Maggie’s Cancer Charity and Swansea Building Society are collaborating to host a memorable event commemorating the 5th anniversary of the Maggie’s Centre opening in Cardiff. The exciting 5th Birthday Ball will be held on May 17th at Dyffryn Springs near Wenvoe, bringing together supporters and beneficiaries for an evening of reflection and hope.
Swansea Building Society has pledged its support as the event sponsor, continuing its steadfast commitment to Maggie’s as its official charity for the third consecutive year.
Since its inception, Maggie’s Cardiff has provided invaluable support to over a thousand visitors each month, offering practical, emotional, and social assistance to individuals and families navigating the challenges of cancer.
The centre, situated in Velindre Road, Whitchurch, works in harmony with conventional cancer therapies, offering a nurturing environment where visitors can access support, information, and practical advice. From financial and benefits guidance to complementary therapies and nutrition workshops, Maggie’s Cardiff plays a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of life for those affected by cancer.
Supporting the charity over recent years, Swansea Building Society has organised a diverse range of successful fundraising activities, including dress-down days, raffles, and sponsored events like dog walks and open water swimming. These initiatives have resulted in an impressive cumulative fundraising total exceeding £60,000, providing vital resources to empower Maggie’s in delivering its essential services.
Richard Miles, Area Manager / Head of Savings & Marketing, Swansea Building Society, said:
“As proud sponsors of Maggie’s for the third consecutive year, Swansea Building Society is honoured to support such a vital cause. Our ongoing commitment to Maggie’s reflects our dedication to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by cancer. We are delighted to be part of the 5th Birthday Ball celebration and look forward to continuing our partnership with Maggie’s to ensure their important work can thrive for years to come.”
Rachael Davies, Fundraising Manager at Maggie’s, added:
“We’re incredibly grateful that Swansea Building Society has sponsored our 5th Birthday Ball. Sponsorship of our events is so important, and we can’t thank everyone at Swansea Building Society enough.”
Envestors to tackle early-stage capital funding crunch with the launch of their fundraising accelerator for B2B companies raising up to £1m in equity investment, the culmination of twenty years’ experience supporting start-ups on their growth journeys.
April, 2024, London – Envestors, the UK advisory for high-growth founders, today announced that they are launching their ‘Fast-track to Finance’ Fundraising Accelerator for entrepreneurs looking to raise equity investment, commencing Spring 2024.
Envestors have been helping start-ups raise equity investment since 2004, and with two decades of experience in the early-stage investment space have helped to raise over £100m for over 200 start-ups across the UK, including helping to close a £4m round in February of 2024.
As the current economic climate continues to challenge entrepreneurs, with investors more restrained than previous years and the funding landscape increasingly competitive, it is clear that start-ups – especially those with first time founders – need more support than ever to navigate their fundraising journey.
Moreover, Envestors experience has proven that alongside a difficult market, failure to raise capital is more often than not due to a lack of investment readiness and founders being underprepared, namely, by having an unrealistic valuation, missing key documentation or presenting unachievable business plans.
This is why Envestors have built the ’Fast-track to Finance’ Accelerator to lower these barriers, guide founders in preparing for their fundraise, and provide them with a listing in a regulated marketplace to market their raise.
The programme will provide founders with all the tools necessary to independently manage their fundraise by offering them the chance to work with experts to:
Craft their investment proposition
Understand their financing options
Sort their investment legals, including for the EIS/SEIS schemes
Build a realistic financial plan
Receive a valuation benchmark for their company
Build their investment offer
Create a target list of funding sources and outreach plan
And perfect their investment pitch
Oliver Woolley, Co-Founder and CEO of Envestors, says ‘We are thrilled to be launching our fundraising accelerator for founders. When I sold my start-up and started Envestors in 2004, our ultimate goals were to help entrepreneurs succeed and to support innovation in the UK. We are all looking forward to continuing to achieve those goals with the ’Fast-track To Finance’ Accelerator.’
The ‘Fast-track To Finance’ Accelerator will launch in April 2024, and is now open to B2B UK registered businesses planning a raise of less than £1m.
LEADING container storage provider blue self storage has raised £20,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, continuing its legacy of supporting charities and the local community.
The landmark has been reached as the firm celebrates the recent opening of its Bridgend operation, and is finalising plans to open a facility at Gloucester.
Dean Daly, Operations Director at blue self storage, said: “Prostate cancer is a huge health concern affecting many men locally and nationally, and we really want to play our part in combating this disease. We feel companies like ours have a duty to support local communities and this is one way that we can do that.
“We believe in the power of giving back, and our commitment to supporting prostate cancer awareness and research reflects our core values.
“Our sadly departed founder Nick Williams established our tradition of supporting causes that will have a meaningful impact on the community. It is an honour to continue his legacy of philanthropy.”
Originally Cardiff Self Storage, the company was founded in 1988 and has been recognised for its ethos to give back to the community that has supported its growth and success. Now, under the new name of blue self storage, the ethos remains as prominent as ever.
In addition to its ongoing efforts for Prostate Cancer UK, blue self storage is committed to supporting a wide range of charities, such as Cerebral Palsy Cymru and City Hospice, and various other local community groups.
blue self storage was the winner of the UK Container Site of the Year 2023, and provides secure self storage facilities at four sites in Cardiff, Bridgend and Tyneside.
First Response Finance, the vehicle finance company with offices in Nottingham, Leigh, and Glasgow, donated a total of £76,323.18 to charity in 2023.
The business regularly raises money for Trussell Trust, a charity that supports a network of food banks, and Magic Breakfast, an organisation that provides children in need with nutritious breakfasts. Last year alone, First Response Finance collected an impressive £63,590.64 in aid of these two specific charities.
An additional £12,732.54 was raised by the company’s employees, with First Response Finance’s staff donating to a wide range of charities across the country and the local community. Some of these included the British Heart Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support, Derby County Community Trust, MNDA, Alzheimer’s Society, Guide Dogs UK, Lancashire Guinea Pig Rescue, and Roxburghe House Hospice.
Jonathan Such, head of sales at First Response Finance, said: “We value the crucial role that charities play in supporting people from all backgrounds and walks of life. That’s why we strive to raise as much as we can during the year to help charitable organisations deliver the best care they can.
“Quite honestly, we wouldn’t have been able to accumulate more than £76,000 over the course of 2023 without the outpouring generosity of our people.
“Any money that our employees raise in aid of their chosen charity is matched by First Response Finance, and that same amount is given to our company charities. This means that, thanks to our matching scheme, a total of £21,624.68 was devolved to Trussell Trust and Magic Breakfast.”
Over the year, members of staff were actively involved in additional charity work, such as participating in the Dunelm ‘Delivery Joy’ campaign, volunteering at Emmanuel House Centre, and collecting donations for Long Eaton and Sawley Foodbank.
One team member is the chairman of Sherwood Seals Swimming Club, a special swimming club set up for disabled children and young adults. Likewise, another employee volunteers as a trustee at Guru Nanak’s Mission, a non-profit organisation providing food to the homeless, rough sleepers, and vulnerable people in Nottingham.
Such added: “It’s heartwarming to see that colleagues across the business have a huge impact on the lives of so many.
“To help our people in their charity efforts, we offer each employee one charity day per year, allowing them to take a day off to support a non-profit organisation of their choice.
“We also have a ‘give as you earn’ scheme in place, where members of staff can have money donated directly from their pay to their desired charity.
“In 2024, we will keep supporting several worthy causes and continue to devolve money to charities with the help of our people.”
Paul Popham Running Club (PPRC) marked a triumphant milestone at its eighth Annual Christmas Awards Night, hosted at Morgans Hotel, Swansea on November 24. This year’s fundraising efforts reached an unprecedented total of £4,330, taking the club’s cumulative total to over £15,000 since its inception in 2016.
The funds raised will be utilised to provide a memorable experience for children and their families battling kidney disease on December 17, 2023, when 50 kidney patients will experience a performance of Aladdin at the Wales Millennium Centre. The Annual Christmas Awards Night showcased the club’s commitment to acknowledging member achievements and also its dedication to raising money for kidney patients across Wales.
Founded in 2016 by sisters Claire and Joanne Popham, Paul Popham Running Club was set up in their father’s honour and homage to his passion for running. Since then, it has evolved into a thriving community with over 150 members of diverse abilities and has raised a total of over £15,000 for Popham Kidney Support.
The club’s inception aimed to promote the physical and emotional well-being of Swansea residents through innovative “Learn2Run” programmes. Initially based on the couch-to-5k principle, these programmes have become instrumental in fostering a love for running among participants, resulting in a dedicated and growing membership base.
Paul Popham Running Club offers a variety of programmes throughout the year, fostering a dynamic and inclusive running community. The club boasts a total of five distinct programmes annually, each tailored to cater to diverse interests and abilities.
Popham Kidney Support, the club’s charitable arm, benefits annually from the club’s fundraising initiatives. Notably, the annual 5k Series, the Swansea Bay Summer 5k, the Where’s Wally Run, and the recently concluded Annual Christmas Awards Night contribute to a collective effort to support kidney-related issues.
Claire Popham, Co-Founder of PPRC, expressed her gratitude, saying:
“We are thrilled to see our members’ dedication not only to their running journeys but also to making a positive impact in our community. The funds raised this year will undoubtedly bring joy to the lives of those facing the challenges of kidney disease, aligning perfectly with the spirit of the festive season.”
Joanne Popham, Popham Kidney Support CEO, and Co-Founder and Chair of Paul Popham Running Cub, said:
“The running club is filled with social, fun-loving people who recognise the benefits that running can bring to their physical and emotional wellbeing, while also creating a social environment. Every year, members support the club and charity’s development. They either take part in one of the club’s events, volunteer, or help organise it. The £4330 is an amazing amount and does not include the sponsorship that individuals raise for races they take part in on behalf of the charity – our members truly make the running club a family.”
Stephen Arnold, Vice Chair, Paul Popham Running Club, said:
“Being part of this family-friendly club that supports a great cause is wonderful. We are lucky indeed.”
Simon Treharn, Fundraising Secretary, Paul Popham Running Club, said:
‘’We organise many fundraising initiatives throughout the year, all members get behind the initiatives with enthusiasm. We started a lottery for the club members and in its first year, it raised over £1000, all while also enabling members to become lottery winners!”
Lynne Orton, Chair of Trustees, Popham Kidney Support, said:
“The PPRC donates funds to the charity annually, and we are very lucky to have such a band of runners who also understand how charities need their support.”
Intrepid staff at accounting and business advisory firm HURST have reached new heights to raise thousands of pounds for a Greater Manchester hospice.
HURST partner and director of practice development Simon Brownbill and Rebecca Leech, an associate in HURST’s business services team, led the way with sponsored tandem skydives from 15,000ft.
Meanwhile a team of 25 HURST colleagues completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge – scaling Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in 12 hours.
Seven others undertook a cycle ride along the Tissington Trail in the Peak District, covering a total of 26 miles there and back, while a group of six took part in an open swim at Sale Water Park in Greater Manchester, clocking up 7km in total, followed by a 10km walk.
The endeavours mean HURST has now raised more than £13,000 for Willow Wood Hospice, which is based in Ashton-under-Lyne and provides care and support throughout Tameside and Glossop.
Willow Wood is HURST’s charity of the year for the second year in a row, as Covid impacted the firm’s fundraising ambitions in 2021.
Simon said: “Willow Wood does amazing work and our team was keen to help them out with some creative fundraising efforts.
“We’ve had groups of people doing some amazing things for the charity. I’d always wanted to try a skydive, and having the opportunity to do one for such a great cause was awesome.
“As well as raising money, we have supported Willow Wood directly, with a number of staff volunteering in its shop, distribution centre and at the hospice itself, and by the firm donating a number of computer monitors.”
Rebecca said: “I was inspired to do the skydive for Willow Wood as it was something I’d always wanted to do and I couldn’t think of a better reason to do it than to raise money for this lovely charity.
“I have a family friend whose mother was looked after at the hospice, and they have spoken so highly of the care that she received. It’s a very worthy cause to jump out of a plane for!”
The hospice provides care for people who have been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. It has an 11-bed unit for palliative and end-of-life care. All of the rooms have en-suite facilities, a garden view and a private patio.
Willow Wood also provides holistic therapies, a dementia café, home support and bereavement support. It costs around £3m a year to run the hospice.
Mark Llewellin, vice-chair of Willow Wood’s board of trustees and its acting head of income generation, said: “Our sincere and grateful thanks go to the HURST team, who have pulled out all the stops to support Willow Wood this year.
“After voting for us as their charity of the year, they have not only volunteered in our shops, distribution centre and at the hospice itself, but have also raised thousands of pounds with their many and varied challenges.
“Their commitment has been fantastic and we are very proud to be associated with them. We wouldn’t be able to care for patients and their loved ones without supporters such as the team at HURST.”
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.
The 2022 London Marathon takes place 2nd October with up to 50,000 runners taking part. Anna Stubbs, Marketing and HR Director at The Chartwell Practice in Burton-upon-Trent, applied for many years before striking lucky when a place opened up for her via the Washlands Women’s Runners Club ballot.
She teamed up with Burton-Upon-Trent’s YMCA, so that her efforts can help support the local community. Before she embarks on her second marathon of 2022, she reflected upon her journey so far and what lies ahead.
Anna said: “I arrived late to the joys of running and I’m by no means gifted with natural talent. Sometimes, I don’t feel like getting the trainers on, or it feels really slow going and just hard work. But like a lot of people, the habit of getting out for a run regularly helps me in more ways than I would ever have predicted.”
Whether it is a couple of muddy miles over the fields with her dog, or a run with friends, Anna always returned home feeling both physically and mentally boosted. For years, she bravely put her name in the ballot for a chance to run the London Marathon and was never selected. After years of bad luck, she plucked up the courage to tackle the big distance in a different city – Manchester. With her first marathon under her belt in April, little did she know that 2022 would turn out to be a double marathon year!
Anna added: “At the last possible second, an extra place was given to The Washlands Women’s Runners Club as a bonus for them sending a marshal team to London and my name was drawn out!
“I couldn’t believe it!”
Her marathon training began during the summer heatwave, with Covid-related hitches in between, she is now just days away from the starting line. October is also an important month for YMCA Burton with their annual Sleep Out event taking place at Burton Albion Football Club’s Pirelli Stadium.
Paul Laffey, CEO at YMCA Burton, added: “Everyone at YMCA Burton wishes Anna lots of luck for this year’s marathon. Undertaking the training for the London Marathon is no mean feat and we appreciate the hours of running Anna has already done to prepare for this challenge.
“She joins our other marathon runner Chris in raising much needed funds for our charity. As everyone is struggling with the cost of living crisis, this will help us towards supporting our clients and members of the local community.”
Anna added: “I have been aware of the really important work that the YMCA do in Burton for some years now, as we have supported them at Chartwell’s, and I know that the care and provision for people in crisis is desperately needed. If I can help raise some funding for them I’d be really delighted.”
Independent, family-run bathroom retailer, The Bath Works, has raised a fantastic £4,709.35 for local families charity Home-Start South East Dorset.
From their flagship showroom in New Milton and Studio in Bournemouth, The Bath Works specialise in the design and supply of bathrooms and tiles. Run by a husband-and-wife team, Steve and Kate Ware, the company was keen to do something to support local families.
Kate Ware, Sales & Marketing Director at The Bath Works, said: “As parents of two girls, Steve and I know just how tough parenthood can be. Charities like Home-Start give struggling families a lifeline and the vital support they need to get through difficult times. Childhood can’t wait, and the charity’s absolute heroes help parents and children who need it most.
We were delighted to support their life-changing work by donating a portion of each bathroom sale during the first month of the year to Home-Start. We are absolutely thrilled to have raised such a staggering amount, thanks to the amazing support of our customers.”
Caroline Pope, Community & Corporate Engagement Manager at Home-Start South East Dorset, said: “We can’t thank The Bath Works enough for their massive donation. The money they have raised will make a huge difference and help us continue to fund volunteers and support families here in our local community. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”
The Bath Works also supported the Home-Start South East Dorset ‘25 for 25’ campaign. To celebrate the charity’s 25th anniversary year, they set out to find 25 businesses to each support a struggling family. They achieved their target, raising a staggering £20,000 to help 25 families get back on their feet and change a child’s life.
Home-Start South East Dorset supports families living across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, as well as the Purbecks and areas as far north as Cranborne and as far west as Wareham. Since 1995 they have helped over 3,500 local families and supported over 10,000 children through a network of over 600 amazing volunteers.
Delivering both finance and expert knowledge, angel investors are thought of as smart capital. But if you are new to the role of angel you risk feeling less than smart if you don’t pay attention to these lessons learned by five expert angels (names are changed to spare blushes).
Check who owns the IP
One of John’s first investments was in an interactive app for tourists. ‘Not long after I parted with my cash, the company got into financial trouble and folded.’
It transpired that the CEO and not the business owned the IP. This meant that when the business folded, the CEO walked away with its greatest asset, the Intellectual Property, and started a similar company.
If the IP is not owned by the company, walk away.
Be wary of ambitious expansion plans
Tom invested £50k into a bakery business but cracks started to show. ‘The CEO was overly relaxed about the financial affairs of the company. He was keen to show growth to investors and so expanded quickly to around twenty sites.’
This rapid expansion caused issues. ‘The customer experience had suffered as a result of the business trying to do too much too quickly – which impacted the brand.’
Quick expansion and high standards not being able to remain consistent led to the critical mass never being reached. ‘It was inevitable that the company was going to go into administration once the overheads outweighed the revenues by a ridiculous amount’.
Interestingly, the company was bought by someone in the industry with more experience and it is now a thriving business with stalls across London train stations.
The lesson here is about speed and experience. Of course, as a minority shareholder, you can’t dictate the company’s plan, but you can counsel them. And if you see them trying to go too fast in an industry in which they are new, put up a red flag.
Check data sources are credible
Six months after an initial investment into a flower distribution company, Caroline discovered that the business owed £350k in VAT. ‘My due diligence on this investment, like all my investments, was done with a fine-toothed comb. The problem, I later learned, was there was missing information.’
The Business Plan that was sent to Caroline didn’t disclose this financial information. If it had, she would have quickly seen the company was insolvent.
At Envestors, we always recommend our companies work with accredited advisors to show investors information has been reviewed by a qualified third party. This could be an accountant or corporate finance advisor or, failing that, we recommend investors work with an investment network that is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to protect themselves from situations like this.
Be vigilant
Julie conducted her due diligence in time to get benefit from the Enterprise Incentive Scheme (EIS), which meant her £10k investment into a fitness business would be subject to 30% tax relief and if things went badly a further £2,800 in relief, so the total amount she stood to lose was £4,200 and not the full £10k. Or so she thought.
‘Sadly, the business was absolutely not the next big disrupter.’ The business folded. ‘I was upset when I found out, but I exploded when I learned my tax relief wasn’t coming.’
Julie learned that the EIS paperwork had been incorrectly filed and there was no tax relief to be had.
Ensure all paperwork (including EIS) related to your investment is being handled by a qualified individual such as a lawyer or company secretary.
Expect the unexpected
External factors can’t always be controlled. Tanith invested £20k into a boating business. ‘The company was doing really well and decided to expand. We were all onboard with it. To purchase more boats, the company took a loan from an international bank.’
However, when the financial crisis took hold in 2008, the bank pulled in the loans, leaving the founders scrambling to find new backers in the worst financial crisis in recent memory. Unable to do so, the boats were sold off.
The key lesson to take away here is that stuff happens, and building a diverse portfolio to balance risk is the only way to protect yourself against the uncontrollable.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chantelle Arneaud is from Envestors. Envestors’ digital investment platform brings together entrepreneurs and investors across geographies, communities and sectors – creating the single marketplace for early-stage investment in the UK.
Envestors partners with accelerators, incubators and angel networks to provide a white-label platform empowering them to promote deals, engage investors and connect to other networks.
Founded in 2004, Envestors has helped more than 200 high growth businesses raise more than £100m through its own private investment club.
Envestors is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
