Summer of fundraising reaches ‘peak’ for Warrington firm

News
02/10/2019

Specialist professional services provider, Optionis, has completed a series of fundraising challenges for its charity partner, Samaritans


A Warrington-based professional services provider has completed a series of fundraising challenges to raise more than £2,000 for its nominated charity partner, Samaritans.


Optionis Group, which includes market-leading accountancy brands such as SJD Accountancy, Parasol, First Freelance and Nixon Williams, organised several events throughout the summer, ranging from coffee mornings to mountain climbs, in aid of the emotional support charity.


One of the activities saw 13 company employees take on the National Three Peaks Challenge to reach the tops of Snowdon, Scafell Pike, and Ben Nevis on a rainy Saturday in August.


The team completed the total ascent of 11,178ft within the target time of 24 hours after tackling challenging weather and rocky terrains during all three climbs.


In addition to this, the company raised money by holding a ‘Brew Monday’ event to encourage staff to take a break together at its offices in Hemel Hampstead, Edinburgh, and Blackpool, as well as its Warrington HQ.


The event was supported by Samaritans, who supplied branded tea bags, posters and lollipops. Staff were able to buy and sell cakes, helping to raise money and awareness around mental health in line with the charity’s national campaign.


Richard Millington, who works at the Hemel Hempstead office, also raised over £500 for Samaritans after agreeing to shave his head.


James Lawton-Hill, director of marketing at Optionis, said:

"Our charity campaigns are always hugely popular with our employees and this summer has been no different. We have a lot of staff who love to get involved, particularly in the physically challenging ones.

“Last year, we completed lots of fundraising activities, from tough mudder to coffee mornings, and we want to push ourselves even further in 2019. Raising money for an incredible, worthy cause like Samaritans is always a pleasure, so we’re hopeful that the momentum will continue – although I am not sure we will have any more volunteers for the head shave!”


Optionis has also been hosting internal workshops since April with the help of Samaritans. The sessions, held through a series of Lunch ‘n’ Learn meetings, aim to develop employee’s ability to recognise mental health struggles, enabling them to help customers in need of advice and support.


To find out more about Optionis Group and its latest fundraising efforts, visit: https://www.optionis.co.uk/csr/