From hillside hikes to Christmas coffee mornings – a North East housebuilder has raised thousands to help improve the lives of others.
Miller Homes raised almost £8000 last year through a range of sponsored events for St Oswald’s Hospice, which provides specialist and expert care to adults and children with life-limiting conditions.
The charity will use the money to support its activities at its Gosforth hospice, where it helps deliver quality of life to people with a variety of incurable conditions and their families.
Miller Homes regional managing director, Patrick Arkle, said: “The service that St Oswald’s provides to people and families is invaluable to so many people in our region, so we’re delighted to have been able to support them over the past year.
“Everyone at Miller Homes within the region and across the site and sales teams has really embraced the organisation as our chosen charity and has gone the extra mile to raise money to help their cause. I’d like to congratulate everyone for such an outstanding effort over the past 12 months.”
Fundraising activities participated in by Miller Homes staff included Active April, which raised £6350 as employees combined to walk 6350 miles, including a 12-mile hike along Hadrian’s Wall.
Construction site manager, Simon Wealleans, raised £265 completing the Great North Run in September; quality inspections manager, Jordan Taylor, then finished the Kielder Marathon, raising £260 that was matched by Miller Homes HQ, bringing the total to £520.
The company’s Christmas Coffee Morning, which included a raffle, raised £560, bringing the grand total to £7,895.
St Oswald’s Hospice Business Partnerships Fundraiser, Kirsty McDonald said: “Miller Homes has been a fundraising force over the past 12 months and we’ve loved seeing staff from across their organisation getting involved in support of our patients and families. Trudy and team have been fantastic supporters and ambassadors for us.
“As a local charity offering our services free of charge to those who need them, the support of our business community is vital in helping us raise the £8.5m needed each year to keep our doors open. This donation from Miller Homes is so gratefully received, so a huge thank you to the whole team, on behalf of us all at St Oswald’s Hospice.”
Miller Homes also set up a ‘reverse advent calendar’ to collect goods for The Bay Foodbank in North Shields, close to the firm’s Collingwood Grange development.
Miller Homes administrator, Trudy Alexander, and assistant buyer, Mathew Wilson, delivered the donations a few days before Christmas and received a guided tour of the food bank.
“Miller Homes is not just a housebuilder,” added Patrick. “We want to create and enhance communities and we approach fundraising as a way to help us reach out to the people and organisations who are positively influencing things in the areas in which we are creating homes.
“I am immensely proud of the work we have done to raise funds over the past year, but the work does not stop and we’re already firming up our fundraising plans for the year ahead.”
