Media Release: Julia’s House Corporate Friends Beach Fun Day Raises £8,000 To Fund A Part-Time Carer

Tuesday 14 July, 2009; The fantastic fundraising efforts of nine Julia’s House Corporate Friends at the charity’s Beach Fun Day, on Friday 3 July 2009, has raised over £8,000 for the Dorset children’s hospice. The staggering total generated by the Dorset businesses will enable Julia’s House to fund a part-time carer to look after life-limited children across the county.

The Julia’s House Beach Fun Day was a collaboration of joint working between the charity’s Corporate Friends, including Nationwide, Qualcomm, Poole Audi, RBS, Randstad, ROK, Apple Conservatories, Marriott Hotels and the Richmond Group. These companies have committed to support Julia’s House long term by raising funds through a number of different activities. The Julia’s House Beach Fun Day is the only event of its kind in the county, in which Dorset’s leading companies go head to head in a feast of beach activities to raise money for the charity. Over 300 people took part in a treasure hunt, sandcastle competition, volleyball and the Holly Water challenge, and the fun went on in to the evening with over 600 people joining together for the final festivities and a fantastic raffle. Jane Errington, the charity’s Corporate Fundraiser, commented: “The 2009 Julia’s House Beach Fun Day has been a tremendous success and surpassed our expectations. Everyone had a fantastic time and we would like to sincerely thank all who took part and made such a fantastic contribution. “The amazing £8,000 raised is enough to fund a part-time carer for a year. This is a vitally important position within Julia’s House as these are the people who look after the children in their homes and in the hospice, playing with them and looking after their everyday needs, stimulating and engaging with them. This also gives parents an essential break from the tremendous physical and emotional burden that comes with looking after such a sick child. Everyone who took part made this possible so I hope each and every one feels very proud!” The Julia’s House Beach Fun Day was further supported by Dorset’s leading businesses who provided over 35 prizes for the charity raffle, helping to raise an amazing £2,500 towards the event’s fundraising total. The raffle effort was led by Nationwide and offered some outstanding prizes including tickets to the England Vs Belarus Qualifier courtesy of Savills Private Finance; an iPod Touch donated by Xit2; a Bournemouth pleasure flight given by London & European; a signed Cristiano Ronaldo football shirt donated by Spicerhaart; a Thorntons chocolate hamper from Mortgage Intelligence; a Red Letter Day courtesy of Person Touch and a Fortnum and Mason hamper donated by Mortgage Brain. Jane Errington added: “We are extremely grateful to all of the companies who donated such fantastic prizes for the Beach Fun Day raffle which raised an amazing amount towards helping Julia’s House to fund a part-time carer.” If you would like to support Julia’s House, either by becoming a Corporate Friend or by enrolling for Payroll Giving, please contact Jane by calling 01202 607 400 or visit www.juliashouse.org Photography – please click on the thumbnail links at the bottom of this press release to download the Beach Fun Day images -Ends- Notes to Editors Julia’s House is Dorset’s hospice dedicated to children with life-limiting conditions. The majority of the children that it cares for are unlikely to live into adulthood (defined as beyond the age of 18). The children’s hospice complements the work of the Julia’s House Community Team, which consists of 65 nurses and carers who travel the county, providing life-changing support for families in their own homes. In 2008 the charity provided 7,318 hours of care in the community and 5,170 hours of care at the hospice in Corfe Mullen, equating to an overall 65% increase in the care hours compared with the previous year. It costs around £2.4m to run Julia’s House, yet the charity receives just three per cent of its total annual funding from the government. The rest of the charity’s essential income is raised through the generosity of the Dorset community, corporate partners and charitable foundations. For more information about Julia’s House, please contact 01202 607 400 or visit www.julias-house.org Julia’s House achieved an outstanding ranking of 14th overall in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Small Companies to Work For 2009 and was also awarded the maximum Three Star rating by Best Companies in 2009. This elite ‘Michelin-style’ star accreditation recognised the excellent workforce engagement and management as ‘Extraordinary’. This rating placed Julia’s House as the highest ranked organisation in Dorset and the top children’s charity in the UK. Julia’s House Media Contact: Emma Spearing, Hazel PR Tel: 01202 862410 Fax: 01202 862301 Mobile: 07736 341828

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