Berkeley Group colleagues well and truly stepped up to the Race to End Homelessness challenge in the last two weeks of July, raising over £53,000 for the Foundation's Strategic Partner Crisis' Home for All campaign.
The event asked people to run at least a mile and fundraise £50 to help Crisis find permanent solutions to ending homelessness for good. Across Berkeley Group more than 240 colleagues put on their running / walking / cycling shoes and set off to complete their challenge. In total, they have clocked up an absolutely amazing 6,700 miles!
During the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen what can be achieved in a matter of weeks when individuals, government and industry work together. Thousands have been found a temporary place to live, and as we're slowly coming out of lockdown the challenge now is to make sure these people aren't returned to uncertain and unstable living situations, and that those facing homelessness for the first time get the help they need.
Berkeley colleagues' help with raising both awareness and funds will be crucial to Crisis' work in the coming months.
We saw some excellent examples of creative ways to take part in the race, and to make sure those donations were coming in. The St James / St William Vauxhall office did a team fancy dress run - "From farm to table!" - which helped them secure best best fancy dress win in the internal competition.
Sean Ellis, Chairman of St James, commented:
"It has been a great event to bring people back together; those working from home, in our office and those out on site. We're a fairly small team of 60 people at Vauxhall, so to have a team of 36 taking part has been great.
The event has encouraged us to exercise, helped raise awareness of Crisis' important work to tackle homelessness, and seeing the donations mount up has spurred us on even further."
Richard Lee, Director of Fundraising at Crisis said:
"We are so pleased with the incredible amount that Berkeley Group have raised. We really appreciate their enthusiasm for taking part and collecting those all-important donations which will contribute to ensuring that people remain safe and that there is a home for all beyond the pandemic."
The winners of the Berkeley categories are as below - congratulations!
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Biggest divisional team: Berkeley West Thames Southall Waterside - 58 colleagues took part
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Longest distance covered by a team: Berkeley Group IT covered a fantastic 1,743 miles
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Most money raised by a team: St George City has raised an incredible £15,685 (as of 11 August 2020)
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Best fancy dress: St James / St William Vauxhall
Thank you to everybody who got involved.