News

Winners were announced at an awards ceremony last night (Thursday 19 March).

20 teams took part in the competition including local businesses; Marshall of Cambridge, Hill Partnership and Taylor Vinters Solicitors. Teams from local schools also entered to raise money including The Perse School and Melbourn Village College. A range of activities were planned from charity music gigs and talent shows, to indulgence days and producing and selling waterproof bike seat covers. An impressive £66,000.00 was raised overall, beating the target of £50,000.00.

BBC Apprentice 2007 winner, Simon Ambrose who helped judge the Grand Challenge says: "I’m delighted and proud that my own experience on The Apprentice helped inspire such a great idea to support such a worthwhile cause.” The awards ceremony, hosted by Bob Satchwell, Executive Director, Society of Editors, gave recognition of the teams’ efforts in creating and carrying out their own fundraising initiatives.

Contestants were recognised for a range of awards including; The Innovation Award, and The Outstanding Individual Award. Additional awards were presented by Shailendra Vyakarnam PhD MBA, Director for the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, University of Cambridge and Walter Herriot OBE, Managing Director of St John’s Innovation Centre Limited.

The Grand Challenge inspired teams of between three and six people, to provide a budget, of up to £1,000, to devise, plan and complete the most successful fundraising initiative for Papworth Trust. A real challenge, in challenging times.

Here are the teams that were recognised for their efforts:

Innovation Award
ARM Ltd for ‘ARM in ARM’

Schools Innovation Award
Melbourn Village College

Media Award
Peterborough City Council

Variety Award
Papworth Trust Centre, Papworth

Outstanding Individual Award Runner Up
Owen Morgan, Marshall Aerospace

Outstanding Individual Award Winner
Kathleen Johnston, Taylor Vinters

Schools Experience Award
Perse School

Schools Winners Award
Melbourn Village College

Overall winner
Hill Partnership

Teams release their ideas

Here is news of what the teams are getting up to, together with details of how you might wish to support them in their endeavours.

Restaurant Alimentum are organising a number of events including a series of Saturday Themed Lunches, one a Fashion-themed lunch; second, a Comedy-themed lunch and finally, a Midweek Christmas Lunch with carols and a children’s choir. For further information, contact Restaurant Alimentum on 01223 413000.

ARM Ltd has two teams competing in the Grand Challenge. The first team is hosting a Halloween Extravegenza and are also planning ‘I Quit’ where each team member gives up something once the donations made reach a certain level. Other events include a Christmas Ceilidh, The Longest £2/50p line, and a charity auction. The second team is holding an auction and raffle, a Christmas party collection and Pool competition.

Birketts Solicitors is raffling a signed British Lions Rugby shirt and are offering a gift wrapping service to colleagues and other offices in the vicinity.

Hill Partnerships is holding a black tie Christmas Charity Ball on 5 December at Cambridge Rugby Club.

Marshall of Cambridge is holding a one day 5-a-side football tournament as well as a table quiz and raffle.

The Papworth Trust staff team is holding a Family Indulgence Day on 13 December at Saxongate Community Learning Centre, in Huntingdon. They have also had the Papworth Trust Leadership Team busy cleaning staff desks for a nominal fee.

Papworth Centre is hosting numerous events and activities including a charity music gig and a carol singing concert at RAF Wyton.

Papworth User Involvement is holding a prize draw, the main prize being a holiday as well as a host of other exciting prizes.

Papworth Coffee Shop is selling various products which will be on sale soon so watch out for the Grand Challenge promotions that will be on offer in December.

Peterborough City Council hosted ‘Peterborough has Talent’, a competition for acts to win £500. Over 55 people auditioned and the final 15 acts battled it out at the Broadway Theatre in front of a panel of celebrity judges. Some of the team members also took part in the Great Eastern Run.

Taylor Vinters Solicitors has two teams competing. The first team is running a game of chance “Lucky Sixes” to win a car. The second team is selling waterproof bike seat covers branded with the Papworth Trust logo. They come in blue, red, green and yellow and can be purchased at £2.99 each by visiting www.bikeseatcover.co.uk

In addition to this we are delighted that we have a number of school teams taking part from Melbourn Village College and The Perse School. Activities include: a Snow Ball, fashion show, production and sale of a calendar, sponsored silence, non-uniform day, five-a-side football tournament, battle of the bands, Winter Ball and a Christmas themed craft store.

We wish all our teams every success and good luck.

In the Media: Professional Fundraising Recognises The Grand Challenge

Millionaire entrepreneurs have thrown their support behind a competition which will see 25 teams try to develop the most effective fundraising initiative from a £1,000 start-up investment.

Read the rest of this article here

The Grand Challenge begins

As our teams gear up to raise money for The Papworth Trust, we eagerly wait for the flurry of fundraising ideas in this Apprentice Style Fundraising Contest.

Please find below lots of information that will help you in the planning stages of the contest:

Team Information Pack
Budget Sheet and Example Budget Sheet
Grand Challenge Ideas Brief and Example Ideas Brief
The Do’s and Don’ts of Fundraising (both for schools and organisations)

REMEMBER! If you have any questions about The Grand Challenge that you would like to ask us, you can e-mail us at grandchallenge@papworth.org.uk

Sir Alan Sugar favours the Grand Challenge

Christine Berry Today, Taylor Vinters played host to a packed launch of the Grand Challenge. This exciting new ‘Apprentice Style Fundraising Contest’, is being run by the Papworth Trust and is based on the renowned BBC’s The Apprentice presented by global entrepreneur Alan Sugar.

Sir Alan Sugar, who has been told about The Grand Challenge described it as “Wonderful”.

Participating teams are challenged to start with a maximum of £1,000 and develop their own fundraising initiatives to raise funds for the Trust. So far twenty six teams have sign up including Taylor Vinters and Marshalls Aerospace.

Christine Berry, managing partner at Taylor Vinters said, "We are delighted to be supporting this exciting and entrepreneurial fundraising event for Papworth. We have had tremendous interest and are running a competition for staff at Taylor Vinters to pitch their ideas for The Grand Challenge to a panel of Partners and will be backing what we feel is the best idea with the start-up kitty."

As well as raising money to support the work of the Papworth Trust, one of the UK’s leading disability charities many teams are using it as a team building and training tool incorporating marketing, selling and entrepreneurial skills.

The Grand Challenge will kick off on 1 October and run until 31 December 2008. Don’t miss out, for further information about signing up, e-mail grandchallenge@papworth.org.uk or telephone 01480 357257.

Million Dollar Fund Supports Local Disability Charity Promote Independence

Barclays Bank is delighted to be able to support the latest fundraising venture for The Papworth Trust, one of the UK’s leading disability charities.

A generous donation from the $150 million Barclays Global Community Investment Programme `Banking on Brighter Futures’ will give 5 groups of Papworth Service Users, the opportunity to participate in The Grand Challenge, an exciting ‘Apprentice Style Fundraising Contest’ which challenges teams to create their own fundraising initiative.

Banking on Brighter Futures is Barclays flagship programme, it supports projects, financially and by providing staff volunteers, that focus on financial education, entrepreneurship and routes into employment.

The Grand Challenge is running from 1st October to 31st December and will involve teams from local organisations such as Taylor Vinters and the Junior Chamber of Commerce, as well as the 5 Papworth Teams. The groups of between three and six people will be competing against each other to develop an innovative, creative and successful fundraising initiative, all starting with a budget of no more than a £1,000.

Graeme Byrne, Head of Fundraising at Papworth Trust says, “We are absolutely delighted to have the support of Barclays. It will give our Service Users a unique opportunity to compete against companies and organisations from across the region. Participants will be supported by Papworth staff and mentors from Barclays to learn and develop new skills such as financial management, communication skills, creativity and team work, as well as continuing to develop their confidence and self-esteem.”

The eventual winners of the Grand Challenge will be judged by an internationally respected panel of business experts, including from our TV screens an original Dragon from ‘Dragon’s Den’ and a winner of the BBC ‘Apprentice’ series.

STOP PRESS... The Grand Challenge Launch Event – 16th September 2008

Thinking about what you might do for The Grand Challenge?

Then come and suss out the competition!

Thanks to Taylor Vinters we are holding The Grand Challenge Launch Event at their offices in Cambridge.

Not only will it be an opportunity to network with your fellow competitors but it will be an opportunity to hear from some of the judges and meet the team from Papworth.

For further information contact: grandchallenge@papworth.org.uk or call 01480 357257

Richard Tunnicliffe of the CBI, is delighted to support The Grand Challenge

It gives me great pleasure to be supporting Papworth’s Grand Challenge on behalf of the CBI. It provides individuals across the region with a fantastic opportunity to test their knowledge, experience and guile against other businesses in the region and beyond. I know it will be a great success.

Richard Tunnicliffe,
Regional Director - East of England, CBI

Kate Atkin of Aspire 2, supports The Grand Challenge

Kate Atkin It gives me great pleasure to support the work of Papworth Trust and promote the Grand Challenge to
Aspire 2's clients. As a training provider I am all too aware of the importance of practicing new skills to make the learning stick and often this takes place in the form of a role play. Taking part in the Grand Challenge provides the team members an exciting opportunity to learn a variety of skills in a hands-on way - while raising money for a very deserving cause. A worthwhile investment in training for any company!

Kate Atkin,
Aspire 2

John Bridge OBE, lends his support on behalf of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce

John Bridge I am delighted to be supporting The Grand Challenge on behalf of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce. This is an excellent opportunity for companies to pit their entrepreneurial skills against each other in such an innovative way. It allows for excellent networking, teambuilding and is also an excellent management training tool. I applaud The Papworth Trust for coming up with this ‘Apprentice Style Fundraising Contest’ which brings together the voluntary and corporate sector in such an exciting way. I have been involved with the Papworth Trust for some time and I know that all the money raised will go towards the development and support of much needed services for disabled people.

John Bridge OBE,
Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce.

Taylor Vinters Solicitors steps up to The Grand Challlenge

Christine Berry Taylor Vinters is delighted to be supporting this exciting and entrepreneurial fundraising event for Papworth. Our role models are the successful, entrepreneurial organisations which are many of our clients. In adopting the characteristics which have made them world-leading businesses, we have also created a law firm which is seen as a vibrant and dynamic business in its own right. Every day our lawyers work closely with entrepreneurs and their businesses helping them through the phases of development, financing, expansion and exit, so it will be fun and interesting to see how our Grand Challenge Team get on in this competition.

We have had tremendous interest already and will be running a competition for staff at Taylor Vinters to pitch their ideas for The Grand Challenge to a panel of Partners and will be backing what we feel is the best idea with the start-up kitty.

Christine Berry,
Managing Partner,
Taylor Vinters Solicitors.