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Hi Sunshine News Readers
Remember this time last year when we were experiencing a mini heat wave and working from our gardens in the sun? Well I type this today with my heating on and wrapped up like its November! If anyone sees our North East summer, please return it asap!
Its not all bad though as we have had a fantastic week with our friends from Cintra HR and Payroll. We have worked with Cintra for over a year now and they have been great supporters of the charity, sharing our ethos of a more inclusive North East where all children have the same opportunities to be the best version of themselves. I was honoured to speak recently at their Payroll Conference about how important payroll giving donations are to small charities like ours and the huge impact a small monthly donation before tax, can make. We are delighted that Cintra have rolled out their own Give as You Earn programme to staff and chose us as their preferred charity. These regular donations will help us to change the lives of even more children and young adults living with disabilities and plan for the future of The Chronicle Sunshine Fund.
But they didn't stop there!
As Cintra’s Charity of The Year, the team have committed to hosting events and activities to raise funds and awareness for us. And they started with Walking for Sunshine (...woahhhh ohh!).
May 2021 marks Cintra HR & Payroll’s 40th anniversary and, as much as the team would have loved to mark the occasion with a big party, circumstances dictate that, for now, our party clothes must remain in our wardrobes!
As May is also National Walking Month, Cintra chose to substitute the party for the Cintra 40th Anniversary Step Challenge! The challenge was the brainchild of Cintra’s Head of Outsourced Services, Agnes Plewa-Weir and the aim was to walk the equivalent distance of John O’Groats to Land’s End (the most Northern part of Scotland to the most Southern part of England) which equals 874 miles (1406km). 22 team members laced up their walking shoes and made the commitment to getting out and about in our beautiful region, clocking up those all important steps while taking in the wonderful sights on our doorsteps. By Mid May the team had smashed their initial goal, so Agnes and the team rallied the troops and they all decided to walk all the way back, ultimately doubling their initial goal!!!!
Agnes said:
“In the absence of being able to come together to celebrate, I thought it would be a great idea if we could find something which built on our amazing team spirit. It has been tough for everyone working remotely for so long and this challenge enables us to work together towards a common goal, with the added benefit of raising much needed funds for a local charity. And on top of that we get to take in the sights of the beautiful North East…fast becoming the worst kept secret ever, with the publication of the latest Which? Travel Report!
The pandemic and the restrictions that accompanied it have been hard for everyone, both personally and professionally and have undoubtedly hit some harder than others. As our Charity of the Year we know how much smaller charities like The Sunshine Fund rely on fundraising events to support the amazing work they do. We were really keen to come up with an idea that would not only raise much needed funds, but reignite the spark of competitive camaraderie that Cintra is so well known for. As we still have some staff operating remotely, a virtual walking challenge was a great way to bring us all together – walking the equivalent distance of John O’Groats to Land's End. We decided to do the challenge during May as this also coincides with Cintra’s 40th anniversary! The fact that Cintra are not only supporting the efforts of the team, but are doubling the fundraising contribution is fantastic. I’m delighted to say that the 22 team members have surpassed expectations, meeting our original goal with two weeks to go…so we have virtually turned around and are heading back again! Its been great to share our individual journeys. As a North East newcomer, having relocated hereseveral months ago, it’s definitely highlighted other areas of the beautiful North East that are on my list to visit. We have got the bug now…watch this space for our next challenge!”
Each team member has contributed £5, which Cintra will double at the end of the challenge and the team have also been busy fundraising. We would be delighted if our own Sunshine News Readers would support our willing walkers by adding to the funds on our Just Giving page. All contributions are very gratefully received. Blister plasters are also welcome!
With the now extended challenge coming to an end this week, we wanted to share Cintra’s success with you and take this opportunity to thank them for being amazing supporters. You have taken (Literally thousands of) steps to make a real difference and we salute you!
Siobhan X