Tag Archives: Bournemouth

Holt Recruitment Conquer ZigZag to Everest Challenge and Raise over £7,000 for Home-Start Wessex

Holt Recruitment, based in Bournemouth, took on an epic fundraising challenge this May. Using Bournemouth zigzags, they decided to scale Mouth Everest in a day, walking 8,849 metres to the ‘summit’, in aid of Home-Start Wessex, a charity that does incredible work to support local families in need.

Every year, the team at Holt Recruitment pushes their limits for a great cause. They have completed a 24-hour marathon, rowed around Britain and cycled the Tour de France. This year, they went bigger than ever before. The team embarked on their ascent to the summit of Everest at 8 a.m., and by 2 p.m., every team member had conquered yet another monumental Holt Challenge. Even Harry Redknapp sent a message of support, wishing the team the very best for their charity walk.

Owner Stuart Holt said, “We Did It! We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve completed our yearly charity challenge and raised a total of £7,230 for the incredible charity Home-Start Wessex.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported us along the way, from generous donations to those who joined us on the day to cheer us on. For some of the team, it was the hardest thing they have ever done, going up and down the zigzags over fifty times. It was difficult, but I am incredibly proud of the team for persevering. The support we received made all the difference.

Together, we’ve made a real impact in supporting families and children in need through Home-Start Wessex. Everyone’s contributions will go a long way in making a positive difference in our community. Despite some very sore legs and tired bodies, we’re overjoyed with our achievement and deeply honoured to have rallied support for this remarkable charity.”

Local insurer’s support for Home-Start Wessex helps build community resilience and support local families in crisis

Home-Start Wessex is delighted to have received an amazing donation of £6,379 from NFU Mutual’s Bournemouth Agency. The local charity was nominated to receive the funds from NFU Mutual’s national £1.92million ‘Agency Giving Fund’.

Leading rural insurer NFU Mutual launched the fund, now in its third year, to help frontline charities across the country. The Agency Giving Fund forms part of NFU Mutual’s £3.25m funding pledge for both local and national charities in 2022 to help tackle the ongoing effects of the pandemic and assist with recovery.

To ensure these donations reach all corners of the UK and are directed where they are needed most, NFU Mutual’s Agents, with over 295 offices nationwide, were given the opportunity to nominate local charities to receive a share of the fund.

John Heather, Senior Agent at NFU Mutual New Forest, Isle of Wight and Bournemouth, said: “NFU Mutual has been a champion of local communities the length and breadth of the UK for over 110 years, and the Agency Giving Fund supports local causes that are working day and night to change people’s lives and give hope for a better future. We’re extremely proud to have nominated Home-Start Wessex for this donation and are delighted to be able to support the vital contribution they make to our local community in Dorset and Hampshire.”

Caroline Pope, Community & Corporate Engagement Manager at Home-Start Wessex, added, “We’re enormously thankful to the Bournemouth agency of NFU Mutual for nominating our charity to receive this fantastic donation. The money will make a significant difference in helping us support families in need in our local community. These families are facing more challenges than ever, with the ongoing effects of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. Childhood can’t wait, and we know that the help we provide can make a life-changing difference.”

Since 1995, Home-Start Wessex has helped over 3,500 local families and supported over 10,000 children in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, the Purbecks, Blandford and Cranborne and into the Wiltshire and Hampshire borders. Their amazing volunteers offer friendship, practical support and emotional advice to families who are facing difficulties, including poor mental health, postnatal depression, disability, domestic abuse, bereavement, isolation and multiple births.

Yet their service is in more demand than ever. These funds will enable the charity to train and support more volunteers, so if you can commit to 2-3 hours each week to help transform the lives of young children and their parents in our community, please get in touch with michelle@homestartwessex.org.uk. No special qualifications are necessary, and full training will be provided.