Touchstone’s team building
Touchstone Intelligent Property Management has partnered with international charity Habitat for Humanity to support its orphans and vulnerable children programmes within the world’s poorest communities.
Touchstone’s commitment will help fund the building of 24 houses and latrines for almost 100 children and orphans in Malawi in the next three years.
A group of 11 Touchstone employees have just returned from the company’s first trip to Malawi, where they worked with a rural community helping to build two mud mortar houses.
Touchstone director John Midgley said: “I think that all the team had a life-changing experience. In a country where people live on less than $1 a day, a decent home can ensure improved security and health, improved education and increased opportunity.”
Doing it Together
Finance provider Together has raised £26,000 for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. The money will go towards the upgrade of the hospital’s bone marrow transplant unit. The original target of £13,000 was raised by 450 colleagues, brokers and suppliers, and media partners Bridging and Commercial, and Loan Talk. Together matched the amount, providing funding for refurbishment of two rooms at the unit.
Park’s Olympic effort
Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work hosted its own version of the Olympics just ahead of the official Rio opening ceremony.
The “Winner takes it all” event featured rowing, archery, a three-legged egg and spoon race, and fencing.
Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work events manager Carly Gibbs said: “The Olympic Games will be a world-class spectacle and we have decided to bring the Rio feel-good fever to Chiswick Park.”
CBRE doubles effort for Shelter
CBRE has taken up its most ambitious charity partnership in the UK.
Having beaten its two-year fundraising target of £500,000 in just 18 months for housing and homelessness charity Shelter, it has extended its UK-wide partnership for a third year and set a target of £1m to be reached by 2018.
Employee fundraising and corporate donations will make up three-quarters of the total.
The firm has been recognised for its fundraising efforts through the Better Society Awards 2016 and was recently shortlisted in the Charity Times Awards 2016.
Ciaran Bird, UK managing director at CBRE, said: “This is a powerful example of how the property sector can make a huge difference, particularly for those who cannot access decent, good quality housing – something our industry has an important role to help change and many of us might take for granted.”
Dropping in for tee
More than 190 business professionals swung into action at the Wigley Group Open and gala dinner, raising £20,000 for Support Our Paras, the Parachute Regiment charity.
The Midlands commercial property company’s charity golf day began in spectacular style with the Parachute Regiment’s Red Devils display team landing on the course with the tournament’s golf balls.
Several sports personalities attended the event at Staverton Park in Daventry, Northamptonshire, including promotor Barry Hearn; darts professionals Colin Lloyd, Mervyn King and Tony O’Shea; and boxing champions Micky Cantwell and Spencer Oliver.
Atlantic crossing set to raise £300,000
Harry Wentworth-Stanley of Savills, along with three friends, is to take part in the Talisker Challenge in December, rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.
The four-man crew hopes to raise more than £300,000 for the James Wentworth-Stanley Memorial Fund, set up in memory of Harry’s brother.
The team has already raised more than £4,000 with a 36-hour non-stop static row session at Canary Wharf, covering a total of 903km.
The money raised will go towards the first of a planned series of non-clinical crisis centres for those at risk of suicide, to be known as James’s Place.
To sponsor the Row For James team go to www.rowforjames.com
Bright sparks break electric record
Simon Summerby-Bent, Emel Ahmet and Charlie Roberton from Colliers International’s Birmingham office have broken the Guinness World Record for driving an electric car from Land’s End to John O’Groats. The nine-man team, made up of members of Smooth Radio and Rybrook BMW Warwick completed the 886-mile challenge in 25 hours 41 minutes, shaving two hours and five minutes off the previous record.
Colliers International director Summerby-Bent came up with the idea for the world record attempt while raising funds for the Royal Marsden Hospital cancer charity, in memory of his mother’s fundraising legacy.
In addition to the Royal Marsden, the target of £50,000 will also support Global Radio’s Make Some Noise and Whizz Kids campaigns.
To donate, go to www.smoothradio.com/i3worldrecord
Anniversary challenge
The Buccleuch Property Challenge on 9 September has chosen Childline as its partnered charity for this year’s ultimate team building test. To mark Childline’s 10th anniversary, event organisers are hoping to raise a minimum of £10,000. Participants will compete in a number of disciplines including mountain biking, running and orienteering over six hours. Entry for a team of three costs £500 plus VAT.
More details and registration at www.buccleuchproperty.com/wp-buccleuch/the-buccleuch-property-challenge/
Take them to the tower
Members of the property industry will come together on 16 September to test their strength, speed, and nerve against their peers at the London Towerathlon at Broadgate Tower, EC2.
The challenge will see teams of three race up the 877 stairs, abseil 539ft down the tower and complete a 10-minute static cycle.
Organised by LandAid and the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors, the event aims to raise £80,000 for City YMCA London, creating new accommodation for homeless young Londoners.
To sign up, go to www.landaid.org/towerathlon-booking
• LandAid’s very own daredevils, Liz Peace, Lynette Lackey and Suzanne Avery, are taking part this year in full superhero costumes. To sponsor them, go to https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/trusteetowerrangers
