Update 44: Festive Edition 2021

To celebrate our 150th year anniversary and Year of Charities, we sponsored the Annual Charity Christmas Concert on 11th December at Bolton Parish Church. The event was a great success and raised £300 for our supported charities.

2021 has been our ‘Year of Charities’ rather than as in previous years, supporting a single charity.

Sadly of course, we were all affected in so many ways in 2020 and we were not able to hold the carol concert last year, but we were so pleased to hold it again in this special year.

Despite the coronavirus restrictions in place at various stages they didn’t stop a willing group of staff at the firm forming a ‘150 Group’ in addition to our now well-established Charitable Working Group.

Somewhat bravely (and at times I believe it felt a little foolhardy) they decided to attempt 150 activities for local charities and the local communities which our Bolton and Manchester offices principally serve.

We feel privileged to have been able to offer some support both in gifts, financial contributions and volunteering time.

Organisations have been especially thrilled to welcome our mascot Matthew at times and he has certainly put smiles on many faces. He even has his own profile on our website!

The year started off with an in-house competition to see who could record the most steps in January. Vicki won with over 343,000 steps!

Bolton Nice were early recipients of 150 boxes for National Brew Day, 150 pies for National Pie Day (can you spot a theme already?) and 150 croissants for – you guessed it, National Croissant Day.

We supported Backup at various times and with their 10 tin challenges.

In February Matthew had a very busy morning delivering pancake making items to the families at Fort Alice and Radcliffe Road Mother and Baby Unit.

Pets were at the forefront when we supported Endeavour in 2019 (and this year around Mother’s Day) and that theme continued in 2021 when we held a ‘Pets Helping You Work from Home Photo Competition’ and some great ones there were too and we donated over £170 to Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary.

For ‘Love Your Pet Day’ Matthew went out to deliver 150 pouches of cat food to Kitty Rescue in Bury.

We also ran a ‘bring your pet to work day’ for those working remotely with further monies raised for Bleakholt and later in the year we then sponsored Fergal one of their donkeys.

In the run up to Easter Matthew helped deliver Easter eggs to Endeavour, Bolton Lads and Girls Club, Out There - a charity which supports the families of prisoners, then to Caritas Mother and Baby Unit with, you’ve guessed it, more eggs!!

And finally to Fort Alice with yet more... Easter eggs!! What a busy bear!

We donated a lovely table and chairs to Mill View Care Home so visitors and residents had more opportunities to meet together outside from March onwards given the coronavirus restrictions that were in place.

Matthew helped mark the NHS 75th birthday and the Big Tea Day by donating a coffee machine and tea bags to the Neonatal Unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Matthew delivered cakes to Careline during Euro 2020 and biscuits to care homes for National Carers Week.

He ‘helped’ Team FP in the Bolton Lads and Girls’ Football Tournament (too many biscuits meant we didn’t reach the final…).

We have held Dress Down Friday on the last Friday of each month for those working in the offices and have made many other donations to other organisations including Bury and Bolton Hospices, Urban Outreach, Children’s Trust, Alzheimer’s Society and recently Advent Calendars and other items (mainly food, Matthew’s favourite) to local charities.

I want to mention specifically the efforts of Laura, Marie, Beth, Damian, Emma, David and Peter who have gone above and beyond at various times over the year in making all these many events happen.

They truly have been the very best ways to celebrate our 150th year and show that the firm continues to work at the heart of the communities it serves.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Fraser.