The Financial Options Group completes its first year as a Bury Hospice Business Patron – in the local charity’s new scheme for corporate sponsors.
2022 has been a very special year – our first as a Bury Hospice Business Patron.
We’re proud to be the hospice’s first ever Business Patron, as the first business in our local area to take part in the charity’s new corporate sponsorship scheme.
So what exactly does it mean to be a Business Patron for this amazing local cause?
By being a Business Patron, we are evidencing our ongoing commitment to supporting the Hospice in a multitude of ways. These include: reaching a high threshold of annual contributions, engaging with Hospice community initiatives, helping the hospice towards its growth objectives, and spreading the word about new projects and events.
Our goal is make meaningful donations which will help Bury Hospice to cover its annual running cost – which in 2022 alone will top £3.5million. We know that the generosity of the local community and businesses like ours is vital to the facility achieving its mission to provide the highest possible standard of care to those who need it most.
Our Charitable Foundation was keen to raise funds for Bury Hospice, whilst also delivering the continuous support we have provided to other local charities including: Caritas Red Door Bury, Bury Cancer Support Centre, the Salvation Army, WHAG, Lancashire Mind and more.
To help the Foundation reach its fundraising target for Bury Hospice, we proudly hosted our first in-person charity fundraiser in more than two years: a prestigious Golf Day at Mottram Hall, Cheshire.
Our Golf Day
The Financial Options Group Annual Golf Day on 16 June saw 18 corporate teams compete for golfing glory and a host of amazing prizes. On the lush fairways of Mottram Hall Golf Club, clients, colleagues and friends played under a beautiful blue sky – driving, chipping and putting the day away.
With Charitable Foundation director Sarah Kendell and the Financial Options Group team working to ensure the event turned out beautifully, and with a buffet lunch, a silent auction and prize ceremony topping off the day, the fundraiser was supported by a number of corporate sponsors:
Foundation director Sarah Kendell comments, “It felt fantastic to be out on the fairways of Mottram Hall Golf Club raising money in aid of Bury Hospice. There was a wonderful energy and positivity from all the players, and amidst a healthy dose of competition and plenty of good fun, the real winner on the day was Bury Hospice, and we are very proud to have raised much needed funds on their behalf.”
Mentoring the Schools Challenge
In alignment with the Foundation’s aim to engage with Bury Hospice initiatives, our founder & CEO Christian J Pepper mentored the students of Unsworth Academy’s Charity Committee team in the Bury Hospice Schools Innovation Challenge 2022.
For the challenge, the youngsters had to develop a business plan and execute it. Unsworth Academy put forward an impressive effort, with a multi-phase business plan comprising the organising of a cake sale, ‘Ice Pop Fridays’, a raffle, and an evening ‘Extravaganza’ fundraiser as well as selling their own handcrafted candle holders, trinkets and artwork. The students furthermore brought several corporate sponsors on board, as seen below:
At the finish, Unsworth Academy came away with no less than four awards: Most money raised,Best Business Plan, Best Publicity & Social Media Coverage, and Overall Challenge Winners! The charity sub committees’ input and effort in the challenge was amazing and they were deserving winners.
Christian comments, “Being a mentor was a phenomenal experience. The Bury Hospice Schools Challenge is incredibly beneficial because it allows young people to work as teams to bring their unique fundraising visions to life. From creating a business plan to enacting that plan and finally seeing your hard work pay off – you can’t ask for a better lesson on entrepreneurship. They are building skills to last a lifetime and it was an absolute pleasure to be a part of the process.”
Helen Lockwood, chief executive at Bury Hospice, comments, “What an amazing year it has been working with Christian, Sarah and the rest of the Financial Options Group team as Bury Hospice's first ever business patron. Being a patron is a wonderful way to support to the Hospice. We couldn’t ask for a more positive, proactive and heartfelt approach from the Financial Options Group, who are actively working to create events and sponsorships to support the great work of the Hospice. Whether it's fundraising, participating in Bury Hospice initiatives or spreading the word about our services, their contribution has been fantastic. The company has played a crucial part in helping to fund specialist care for our patients and their families when they need it most.”
For more information on the Financial Options Group Charitable Foundation, please visit www.financialopts.co.uk/fog-foundation
Comments