The team at the Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT), the Peterborough-headquartered training and educational body, has been raising money over the past few months to help Peterborough based charity Care Zone.
Care Zone provide furniture and household items to families in need in Peterborough and are currently helping with the Afghan and Syrian Refugee resettlement scheme.
A 100-mile bike ride, an auction of fine art and sponsored runs by IOE&IT team members raised nearly £6000 for the charity. Care Zone helps end the cycle of poverty by providing free furniture and household items to families in need across the city.
Pictured back row left to right: IOE&IT team members Kelly Rawles,Jonathan Seaton, Clive Dickins, Matty Rawles, Samantha Ingrey; front row (left) Marco Forgione and (far right) Care Zone's Leanne Waterman
Local initiative
The IOE&IT’s head office is based in Peterborough and the team wanted to support a local charity on the front line in helping not only local people but refugees who have arrived over the past few months.
On 11 November 2021 the IOE&IT donated £5,800.44 to Care Zone, which is operated by Kingsgate Community Church.
Charity ride
The variety of activities to raise money included a 100-mile bike ride by a team led by director general Marco Forgione in September, starting from the IOE&IT’s Lynch Wood, Peterborough head office and ending at the Institute’s new office in Whitehall, London, raising £2000.
Other IOE&IT team members used their imaginations and hobbies to raise money in different ways, from sponsored runs to an auction of fine art, to support Care Zone and the vital work they do.
Andrew Berry, IOE&IT project director, completed a 4-mile run – four times a week, for 4 weeks. Meanwhile Noelle McElhatton, content & marketing director, raised £976 selling three paintings from her collection at auction, with all the profits going to the charity.
The IOE&IT match-funded the money raised to bring the final total to £5,800.41, which will go directly to buying essential household items for the families Care Zone is supporting.
Peterborough proud
“We are extremely proud to be a local Peterborough organisation,” Forgione said.
“Our head office in Lynch Wood and our local team are at the centre of our international network. We take our responsibility to our local community extremely seriously. The IOE&IT team wanted to help a local charity on the front line providing vital support to families across the city.”
He continued: “The pandemic has caused so much disruption to peoples’ lives and the tragic scenes that unfolded in Afghanistan recently really affected all of us here at the IOE&IT.
“We committed to do something tangible to help those in need and Care Zone makes a huge difference in our community. We are proud to undertake this charity drive in their name and support their amazing work.”
Pressure on stock
Leanne Waterman, community action co-ordinator for Care Zone, said: “Sadly, we are seeing an increase in demand for our service for a variety of reasons including Covid, ill-health and the removal of Universal Credit uplift.
“This puts pressure on our stock donations and ensuring we have enough essential items to furnish an empty house, as well as providing those extra little items needed to make a house a home.”
'Encouraging others'
She added: “We are really thankful for to the IOE&IT for this donation and hope it will encourage others to support the essential work we are doing here at Care Zone for the Peterborough community.
“All donations we receive go directly into buying essential household items for the families we are supporting, making a real difference to people’s lives.”