Member Article

Is your business up for the challenge?

The Percy Hedley Foundationis throwing down the gauntlet and issuing a challenge to local companies.

The Foundation, a charity supporting children, young people and adults with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, is looking to give £500 to businesses who sign up for their Challenge 500project.

The challenge urges companies to use their skills to turn the charity’s £500 investment into as much money as they can over a six-month period to support the charity’s service users and their families.

Businesses can promote their own mini enterprises, hold whacky fund-raising events in their offices or with their customers, invest in the Stock Market or even stick their £500 in a high interest bank account if they can find one at the moment!

The charity is encouraging local companies to get involved in what is a proven method of fundraising to help a good cause and a way to build essential working skills and motivate employees. Teams that take up the challenge are faced with the very real challenge in turning an initial capital sum into profit.

Studies have shown that when employees achieve something challenging, the pressure more often than not has a positive effect on the employees’ level of psychological wellbeing, which is in turn linked to an improved performance in the workplace.

After six months the companies will hand back the £500 to the Percy Hedley Foundation, plus any other money they have raised by taking part in the challenge.

James Ramsbotham, Chief Executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce, is throwing his weight behind the charity’s campaign. He said: “I’m delighted to support Challenge 500 and I am urging North East businesses to sign up. This challenge is a superb team building exercise and an ideal way to achieve your corporate social responsibilities, while having lots of fun.”

He continued: “I’ve supported the Percy Hedley Foundation for a number of years and the money this project generates will be a huge boost to the services they offer to disabled people.”

The competition only has one rule - that money must be raised or generated in a legal, ethical and moral way.

After that there is nothing to stop companies having more than one team and there’s no limit on the number of members a team can have.

The winners will be announced at a business breakfast event in July.

Carole Harder, Chief Executive of the Percy Hedley Foundation, said: “We really hope companies can use Challenge 500 as an exercise in learning and development and team building. Aspiring Challenge 500 entrepreneurs must work together to turn the £500 seed funding into profit for The Percy Hedley Foundation over the course of six months, competing against each other to run the most profitable fundraising activities.”

She added: “I am confident that those companies who take up the challenge will unearth an innovative and entrepreneurial capability in their people, which they will see come through in their day jobs as well. I’m sure the businesses taking part will have a lot of fun but they’ll also be supporting the work we do to enable disabled children, young people and adults to lead rewarding and fulfilling lives.”

Companies that would like to register for Challenge 500 are being urged to contact Sheila Coltman, at the Percy Hedley Foundation, on: 0191 238 1321 or email s.coltman@percyhedley.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Challenge 500 - Percy Hedley Foundation .