Businesses top £35,500 for Pendleside Hospice in MEGA Raisathon summer challenge

Matthew Stuttard and David Edmondson, of Glendinning Insurance Brokers, and Pendleside’s Christina Cope show off the amount raised by the MEGA Raisathon, along with other supporters

The event closed with a "netwalk" around Barley finishing at the Barley Mow having been launched at the beginning of June with East Lancashire’s first "netwalk", held in the grounds of Towneley Hall.

The MEGA Raisathon was held during the pandemic to replace the Pendleside Corporate Challenge which was postponed because of the coronavirus restrictions but is hoped will resume next summer.

Around 30 businesses registered for the event, which was sponsored by JM Glendinning Insurance Brokers, and whose managing director Matthew Stuttard said: “We were delighted to support the MEGA Raisathon because as a business we like to give back to the community which we serve.

“I am pleased that so much money was raised for Pendleside at a time when revenue for the hospice has been so badly hit by the pandemic. The restrictions that have been in force during the course of the last 18 months have had a massive impact on the fundraising that would normally have taken place.”

During the MEGA Raisathon, teams have been sponsored for a whole range of challenges including the Yorkshire Three Peaks, Bushtucker Trials, repeatedly walking up Pendle Hill, and a golf day.

Christina Cope, head of Pendleside’s corporate fundraising, said: “We are so grateful for all of the businesses who took part. Because of the Covid restrictions most of the fundraising has been in the great outdoors and to raise the total amount of £35,580 is amazing.

“The netwalking events we held to launch and end the MEGA Raisathon have proved so popular we hope to run them throughout the year. A netwalk is a very informal and healthy way of mixing business with pleasure where people can share their business experiences by chatting during a walk in our beautiful countryside.

“Hopefully, next year we will see the return of the Corporate Challenge which lasts throughout the summer and in 2019 raised a staggering amount of more than £147,000.”

The netwalk was sponsored by Harrison Drury Solicitors, and walk leaders were Stuart Applegate and Rosemary Connor who took the group up to Lower Ogden Reservoir.