The BusinessWatch Group celebrates charity success The BusinessWatch Group celebrates charity success - BusinessWatch

The BusinessWatch Group celebrates charity success

Staff at The BusinessWatch Group are celebrating after scooping the title of Charity Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the annual Big Wigs contest.

The company raised almost £11,000 through a Black and White Ball and Charity Auction, a total which beat off all other competitors.

The Big Wigs contest pits businesses in the Greater Peterborough area against each other in a bid to raise as much money as possible for Sue Ryder Care which has its city base at Thorpe Hall.

Each competing company was given a crisp £50 note in March and challenged to turn it into as much money as possible in just three months.

“We are delighted to have won the award,” said Director Richard Olsen. “It is testament to the huge amount of work everyone put into organising the event and to the phenomenal support we received from so many of our customers, clients and suppliers.”

Staff at The BusinessWatch Group based in Orton Southgate, Peterborough dreamed up the idea of a charity ball and auction at a brainstorming session.

“We decided to pour all our efforts into one big event to give everyone something to focus on,” said PA Claire Booth.

The £50 was spent on raffle tickets to be sold at the Ball and then the 70 staff got busy drumming up guests for the event and persuading other companies, individuals, customers and clients to donate items for the charity auction.

“We were overwhelmed with the amount of support we received from people who recognised the importance of the charity’s work,” said Claire.

“The ball, at The Haycock Hotel in Wansford in June, was a huge success and we were thrilled with the amount raised.”

The company then had a nerve wracking six week wait for the Big Wigs award ceremony.

“Of course, our over-riding aim was to raise as much money as possible for such a worthwhile cause,” said Claire. “To be named as Charity Entrepreneur of the Year topped it off perfectly.”

The BusinessWatch Group, named The Evening Telegraph’s Small Business of the Year 2007, provides domestic and commercial intruder and fire alarm systems, guarding and telecommunications solutions. See www.businesswatchgroup.com for further information.

Pic cap: L-R: Chris Burke, from Big Wigs sponsor Norwich and Peterborough Building Society; Jonathan Wakerley, BusinessWatch Group managing director; Claire Booth BusinessWatch Group PA; Me Yates, guest speaker from 121 Business Solutions.

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