Home Page Haverhill News

A Haverhill accountants has played a big part in raising a huge amount of money for St Nicholas Hospice through a business challenge.

The team at Jacobs Allen Chartered Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers has helped contribute to a staggering total of over £65,000 for the hospice's Towergate Challenge.

Fifty businesses took part in the challenge of converting £50 into as much money as possible. Jacobs Allen raised £9,477 to win the overall challenge.

St Nicholas Hospice presented the awards on September 25 at The West Wing, Ickworth House. Paul Donno received the award on behalf of Jacobs Allen from Tom Pellereau the winner of the 2011 Apprentice.

Paul said: “We had some fantastic partners helping us to raise these much-needed funds, some very generous people donated to our fund raising and our staff that helped in their own time.

"Like all good businesses we had a plan and a goal that we stuck to and we are very pleased with the outcome.”

Paul is no stranger to winning this award. Before merging his accountancy practice with Jacobs Allen in March of this year, his company won the award in 2010, raising £2,500 for the hospice, with Curve Motion winning in 2011.

Paul said running a successful campaign required some great partnerships and the calling in of some favours.

Without the help of the following people this amount of money could never have been raised, he said:
Elaine Carr – The Best of Haverhill for organising the Haverhill Charity Race Night;
Bid 4 Bury – for organising the Ready Steady Cook Competition;
St Edmundsbury – for granting the street collection licence on Bank Holiday Monday;
Barclays Bank – for use of their new building and match funding the Charity Wine evening;
Mike Sarson – TW Gaze LLP for being an entertaining auctioneer;
C2C Wines – fantastic wine tasting and generous donations;
Louise Mackrill – providing the catering at cost and auction prize;
Days Inn Haverhill – great venue and great staff for the Race Night;
Folding Tables UK – lending the tables for the wine tasting evening;
Fir Tree Technology – Lending their van;
Unitarian Church Bury St Edmunds – providing 30 chairs for the Wine Tasting;
Thady Senior – promotional items and flyers for the evenings;
Katie Donno – Best raffle girl and horse sales;
Jade Donno – Busking;
Very generous auction and raffle prizes;
Staff that gave up their time.

St Nicholas Hospice relies on donations and the centre needs £10,000 per day to function.

This challenge is one of many fundraising initiatives that the hospice has and if your business would like to help raise funds for the hospice, contact their fundraising team on 01284 766133.