Fun ways to raise money!
Opus Energy shoot raises £55,000 for motor neurone disease charity
31.05.11
A clay-pigeon shoot sponsored by Opus Energy raised over £55,000 for the Heaton-Ellis Trust, a Berkshire charity funding research into motor-neurone disease.
The Opus Energy Shooting Challenge saw over 100 patrons from across Europe, together with Opus Energy staff, taking part in the team-based competition at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School in Pangbourne.
A charity auction on the day raised £25,000 of the final total, with lots including helicopter lessons, a skiing holiday, and Saracens rugby tickets.
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a progressive disease that attacks the upper and lower motor neurones; the cells that control voluntary muscle movements such as breathing, walking, swallowing and speaking. MND leads to weakness and wasting of these muscles and can affect any adult at any age.
The money raised by Opus Energy will contribute towards medical research into a cure for this life-changing disease, and improve technology to identify the defective genes that cause it.
Romilla Arber, from The Heaton-Ellis Trust fundraising committee, said:
"The day was a huge success for the Trust. A lot more money was raised this year than last and the event was well attended. There was a warm atmosphere despite the chilly conditions and everyone had a good time, whilst raising money for a very worthwhile cause."
Opus Energy's Managing Director, Charlie Crossley Cooke, said:
"This was the latest event in Opus Energy's community outreach work, something which we continue to take very seriously. We are therefore very pleased to have raised such a large total for the Heaton-Ellis Trust.
"Thanks to all that showed their support at the event and to the Royal Berkshire Shooting School for helping us organise the day."
Children in Need and Red Nose Day
Opus
Energy regularly organises charity days to raise money for annual fundraising
activities. In previous year’s Opus
Energy's Northampton office has been turned into a bad taste zone.
Employees are invited to dress up as badly as possible and donate £1
to charity anyone who turned up to work in their normal clothes had to pay
£2 for the privilege…it pays to dress badly!! The day is always
a brilliant success with most people participating, some highlights have been:
the Customer Service Manager wearing a fetching peach bridesmaid dress that
she wore 19 years ago, accompanied by the matching head dress and trainers
with ankle socks.
Some of the other delights included: clashing colours, headscarves, bright pink blusher, glitter tops, stripes, outrageous prints, side ponytails and leg warmers but the 2006 winner is the most memorable and overwhelmingly voted the ‘worst dressed winner’ she sported an amazing floral all-in-one jumpsuit (kindly donated by her Grandmother) over a sparkly purple jumper!!
Other activities which take place throughout the year to bring a little
fun and excitement to the working day include:
- Christmas Party Raffles with fantastic prizes: spa days, football tickets, signed football shirts, rugby tickets, designer handbags and much much more.
- Pizza, doughnut and other takeaways, which are donated by local restaurants and shops which staff then make donations to enjoy
- Rugby and football sweepstakes – regular departmental and office wide sweepstakes with the money going to charity
- Cake baking, guess the number of sweets in a jar, Easter egg hunts – we like to bring a little fun to the working day and if it raises money for charity even better!!
Anything silly, fun, or involving food we will try – please email
us if you have any other ideas which work well and raise money.
Back to Opus Energy’s Charity page