Record amount raised by Burnley and Pendle businesses for Pendleside Hospice Corporate Challenge is celebrated at Crow Wood

The amount was revealed at a special awards ceremony at the Crow Wood Hotel, Burnley, which was attended by around 250 guests.

More than 60 businesses from across Burnley and Pendle – again a new record – took part in the challenge which saw them compete against each other by organising fundraising events and challenges between June and September.

Barnfield Construction, based at Lomeshaye, Brierfield, who raised £19,000, won the overall most-raised award as well as the best newcomer category.

A special judges’ award for the Corporate Challenge Champions for their teamwork, community spirit and marketing their events went to Birchall Foodservice, of Hapton, who raised £18,000.

Other main categories were won by Rolls-Royce (Large Business), +24 Marketing (Small Business), and BCW Manufacturing (Best Event).

A special recognition award went to fundraiser and regular volunteer Keith Jackson.

Guests at the event included the Mayor of Burnley, Coun. Cosima Towneley; the Mayor of Pendle, Coun. Yasser Iqbal; Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson; and Rachel Bayley, Burnley Borough Council, and Joanne Hindley, Lancashire Business View, who helped judge the awards.

The evening was hosted by James Cockerill and Wayne Farrow.

David Brown, chairman of the hospice’s trustees, and Pendleside chief executive Helen McVey both explained why fundraising events like the corporate challenge – one of the best supported in the UK – were so vital to the hospice.

Elaine Middleton, Pendleside’s head of corporate fundraising, said: “When we relaunched the corporate challenge after Covid-19 we were not sure how businesses would respond as they themselves were recovering from the effects of the pandemic.

“But as we have seen in the past businesses in Burnley and Pendle are so resilient and so hugely supportive of the hospice that they came out in force and smashed the previous corporate challenge record set in 2019 by more than £40,000.

“We are hugely indebted to the support they have shown and massively impressed by the initiative and drive all of the teams, big and small, showed in raising funds throughout the summer.”

And chief executive Helen McVey said: “Every penny of the money raised by the corporate challenge will go towards patient care and help off-set the massive rising costs we are incurring at the hospice because of the energy crisis and general cost of living increases.

“Apart from our falling fundraising streams during the two years we were affected by the pandemic the present economic situation is having a demanding effect on our budgets.

“This year will see the cost of running exceed the £4.5m. mark and more than 70% will be funded by the generosity of people from the Burnley and Pendle areas.

“Without their support Pendleside and all of its services to patients with life-limiting illnesses would not be able to function.”

Winners Panel

Best Event: BCW Manufacturing Open Day

Innovation: Aidan Oldroyd (Proper Video)

Small Business: +24 Marketing

Large Business: Rolls-Royce

Laugh Out Loud: Lucy Hughes (Addmail) for her sky dive

Digital Marketing: Petty Real

Corporate Challenger Enabler: Paul Emmett (BNI Kudos)

Rising Star: Lucy McDowell (Hays Recruitment)

Team Spirit: Paradigm Precision

Best Newcomer: Barnfield Construction

Fundraiser Of The Year: Danielle Firth (Rolls-Royce)

Most Raised Overall: Barnfield Construction