Sick children at Medway Hospital are enjoying a bumper delivery of new toys, games and electronic equipment thanks to the fundraising efforts of Rochester-based Ward Security.
The bespoke security provider set its head office staff an Apprentice-style challenge for two teams to collect a variety of items from a ‘wishlist’ devised by Auntie Annie, Annie Huxtable who looks after the Medway Maritime Hospital’s Dolphin Ward.
Each of the two teams was given £400 in cash and a week to obtain as many of the items on the list as possible. Extra points would be given for items not on the list that the children would enjoy, such as the services of a magician for a day, or a visit by a famous celebrity or football team. The winning team would be the one who can obtain the most items – but in a legal way!
The teams more than rose to the task, and ended up doubling most of the items on Annie’s list – no mean feat, when you consider that the list included such items as portable DVD players, a whole host of board games and even a ceiling shadow light!
In fact, so successful were the teams in getting the items that neither spent any money – and instead ended up with a cash surplus of some £2,000!
The local media also got behind the challenge, with radio station KMFM ‘tweeting’ daily about the event, and producing a two-minute advert that continued to run for the week after it had ended.
“It was a fantastic achievement by both teams,” said Ward Security marketing manager Denise Cousin. “We surpassed our expectations about what we could achieve, with the end result being that not only did we get significantly more items for the children than expected but the money will be used to buy two saturation monitors for the children’s beds – something that is desperately needed on the Dolphin Ward.”
While the children were the real winners, so impressed were Ward Security’s directors by the teams’ efforts that they couldn’t pick one winner – and so all team members were treated to a night out!
Annie Huxtable, play leader on Dolphin Ward said: ”I’m astounded at what Ward Security’s staff have achieved – we really cannot thank them enough for their generosity, kindness and commitment to Dolphin Ward – they have fulfilled every item on the ward’s wish list and so much more. On behalf of everyone on Dolphin Ward, thank you so, so much to everyone at Ward Security who participated and to all the individuals and businesses who have made donations.”
“This was an excellent opportunity to put our staff’s fundraising talents to the test,” said David Ward, Ward Security’s managing director. “That they all worked so well together is an excellent reflection of the teamwork that we bring to everything we do. And, while I might have wanted to play the Alan Sugar role, there was no way I was going to be saying those fateful words ‘you’re fired’!”
