Staff ‘away-day’ boosts hospice charity (From The Oxford Times)

Staff ‘away-day’ boosts hospice charity

1:00pm Wednesday 22nd August 2012 in News By Fran Bardsley, covering Education, East Oxford and Cowley. Call me on 01865 425439

FOR many people, a company ‘away-day’ conjures up images of swanky hotels, pamper days, paintballing or team sports.

But East Oxford children’s respite hospice charity Helen & Douglas House decided to keep things closer to home for their fundraising and communication staff team-building day.

Fourteen members of staff decamped to the charity’s furniture warehouse in Abingdon for the day, to help restore furniture which will be sold in aid of the charity.

They also had a chance to work with one of the charity’s occupational therapists.

Laura McHale, who is in charge of major donor fundraising, said: “It was really nice to experience a bit of the hospice we don’t normally work directly with.”

Communications manager Lin Crawley, from Abingdon, said the day was a great opportunity to be creative.

She added: “To think that those items will go for sale in our shops and earn the charity money was a really nice feeling.”

Fundraising administrator Helen Cordiner, from Cowley, said there was no disappointment when the location of the away-day was announced.

She said: “I like doing something that’s a bit more hands-on and practical.” The items the team worked on were donated by supporters but had failed to sell in the charity’s shops.

To find out more about having a team-building event at the furniture warehouse, call the corporate partnership team on 01865 799150 or email vfay@helenanddouglas.org.uk