Businesses celebrate their success in St Nicholas Hospice Care Accumulator Challenge

Businesses that have been battling it out to be named top dog in this year’s Jacobs Allen Accumulator Challenge, in aid of St Nicholas Hospice Care have had their efforts recognised.

The 50-plus firms involved in the three-month challenge have each spent the summer trying to turn a £50 stake – donated by sponsors Jacobs Allen– into as much money as possible for the charity.

Team representatives celebrated their success by attending an awards evening at Bury St Edmunds Audi, on Skyliner Way, last week, where they learnt their competitive efforts had raised £23,176.39.

Georgina Bissell, the hospice’s director of fundraising and marketing, said: “For me, the challenge demonstrates the community spirit we need to be able to keep providing the care and support our community needs. The hospice has such great support from the business community and we couldn’t do what we do without that support.”

The Coffee House team’s competitive fundraising efforts saw them take the top spot by raising £5,219.

This year the top prize for the most amount of money raised, presented by Keith Senior of challenge sponsor’s Jacobs Allen was won by The Coffee House, who raised £5,219.

Keith said: “I am so proud to be able to congratulate all our Jacobs Allen Accumulator Challenge competitors on what has been a brilliant three months of fundraising.

“The hospice does a huge amount for our local community and we are proud that the Accumulator Challenge helps to support that.

“I know the money that has been raised as part of this year’s challenge will make a huge difference to the charity, the people it cares for and the families it supports. None of what we have achieved would have been possible without the hard work and generosity of the businesses involved. Thank you to everyone for their efforts.”

After kick-starting the challenge as they meant to go on with their successful Moreton Hall Open Gardens event The Coffee House team, who have taken part in the event for a number of years, really pulled out all the stops with a number of fundraising activities.

Lucy Newell, Jessica Darnell and Claire Nolan from the Coffee House all attended the celebration evening to pick-up their award.

Lucy said: “It has really been a team effort, with staff from both branches really getting behind our fundraising and we are so pleased to have raised so much for what is such an important local charity.”

“As we do every year we have had a lot of fun taking part in the Accumulator Challenge, the support we have had from the community has been brilliant and we are so grateful,” added Claire.

The night also featured a host of other accolades, including the Marketing Award, which commends the business that best marketed its fundraising activities, and was presented to Claire Brooks from Box-it East.

Throughout the challenge Claire has not only marketed her own team’s efforts by flooding social media with news of their successful quizzes, she has always been first in line to boost her fellow competitors fundraising efforts too.

Not content with beating the competition to the top spot the Coffee House also scooped the challenge’s Community Award which goes to the business the judges felt involved the community and demonstrated the essence of community spirit.

It was the 365Motivate team whose camaraderie shone through and led to them winning the Best Team Spirit Award, as judges felt their family fun day, cake sale and spinathon showed a real team effort.

The Most Creative Idea award went to Ensors for their tennis balls in a bucket challenge, an idea which came to them while watching a sports challenge on breakfast television, with the final award – Most Entrepreneurial Strategy – won by the Hyde-Chambers team.

To recognise their commitment to the cause the Atkins Thomson team were also presented with a special accolade – an award for going the extra mile.

Rachel Card, hospice corporate fundraiser, said: “It has been a busy but brilliant summer, and the funds raised really will make a huge difference to the charity. The money raised will help to support patients facing life-threatening illnesses and their families.

“It has been another great year for the Jacobs Allen Accumulator Challenge, and we are so grateful for everyone’s continued support.”

Pictured above are representatives from some of the businesses who took part in the 2017 Accumulator Challenge to help raise funds for St Nicholas Hospice Care