In April 2023, PCH teamed up with the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND Association) for 12 months of charity fundraising in memory of a much-missed and popular staff member, Lisa Goodman.
Over the last 12 months, staff have come together to raise an incredible £7,000 for the MND Association and MND Plymouth to ensure that the funds raised can be used to help people in our region.
Staff chose to nominate the association as its Charity of the Year for 2023 – 2024 with the cause being especially close to their hearts after Lisa, a long-standing member of staff at PCH, sadly passed away from the disease last year.
The charity fundraising was kicked off with an initial £500 corporate donation in April 2023, and the fundraising efforts have been led by a team of 12 volunteer staff members who regularly attended charity steering group meetings to make plans for the different fundraising events.
Throughout the year, PCH organised a whole host of fundraising events which included a football tournament, a Christmas craft fair, a quiz night, regular lunchtime quizzes, raffles, Bring Your Dog to Work Days and cake sales. As well as this, PCH held a raffle to win a VIP parking space for a month, staff contributed to the cause through their leaving collections, and individuals took on challenges to raise their own funds, including the ’60 miles in August’ challenge and a head shave.
We would like to extend our thanks to our staff for taking part in the fundraising events and donating to the charity of the year and the Executive Management team for their corporate donations. We would also like to thank the local organisations who have generously donated raffle prizes throughout the year, allowing our staff, and their friends and families to grab excellent prizes.
To thank the volunteer charity steering group members for their support and to mark their contribution to the fundraising this year, we gave them a ‘Lisa’s Hero’ award to showcase their hard work in memory of Lisa. Take a look at our staff with their awards:
Throughout the year, PCH has been supported by Helen & Roger from the MND Association, and their support has maximised every fundraising opportunity.
Helen Mackie, Senior Regional Fundraiser (South West) at the Motor Neurone Disease Association, said: “This past year we have been overwhelmed by the incredible support Plymouth Community Homes has shown the Plymouth Group of the MND Association and our local MND community.
“From quizzes to fetes, bring your dog to work day and raffles the Plymouth Community Homes team have generously given so much time, effort and generosity to make sure no one faces MND alone.
“We can’t say thank you enough to everyone who has donated or attended and event. Not only have PCH raised £7,000 they have also raised so much vital awareness of MND which is priceless. Together we have made a big difference all in honour of Lisa. Thank you.”
Rebecca Hocking, Communications Officer and charity steering group lead, said: We have had an excellent year fundraising for a charity very close to the heart of PCH and it wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of our steering group members. The collaborative efforts throughout PCH have been brilliant, and with our money raised we hope to support people in our region who are living with motor neurone disease and those affected by the disease. The support we have been given by Helen and Roger at MND Association has also helped hugely with our fundraising efforts.”
Sally Aspen, Housing Officer (IR&FI) and charity steering group member, added: “When PCH asked for nominations for the 2023 Charity of the Year, the team came together to put forward MND Association in memory of Lisa. Lisa is sadly missed on the team, and it has been brilliant to raise funds for the charity that supported her and her family in her memory.
“Lisa was the group organiser, the one who always arranged our Friday buffets to boost team morale. She loved making bacon rolls and sandwiches and generally having fun in the office, giving us all funny nicknames that she referred to us by!
“I hope we did Lisa proud with our various attempts of fundraising for local families experiencing MND, and I know she will always be remembered for her fun filled antics within our team!”
Sharon Miller, Housing Officer (IR&FI) and charity steering group member, added: “I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone for supporting us and allowing us to do something in Lisa’s memory. Lisa was not only a member of our team but she was also a good friend and a big part of PCH.”
Thank you again to our staff and local organisations for their support.
We will be sharing the exciting news about our next Charity of the Year at the start of April.
