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Spare
a pound- and help raise £90,000 in 90 days to help victims of
the Tsumani disaster is the plea from the conservatory industry’s
Gordon Cooke.
Gordon, technical sales manager at Aztec Conservatory
Roof Systems, is aiming to raise £90,000 in 90 days
for the charity Bridge 4 Hope, by, among other activities, selling badges
for £1, and T-shirts for £10. A single pound sterling is
equivalent to 300 rupees: enough to feed a family of four for a week
in Sri Lanka!
Aztec recently held a customer entertainment day
at Three Sisters race track in Haydock. As well as getting to drive
a Ferrari, Formula Ford, kart and MG-zt, customers took part in an auction
to raise money for the appeal. The prize of a day on the circuit's skid
pan was won by Rob and Ben Shaw of Cheshire Roof Tech, with a bid of
£350.
Gordon
himself has given significantly more - in time, labour and effort. Within
days of the Boxing Day Tsumani, he had flown to Sri Lanka, one of the
least publicised of the worst hit areas and further devastated by civil
war, to physically contribute towards the rebuilding effort. He spent
two weeks of his annual holiday using his skills as a joiner and carpenter
to help in the remote village of Thirukovil where over 30% of the local
population had lost their lives when the wave hit.
Since his return, Gordon has, with ex Royal Marine Harry Barrow, set
up Bridge 4 Hope, a charity to buy a plot of land on which to build
a community centre, to rebuild the school and to establish a brick making
facility to be operated by children at the local orphanage making bricks
to rebuild the village. Gordon and Harry, together with Ashley Eckersley
from Excel Trade Frames and Nick Chamber, an IT specialist, will be
revisiting Thirukovil in July with the proceeds from their fund-raising
efforts to begin work on the project.
Gordon
Cooke with some of the Sri Lankan children he is trying to help.
Gordon says, ‘Most media coverage has been in the tourist areas,
but Thirukovil is on the east coast and one of the worst hit areas.
There is nothing left in the village, everything was swept away. The
people are not asking for charity, they are trying to help themselves,
for example the children have put their photos on the badges as their
contribution. The children will be operating the brick making equipment
to make the bricks to rebuild their village. But we need money to do
this, and an insignificant amount to you and I makes a huge difference
to them: £1 is equivalent to 300 rupees, which is enough to feed
a family of four for a week!’
He asks that people sell badges on the charity’s behalf too, following
examples set by a school in Morecambe that raised £2000, and a
primary school in Ashton in Makerfield. ‘If children in Sri Lanka
and the UK are making the effort, maybe adults should follow their example,’
he says.
Details of how to help fund raise, or to donate, are available on the
charity’s website, http://www.bridge4hope.com,
or by contacting Gordon direct on 07766 495202.
Email: mailto:admin@bridge4hope.com
Charity
to Benefit from Go-Glass Sculpture
Sandblasted
glass specialist Go-Glass has produced a spectacular full size engraved
glass representation of a famous racing motorbike. The intricately decorated
glass sculpture was unveiled on the Ritec stand in front of an impressed
crowd at the recent GP&T exhibition. The bike will be auctioned
online for a children’s cancer charity, the full details of which
will be revealed on both companies’ websites.
Motorcycle legend Carl Fogarty’s 1999 World Superbike title winning
Ducati 996 was the inspiration for the model, which was made from 10mm
float glass. Clive Sparkes, Design and Development Director at Go-Glass,
the motorbike fan behind the project, says, ‘The work took 80 hours
to complete and it was all done by hand. There was no CNC Water Jet
cutting used and it was all hand-carved and surface blasted.’
Guests attending the G 05 awards at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole
at the NEC on Friday June 10th were able to get a good look at the Go-Glass
bike where it was on display before going up for auction, with bidding
expected to take place between 1st and 15th July.
Ritec’s
Managing Director, Stephen Byers with Go Glass’ Design and Development
Director Clive Sparkes at the unveiling of the glass Ducati at GP&T
2005.
Truly
an original glass masterpiece, it is anticipated that the bike will
generate considerable interest amongst enthusiasts and to this end it
will be auctioned to raise money for CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading
children’s cancer charity. There will be details on Ritec’s
website – http://www.ritec.co.uk
– and on the Go-Glass site at http://www.goglass.co.uk.
Ritec has a tradition of supporting charities, having raised £5,000
for Changing Faces, which supports and represents people who have disfigurements
of the face or body.
Clive describes Go-Glass as ‘a small, family-run business offering
high quality and exceptional service’. Based in Cambridge, it was
established 26 years ago and operates within a 60 miles radius of its
surrounding area, taking in London. The company targets homeowners,
architects and builders and supplies colour leaded door panels, custom-made
shower enclosures and coloured glass splashbacks, as well as glass partitioning
and glass interior doors, with sandblasting as a speciality.
Because sandblasted glass can quickly lose its clean, pristine appearance
when exposed to surface contamination such as finger marks, Go Glass
uses Ritec’s ClearShield Sandblast Protect which gives an attractive
satin finish that resists staining. The company’s trained technicians
use manual spraying equipment to apply the treatment (automated options
are also available). Once this has cured, any residue is simply cleaned
off, leaving the surface protected and easier to clean without the need
for harsh chemicals.
Make
Money For Charity Just By Taking A Stroll: The Manchester Network Walk,
Friday 21st October 2005
The MANCHESTER NETWORK WALK is the ideal charity event for those for
whom extreme physical exertion, dangerous pastimes, and personal humiliation
is as unattractive as kissing Malcolm Glazer.
Being
held on Friday 21st October 2005, The Manchester Network Walk is a charity
walk with a difference in that it involves what at best will be a fairly
gentle stroll around 2-3 miles of Central Manchester. The difference
is that it will involve the great and the good from every niche and
cranny of the glass and glazing industry and, with the help of some
carefully planned - and some not so carefully planned - stops along
the route in a variety of drinking establishments to cater far all tastes,
is intended to create a unique networking opportunity for everyone taking
part.
Whether it is business, or pleasure, or that ideal combination of both
that would be the perfect result of this worthy expedition, participants
are invited to join organiser Mike Crewdson of specialist frame maker
Radius Plastics to raise his target of £20,000 PLUS for Gary Morton's
GM Fundraising organisation, and in turn of course the Hope House Hospice
for Children, one that has, in effect, become the industry's adopted
charity.
The fund raising principle behind the MANCHESTER NETWORK DAY is simple:
each participant must raise, or simply contribute - a minimum of £500
to take part. If more than one person is attending from one company,
this may be less per person. The walk will be organised in groups of
eight - the perfect number for initial networking - which groups will
interspersed as the day progresses. Of course, anyone simply wishing
to make a contribution may simply send in a cheque, made payable to
'GM Fundraising' and posted to Mike at Radius Plastics who are also
sponsoring the event.
At the end of the course, during the evening a number of activities
to suit all tastes will be available to continue the activities, and
by that time festivities, and to cement the many relationships that
will have been made during the day.
In order to ensure that the charitable donations reach Hope House in
full, participants will of course be expected to fund their entertainment
and sustenance during the event, including overnight accommodation.
Mike wishes to stress to anyone of a more sensitive disposition that
any would-be participants concerned that they may encounter English
football’s – sorry, soccer’s – latest supremo need
not worry as, despite being the proud owner of a serious chunk of the
neighbourhood, for reasons of personal safety it remains unlikely that
they will bump into Mr Glazer.
Sign up NOW and stroll for the kids!
Further information from Mike Crewdson, Radius Plastics Ltd on 07801
622575, email mike@radplas.com.
Shepley
is Going that Bit Further for Charity
Gary
Torr, managing director at Shepley,
is cycling over 900 miles from John O’Groats to Lands End –
and it’s all for charity. The 900-mile plus journey, organised
by GM fundraising, will take over 10 days with the aim of raising some
£30,000 for Hope House Children’s Hospice.
Gary commented, ‘I’m determined to raise as much money as
possible for this worthy charity and I have already received pledges
from suppliers and customers for nearly £5,000’. Shepley
and Interframe staff are also being encouraged to support the event
by taking a guess at how long Gary will be in the saddle and exactly
how many miles the journey will be. Winners will receive tickets to
an executive box at either Manchester City or Manchester United.
Eight adventurous and fit, customers, suppliers and colleagues are taking
part in the challenge and riding a one-day-leg to support Gary throughout
what will probably prove to be the hardest 10 days of his life!
If you would like to pledge your support towards this event then please
contact Shepley on 0161 339 2433.
Alcoa
Foundation Invests $100,000 in Suriname's Only University; Part of $1
Million Investment in Suriname Over the Last Five Years
Alcoa
Foundation
announced on March 17th that it is investing more than US$100,000 over
four years in a programme at Anton de Kom University of Suriname to
strengthen research capabilities in the Department of Geology and Mining.
The grant will enable students from Anton de Kom to participate in fieldwork
in Spain with Utrecht University in The Netherlands. It will also provide
financial resources for three Master of Science degree scholarships
as well as three doctorate fellowships within the department.
The four-year grant is part of Alcoa Foundation's focus on improving
the quality of education and health care in the country, where Alcoa
operates Suralco with locations in Paranam and Moengo. Over the last
five years, Alcoa Foundation has awarded more than $1 million to non-profit
agencies in Suriname as part of its mission to improve the quality of
life of Alcoa communities worldwide. A sample of some of the other agencies
that benefited from the $323,000 in grants that Alcoa Foundation awarded
in 2004 in Suriname include:
• Granman Forster School at Langa Tabbetje in Paramaribo for funding
a computer centre.
• Foundation Regional Health Care Services in Paramaribo for a
community health programme.
• Lands Hospital in Paramaribo for equipment to improve the survival
rate of patients who suffer a heart attack.
Alcoa's presence in Suriname dates back to 1916, when it originally
focussed on bauxite mining. This month marked the completion of the
250,000 metric ton per year (mtpy) expansion of the Suralco aluminum
refinery in Paranam.
About Alcoa Foundation
Established in 1952, Alcoa Foundation is a global resource that actively
invests in improving the quality of life in the countries around the
world where Alcoa operates. The Foundation's grants address global and
local needs in Areas of Excellence that include: Conservation and Sustainability,
Global Education and Workplace Skills, Business and Community Partnerships
and Safe and Healthy Children and Families. Alcoa Foundation manages
Alcoa's ACTION and Bravo! programmes which recognise the volunteer efforts
of employees with grants to the organisations they serve. For more information
about Alcoa Foundation, visit http://www.alcoa.com,
under Community.
FORCE
Raises Funds for Hospice Appeal
Leading construction industry figures have dug deep to help a Coventry charity in its bid to build a new hospice. The Forum for Constructing Excellence (FORCE) held its annual awards dinner in October and raised £3,800 for the Myton Hospice appeal in the process. The awards took place at the Royal Court Hotel, Keresley.
(left-right):
Clive Benfield (Benfield Group) Alison Medwell (Coventry & Warwickshire
Chamber of Commerce), Jane Parker (Myton Hospice), David Maugham Easi-Seal
Ltd & Chair of FORCE), Ian Kirkman (Defense Estates), Linda Todd
(Learning and Skills Council for Coventry and Warwickshire)
Myton
Hospice fundraising organiser Jane Parker said: ‘We are delighted
with the donation and hugely grateful to FORCE for their hard work and
effort.’
David Maugham, chairman of FORCE, added: ‘The Myton Hospice is
an incredibly good cause that is close to the hearts of most people
in Coventry and Warwickshire. I wish them all the best with their continued
fundraising efforts.’
FORCE is the Forum for Constructing Excellence which aims to promote
excellence within the industry across Coventry and Warwickshire through
investment and change.
It supports and promotes improvements in the education and standards
of the construction industry.
FORCE is supporting the establishment of the Learning and Skills Council’s
Advanced Building Technologies Centre for Coventry and Warwickshire
aimed at providing a ‘cradle to grave’ learning facility for
construction in Coventry.
The FORCE Awards dinner – the third since its inception –
was part of the drive to promote the region’s success stories as
well as those companies which have contributed to the area in a positive
way.
Alcoa
and Alcoa Foundation Report Combined Investment of $28.8 Million in
Alcoa Communities Worldwide
Alcoa
and Alcoa Foundation released on
25th February year-end highlights from their combined community giving
programmes that include a $28.8 million investment in Alcoa communities
worldwide - a $2 million increase from the previous year.
Additional highlights include:
• a global volunteer event involving thousands of Alcoa volunteers
in 170 communities in 27 countries worldwide;
• a 39% increase in employee engagement grants; and
• an expansion in the number of countries where grants were made.
'I am proud of our combined investments in the communities where Alcoans
live and work,' said Alain Belda, Alcoa chairman and CEO. 'Alcoa and
Alcoa Foundation have demonstrated their commitment to investing in
Alcoa communities across the world. As we expand our global breadth,
communities in Trinidad & Tobago, Iceland and Russia can be assured
that we will partner with them just as we've taken an active interest
in all areas that Alcoans call home.'
Grantmaking
Grantmaking for Alcoa Foundation totalled $17 million, up approximately
$2 million from 2003. The Foundation's grantmaking efforts expanded
to 33 countries around the world in 2004 as part of an overall strategy
to globalise giving. In 2004, international giving represented 39% of
the Foundation's portfolio compared to 18% in 2000. Over just five years,
the percentage of the Foundation's portfolio that represents international
giving more than doubled.
This reflects Alcoa's expanding global presence and the Foundation's
aspiration to invest everywhere Alcoa operates. Together, Alcoa and
the Foundation invested a combined $28.8 million in cash and non-cash
contributions in Alcoa communities last year.
Disaster Relief Grants
In 2004, the Foundation assisted Alcoa communities in their time of
need with grants to support natural disaster relief efforts following
Hurricanes Ivan and Charley that originated in the Caribbean, the earthquakes
in Japan, and flooding in France, Mexico and the United States. The
Foundation donated more than $300,000 in grants to Red Cross chapters
across the world in support of these efforts.
'More than Money' Community Investments
Taking Action - Alcoa's Worldwide Week of Community Service focused
on global education and workplace skills in 2004. This second annual
global volunteer event involved thousands of Alcoa employees in 170
communities in 27 countries last October. Just a few of the projects
involving Alcoa employees included:
• providing special education in Peru;
• presenting environmental and safety lessons to elementary school
children in Brazil;
• rebuilding a farmhouse in Italy for the Boy Scouts to use for
educational programmes;
• and building a climbing wall to teach the importance of teamwork
to students in Canada.
Employee engagement activities continued to increase in 2004 as Alcoa
employees demonstrated their longstanding commitment to volunteer in
their communities. There was a 6.5% increase in ACTION (Alcoans Coming
Together In Our Neighborhoods) projects in 2004 and a 122% increase
in Bravo! grants in 2004. Combined, ACTION and Bravo! grants increased
by 39% to more than $2 million in 2004. Bravo! and ACTION are Alcoa
employee engagement programmes managed by the Foundation. While ACTION
recognises group efforts by employees, Bravo! recognises the volunteer
efforts of individual Alcoa employees. In 2004, Alcoa employees volunteered
nearly 300,000 hours in the Bravo! programme and provided more than
20,000 hours of community service in the ACTION programme.
About Alcoa Foundation
Established in 1952, Alcoa Foundation is a global resource that actively
invests in improving the quality of life in the countries around the
world where Alcoa operates. The Foundation's grants address global and
local needs in Areas of Excellence that include: Conservation and Sustainability,
Global Education and Workplace Skills, Business and Community Partnerships
and Safe and Healthy Children and Families. Alcoa Foundation manages
Alcoa's ACTION and Bravo! programmes which recognise the volunteer efforts
of employees with grants to the organisations they serve. For more information
about Alcoa Foundation, visit http://www.alcoa.com,
under Community.
Children's
Hospital Coins it in from Goliath and Network VEKA
Birmingham
Children's Hospital is £635 better off, thanks to the Network
VEKA member the Goliath Group and
its MD Steve Hancox.
It started when Steve earned £270 and a magnum of Champagne in
a charity 'heads and tails' game at the organisation's recent AGM.
But the total was more than doubled when he auctioned his bubbly - then
the winning bidder, Thistle's Nick Robson, auctioned it again, to be
bought by Universal Arches' Paul and Paula DeGiorgio.
Malcolm Faulkner, Development Officer at the Hospital, accepted the
cheque on behalf of Ward 9 after Steve explained his own niece, Katie,
aged five, had undergone surgery for a brain tumour there shortly before
she died two years ago.
Michael
Fish Climbs Kilimanjaro
Michael
Fish, 38 year old production manager for Newlook
Windows in Rochdale, at 5.15am on the 31st January 2005 reached
the summit of Kilimanjaro, Africas highest mountain at over 19,300ft
to raise money for Scope, the charity that helps children and adults
with cerebral palsey to have a better quality of life.
Michael raised almost £4000 towards this cause, with very generous
contributions coming from Winkhaus UK, Newlook Windows and Rehau.
'There
were over 50 people in our group coming from all over the UK and currently
our total raised stands at over £180,000. This money is greatly
needed as it costs £2800 to provide a specially designed bath,
a luxury we take for granted.
'The hike took eight days and went from jungle to desert to snow capped
peak and back again, we experienced thunder storms, torrential rain,
blistering sun and blizzards sometimes all within a matter of minutes.
The challenge was a personal triumph for myself as it is only just over
two years since I had a pacemaker fitted and wasn't sure if I would
be able to cope with the final push to the summit.
'I would be grateful for any donations generated by an article in your
charity section and I can be contacted via my e-mail address.'
Mike can be contacted at mailto:mike@newlookwindows.com
Planet
Devon gives Harrowing Saga a Happy Ending
A
seriously disabled Camborne girl will get the vital extra living space
her family has been campaigning for - after Planet
Devon stepped in to end their ordeal.
Despite winning a long-running planning permission dispute to build
a permanent conservatory, Marie and Lester Roberts were dismayed when
their builder went bust, taking their £1,000 deposit.
The couple were desperate to create additional living and storage space
at their Manor Road home for their 19-year-old daughter Laura, who suffers
from cerebral palsy.
After hearing of their plight, Exeter-based Planet Devon, part of the
UK's number one conservatory installer, offered to provide a free top-notch
conservatory, which would normally cost £8,000.
The
Roberts were furious when Kerrier District Council's planning committee
granted planning permission on condition that the conservatory would
be demolished within three months of Laura's death.
The family need the conservatory to create more room in their cramped
house and allow them to store vital life-saving equipment for Laura.
They won their planning appeal against the council's decision after
an anguished 28-week wait - only to discover the building firm they
chose to install the conservatory had gone to the wall, taking a cash
deposit of £1,000.
Mrs Roberts said: 'This has been a harrowing ordeal but there is a happy
ending and we are extremely grateful to Planet Devon for stepping in
to help us. Laura is doing really, really well and the conservatory
will improve the quality of life for her and everybody else in the family.'
The couple have three other children - Alison (aged 12), Clare (17)
and 21-year-old Emma who is a teaching assistant.
'Having learned of the Roberts‚ family's predicament we decided
that we simply had to help out' said Martin Smith, who heads up Planet
Devon.
The company, which recently invested £200,000 in a new Conservatory
Design Centre at Trade City in Exeter have designed, supplied and installed
the lean to conservatory which features Planet's new roofing system
which the company says is is the most heat-efficient on the market.
'After all that Laura and her family have gone through, they can now
look forward to having a top quality conservatory, which has been professionally
installed by local craftsmen' added Martin, who hails from Exmouth and
lived for seven years in Cornwall.