Barnsley businesses accumulate over £13,000 for local hospice

The annual Barnsley Hospice Accumulator Challenge fundraiser saw 18 local businesses raise an incredible £13,772.62 collectively throughout May.

To take part in the Accumulator Challenge, the premise is simple. Teams are given a loan of £31, with which they had the 31 days in May to raise as much money as possible for Barnsley Hospice.

From summer fun days to limited edition gelato, this year’s teams pulled out all the stops to fundraise their way through May.

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, participants were invited to an awards ceremony at Barnsley Hospice, where they could meet other businesses that took part in the challenge and, most importantly, find out how much was raised throughout the month.

Corporate partnerships manager at Barnsley Hospice, Simon Atkinson, said: “This is our sixth Accumulator Challenge, and we continue to be blown away by the creativity and dedication the teams put in each year.

“Raising over £13,000 has exceeded all our expectations and is testament to Barnsley’s fantastic businesses and our local community’s generosity. We couldn’t do it without you, so thank you to everyone who has taken part and supported this year’s challenge.”

Special mentions were also given to GXO, who won the award for ‘Most Profit’ for the third year running after raising £4,063.41 and Dolly’s Desserts, who grabbed the trophy for ‘Most Innovative Idea’ after their limited-edition hospice gelato raised £785.

Richard Burdin, general manager at GXO Barnsley, was delighted with the team’s total. “It’s wonderful to see how much money has been raised to support Barnsley Hospice and we’re thrilled to have won the award for ’Most Profit’ for the third year in a row. The work that the hospice does is extremely important and we’re delighted to support a charity that gives so much back to the borough of Barnsley.

The team at Dolly’s Desserts, who took part in the challenge for the first time, noted that as well as benefitting the hospice, it had brought them together as a team.

Anika, Store Manager at Dolly’s Desserts, said: “The challenge was good because we all came together as a team, and it’s really exciting that we won the award for the most innovative idea.

“It was a huge team effort, and we can’t believe we have been a part of raising such a lot of money for the hospice.”

The hospice, based in Gawber, needs to raise £3.5 million each year to fund patient care and support for families. It relies entirely on fundraising and donations to achieve this amount. An additional £1.7m grant is provided by the NHS.

Barnsley Hospice provides specialist care and support for people with progressive, life-limiting illnesses, including cancer, heart and lung disease and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease; and supports their families too. For more information visit www.barnsleyhospice.org

ENDS.