we’ve ever undertaken, and has been no small feat for our intrepid, dedicated team. I’m extremely proud of how they have risen to the challenge.”