In 2016, the Group adopted the Paul Bush Foundation Trust (PBFT) as its charity to support with fundraising activities and grants.
The PBFT was set up in 2012 by the founder of Bush & Company, Paul Bush. Paul, himself a paraplegic since 1975 and who sadly died in 2017, and subsequently his daughter Rachel, a specialist spinal nurse, became passionate about improving the lives of people with a disability. This passion remains a central feature of the values and principles by which Bush operates its business and the Group is proud to support it.
The Group’s support and your fundraising results in over £62,000 a year being raised to support the Trust in its work. You have fundraised through bake sales, sporting challenges and social events. In 2016 our CEO, Russell Atkinson, was appointed as Trustee of the PBFT.
National Accident Helpline
In 2017 NAH staff built on the success of 2016’s Reverse Advent Calendar for the Kettering Foodbank (which is set to become an annual event!) by also donating Easter Eggs for children who may not receive one otherwise.
In 2017, NAH also went into partnership with Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance to raise funds for this vital service. Through abseils, Dragon Boat Races and festive German Markets on site the staff have raised over £2,000 – which NAH has pledged to match!
As part of NAH’s support of local senior school, Latimer Arts College, NAH staff have offered mentoring services to some of their students, giving them support and advice on next steps after school. Alongside this, the business sponsored an award at the school’s annual Latimer Pride evening which was an incredible celebration of all that the student have achieved that year. For the second year running, several members of NAH’s Executive Team took part in the school’s Dragon’s Den event, fostering the student’s creativity and business thinking. Speaking of the partnership Jyoti Pankhania, Assistant Principal – Latimer Arts College said:
“The involvement of local businesses in our student activities throughout the year is of great importance to us. We’re delighted to be working with National Accident Helpline and the contributions they have made to our activities so far have been valuable for our enterprise programme. We’re very much looking forward to building on this working relationship in 2017.”
Bush & Company
Bush & Company is a huge supporter of the Paul Bush Foundation Trust with it being a cause that staff are keen to back. This charitable support has extended into other charities too with staff enthusiastically throwing themselves into fundraising for a number of causes.
Bush’s office Soup lunches (where colleagues sell their homemade soup – and bread!) have proved to be extremely popular in raising money for the Mary Seacole Trust in its work to publicise the life, work and achievements of Jamaican nurse, Mary Seacole during the Crimean war, tackling social challenges or inequality and encouraging young people to follow her example of good citizenship, entrepreneurship and achievement.
The team has also held a very successful Glow Day in aid of the Child Brain Injury Trust with staff dressing in their brightest clothes to support this important organisation giving vital support to children with brain injuries and their families.
Fitzalan Partners and Searches UK
Searches supports a number of local and national charities and organisations throughout the year including Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, Chestnut Tree House, Circus Starr, ChildLine, Age UK and the Brighton Housing Trust.
In particular, Searches is proud to host the Property Professionals Lunch each quarter in partnership with Portfolio Magazine. The lunch provides a networking opportunity for professionals in the property industry and each event hosts a prize draw to raise funds for the Rockinghorse Children’s Charity – in particular the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and the Trevor Mann Baby Unit. Searches helped to raise over £3,000 to support local and national causes.
The staff at Searches are always ready to get involved too with baking and dress up and baking days for breast cancer awareness in October alongside Hallowe’en quizzes and Christmas jumper day.
