L-R: Katie Vickers – Northamptonshire Community Foundation, Dean Jones – Northamptonshire Community Foundation, George Smith – Franklins Solicitors LLP, Simon Long – Franklins Solicitors LLP, Nick Hewer, Denise Watson – Franklins Solicitors LLP, Lorraine Lewis – The Lewis Foundation, Rosanna Stimson – Franklins Solicitors LLP, Steven Dryden-Hall – Boom 7.
A record number of teams have signed up for a charity challenge to raise funds for eight charities from across Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire.
The Apprentice-style fundraising challenge, organised by prominent legal firm Franklins Solicitors LLP, has a total of 42 teams taking part – the highest number since the challenge first launched in 2018 and up by 17 from last year’s 25 teams.
The 2024 challenge got underway last month and teams have already started their fundraising efforts with initiatives ranging from doughnut sales to raffles, dress down days, netwalks and office swear boxes.
The Apprentice-style fundraising challenge sees each team receive £50 from Franklins Solicitors. The teams then have three months to turn the seed funding into more money for their chosen charity. Since it began in 2018, the Franklins £50 Challenge has raised more than £100,000 for local charities, showcasing the potential for collective efforts to bring about meaningful transformation.
The eight charities benefitting from this year’s challenge are Cynthia Spencer Hospice, the Hope Centre, The Lewis Foundation, Northamptonshire Community Foundation, Willen Hospice, MK Act, Harry’s Rainbow and YMCA.
Former Apprentice star and Countdown presenter Nick Hewer has also wished the teams well and shown his support for the Franklins £50 Challenge in a social media video. Lord Sugar’s former right-hand man recently met some of the representatives from the charities and teams taking part at a networking event organised by Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District.
In a special video, Nick Hewer, who lives in Northamptonshire, said: “I wish all of the teams taking part the very best of luck and look forward to hearing about all their fundraising successes. Who will be the star candidates? Only time will tell!”
Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said: “We are delighted that so many teams have risen to the challenge and decided to put their entrepreneurial and team-building skills to the test. The ultimate aim of the Franklins £50 Challenge is to fight hunger, fuel wellness and change local lives. Last year the challenge raised more than £20,000 but with so many teams taking part this year we hope to raise a record-breaking amount of money for local charities.”
The 42 teams taking part this year are from the following organisations: Travis Perkins, Towergate Insurance, Syncro Office Technology, Piroto Labelling Ltd, Keep Moat, Chartwell Controls, OneFourSix, The Brady Creative, Commsave, Virtual Sales Team, MacIntyre Hudson, All Things Business, I Love Catering, Facilities Management Solutions, Franklins Solicitors, Soiltechnics, Hawsons Chartered Accountants, Openreach, Acorn Commercial Finance, Boom 7, Laugh Out Loud Theatre Company, Beyond the Podium Ltd, Metro Bank, Cottons Group, Amazon (Daventry), Delapre Abbey, House of Mystery Ltd, Nationwide Building Society, Quest Employment, Handpicked Hotels (Fawsley Hall), Sophisticake Creations, Work Buzz, John Lewis & Partners, Aiimi Ltd, Somnium Recruitment Ltd, Plumbing & Gas Solutions Ltd, Smith Jenkins Planning & Heritage and Brioche Pasquier.
The 2024 challenge runs until Tuesday 21 May. Follow the progress of the teams and their fundraising efforts on Franklins’ social media accounts: @FranklinsSols on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), or on Facebook and LinkedIn by searching Franklins Solicitors LLP. More information about how the challenge works can also be found at: www.franklins50.co.uk
