Local BNI Reliance chapter raise £13,000 for charity of the year
A local BNI Reliance chapter in Rhiwbina has raised a significant sum for Age Connects Cardiff and the Vale throughout 2022 as part of their charity of the year scheme.
In January 2022, Age Connects were chosen as this year’s charity of the year, with the 40 businesses in the BNI group fundraising for them across the 12 months.
The group, which meets weekly at the Pantmawr Inn, hosted multiple fundraising activities, including an abseil down St David’s Hotel, a pet photography competition and group members completing the Cardiff Half Marathon. Jam Kitchens, a member of the chapter, also made a donation to the charity each time he received a referral from the group, which amounted to £1250. All funds raised were donated to Age Connects’ local site.
Age Connects Cardiff and the Vale is an independent charity that supports older people in the region, many of whom are physically frail and live alone.
The BNI Reliance chapter has donated some of its contributions via the Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s biggest digital match funding campaign. Any donations made to Age Connects Cardiff and the Vale during the week of the campaign were doubled.
Gavin Baos, President of the BNI chapter and Partner at Penguin Wealth, said: “Our first year holding the charity of the year scheme has been a huge success, and the group have enjoyed fundraising for such a great cause. My team at Penguin have been supporting the charity for five years and love seeing the funds translate into community work, so it was an easy choice when deciding on who the chapter should support. I hope this donation will help them continue their vital work.”
Jeff Hawkins, CEO at Age Connects Cardiff and the Vale, said: “Support from businesses in the BNI Reliance chapter has been vital to the sustainability of the charity, as for us to be able to continue to provide our essential help to vulnerable older people in the community, we need to raise £50,000 a year to support our 276 volunteers. Money is always crucial and we are very grateful for the donation, but it’s also been great to see the businesses in the chapter help in other ways, such as Photodrome Studios who have provided us with their services of high quality photography free of charge.
“We can’t thank the chapter enough for choosing us as their charity of the year, as their efforts and donation will help us beyond measure.”