COMMUNITYnews
Ivor Dickinson, Douglas & Gordon’s Managing Director, with Camila
Batmanghelidjh, founder of Kids Company.
to instructions. And we believe that a community event, such as Eistedddfod, is great value for money.” Maintaining and forging strong links
to the local area helps estate agents to become the most visible agent in the area. Mark Bygott, Director of Mark Bygott
Intercounty, has been sponsoring the Upper Broughton Art Show for the past two years and the event has become a renowned annual event for Nottingham bringing in excess of 1000 visitors to the village. “Having lived in Upper Broughton for many years, I have established a strong presence there with the locals and since moving away several years ago I have maintained a strong rapport with them. “My rapport has meant that many
households have placed our signs in their gardens to advertise the event which reflects the strength of the brand within the area. Through sponsoring the event, we are able to establish a core presence and it gives Mark Bygott Intercounty the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the local community.” For over two decades Mullucks Wells
in Essex and Hertfordshire have been sponsoring events like the Puckeridge Point-to-Point meeting, Brent Pelham Country Fair, Macmillan Cancer Support Late Harvest Lunch, Saffron Walden Literary Festival, local Art Exhibitions and Red Cross Christmas Sales. “Now, in our 21st year, we’ve decided to
step-up our community involvement by raising money for three local charities (ResCU, West Essex Mind & the Helen Rollason Cancer Trust) throughout a period of 12 months – something which includes donating £100 for every property we sell before April 2012,” said William Wells, Director at Mullucks Wells. “Not only will we raise vital funds, but we’re also getting our hands dirty – asking staff and other contacts to give their free time and expertise to help with painting walls, building furniture and clearing spaces to help make these charities’ plans a reality. “Activities such as these have three key
benefits. Firstly, and most importantly, it helps support the charity or organisation concerned. Secondly, it’s good for staff morale – with people actively enjoying providing hands-on support. Finally, it generates an immense amount of goodwill – and if that translates into increased business, then that’s a bonus.” Many agents choose to sponsor a local
42 NOVEMBER 2011 PROPERTYdrum
We had the idea, raised
the awareness, gathered in the goods ... and got the t-shirt!’
event to join forces with other local businesses. Newton Fallowell sponsor the Grimsthorpe Festival each year and this year sponsored an inflatable course to raise money for MenCap. “My office sponsored £300 which pays for the programme and a pitch for the inflatable,” said Managing Director Jonathan Hewitt. “My decision to sponsor the
Grimsthorpe Festival came about as I saw an opportunity to support a local event which was put on by local people and also supported by local businesses. Bourne is a small town and it needs more than just the local residents to help put on an event as large as the Grimsthorpe Festival, so
business plays a large role in servicing the event. “Of course there is also the brand
awareness for my company. Having a banner next to the inflatable I sponsored and ran this year certainly helped. I also sponsored the back page of the programme, which also helps show my local involvement as a Bourne business. I think next year I am going to try and get a For Sale board put up on the castle – it might take a sizable donation, but it’ll be worth it.”
MILITARY OPERATIONS! Sometimes it is the sheer good work of the charity that makes agents get involved. Last December, Douglas & Gordon’s staff from the company’s 17 offices across London took to the streets in aid of the children’s charity Kids Company. The plan was to forage for non-perishable food to fill Christmas hampers for thousands of vulnerable children in London. The company planned a military
operation to knock on doors for donations that was brought back to Douglas & Gordon’s East and West Putney offices by a logistics chain. The thousands of items were then ferried via specially commissioned lorries all day long to the Kids Company headquarters in Blackfriars, where thirty Douglas & Gordon staff wrapped the presents ready for Christmas. Ivor Dickinson, Douglas & Gordon’s
Kent Autistic Trust, which provides day care for autistic adults was helped out by Cluttons’ staff who did the gardening and general handyman duties.
Managing Director, said, “When Camila Batmanghelidjh, founder of Kids Company, gave me a tour of their headquarters and showed me what goes into looking after 14,000 children, I was gripped! We felt so passionately about the cause that we closed all our offices on 1 December for the day, operating on a skeleton staff to ensure our usual service wasn’t hampered.”
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