Subcontractor KMF raises £19,000 for local children's hospice

A series of three events, culminating in a grand bonfire and firework display, saw the £19,000 raised far exceed the initial target of £10,000 when all of the sponsorship was finally counted. "To raise £19,000 is a fantastic achievement on everyone's behalf, but reflects the time, effort and energy that those taking part in the three events have expended over the year," says Terry Stanway, KMF's purchasing manager. The fundraising kicked off, literally, with a football match between office and shopfloor employees in the prestigious surroundings of the Britannia Stadium, home of Premier league Stoke City. The hard fought, full-blooded match ended in a diplomatic 2-2 draw. "The football match has now become an annual event for us and it certainly brings out the competitive side of both teams, with several players reporting aches and pains the following day," Mr Stanway offers. September saw 15 employees take on the challenge of cycling the gruelling Coast to Coast path, which saw them cover the 150-plus miles from Workington in Cumbria to the east coast near Sunderland in just two and half days. The journey took them across three National Parks (Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and The North York Moors) and was described as 'a gruelling test of man/woman and machine'. After all of these endeavours, KMF hosted a bonfire and firework night for all employees and their families, with money raised from sales and raffles added to the grand total. Anyone wishing to help boost the total can do so by visiting www.justgiving.com/terry-stanway and make a donation. Commenting on the success of KMF and its employees, Melanie Mills, director of fundraising & PR for the hospice, said: "This is such an incredible amount raised and will make a real difference to the lives of the children and families we care for. As a charity, we rely on donations and fundraising to raise the £1.5 million needed each year to provide our services across Staffordshire & South Cheshire. We simply couldn't do it without the help of companies like KMF and their employees and we can't thank them enough!" www.donnalouisetrust.org