The Birkett Long £50 Challenge has launched!

Tuesday June 12th saw the official launch event for The Birkett Long £50 Challenge 2012 in aid of St Helena Hospice.

At 5.30pm businesses registered to take part in the challenge arrived at St Helena Hospice’s Education Centre in Highwoods to meet their competition and collect their crisp £50 notes.

The event began with participants networking and sizing up their competition making sure they kept their ideas very close to their chests. They then heard from Rosy Stamp, Hospice Director and Jill Purcell, the Hospice’s Corporate and Major Donor Manager (and challenge organiser!), who reminded everyone why it is so important to support the Hospice and the wonderful work it does.

Challenge sponsors Birkett Long and media partners Heart 96.1 and The Colchester Circle magazine then stepped up to speak to wish everyone well with their creative fundraising. Each group were then given their £50 notes, provided kindly by Birkett Long, and sent into the wider world to start their challenge.

The aim is to use the £50 to kick-start fundraising activities of their own choice and get as much return for their money as possible. All money raised will go straight to St Helena Hospice.

After three months of summer fundraising fun, Birkett Long and St Helena Hospice will be holding a special awards ceremony in October, and presenting awards to those involved for a number of categories such as ‘Most Money Raised’, ‘Most Innovative Idea’ and ‘Outstanding teamwork’.

Jill Purcell, Corporate and Major Donor Manager, St Helena Hospice, says, “We were absolutely delighted with the response to the launch event. The atmosphere was buzzing with fantastic ideas and motivation; people were genuinely excited about the prospect of the competition in raising money for the Hospice. It was also great to hear from the challenge sponsors Birkett Long, without whom it would not have been possible, and our media partners Heart 96.1 and The Colchester Circle. I want to wish everyone taking part the best of luck and we can’t wait to see what innovative fundraising ideas they come up with.”

To keep up with the event visit www.facebook.com/shh50challenge. For further information please contact Jill Purcell, on 01206 791740, or email jpurcell@sthelenahospice.org.uk