AddThis SmartLayers

Newspaper group's staff raise £22,000 for charity

A 77-mile walk across Scotland, a fancy dress music event and a 10k run at a zoo were among a series of charity events held by editorial staff at Archant over recent months.

The newspaper publisher says its employees have raised more than £22,000 for good causes with a range of events, while its Archant Gold scheme will boost the total by a further £14,294.

Among the fundraising activities were sponsored walks and runs, coffee mornings and a mountain climbing challenge.

Archant Gold chairman John Ellison, who is also company secretary, said: “I never cease to be amazed at the incredible ways in which our staff from all over the country raise hundreds of pounds for really worthy causes. My congratulations to them all on their impressive efforts.”

Devon Life staff writer Anna Turns, above left, carried out a 10km charity run at Whipsnade Zoo, where the spectators included elephants, lions and tigers.

She completed the run in just over an hour to raise £433 for KidsOut, a national charity dedicated to bringing fun and happiness to disadvantaged children across the UK.

Archant Suffolk page editor Simon Morse, from Ipswich, completed the well-known Three Peaks Challenge, successfully reaching the tops of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon within 24 hours.

“The most memorable moment was reaching the third summit, Snowdon,” said Simon. “The biggest disappointment was that two of my fellow participants failed to reach it.”

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices Treehouse Appeal received £416 as a result of his efforts, which was doubled by Archant Gold.

Ciaran McGrath, from the Archant London editorial team at Bethnal Green, organised a live music event with his friend Barry, which had an ’80s theme and fancy dress.

His band, Goat Patrol, performed along with several DJs and £1,282 was raised, which will be split equally between the NSPCC and the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer. Archant Gold donated £250 to each charity.

And Archant Life North deputy editor, Paul Mackenzie, completed a gruelling 77-mile, four-day, walk across Scotland from Fort William in the west to Inverness in the east to raise £500 for St Luke’s Hospice.

Other staff who raised charity funds included:

  • Comet reporter Louise McEvoy from Archant Herts and Cambs, and the rest of the editorial department, sold cakes and tea/coffee to raise £124 as part of the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning for Macmillan Cancer Support.
  • Archant Suffolk photographer Lucy Taylor and other editorial staff held a butterfly day in aid of Treehouse Appeal, making butterfly buns and other cakes to raise £50 for the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.
  • Harlow Herald reporter Natalie Dearman from Archant Herts and Cambs took part in the four-mile Memory Walk, in Harlow, raising £424 for the Harlow Alzheimers Society.
  • Hampstead and Highgate Express reporter Susanna Wilkey, from Archant London, ran the London Marathon to raise £2,500 for the RNLI.
  • Wiltshire Magazine editor Kate Wood from Archant life, completed the 10k Walk for Wards, raising £79 towards the Star Appeal Caring 4 Kids campaign.

    Comments

    Anthony Prior (20/08/2010 12:13:42)
    Thank you for the amend!