Stonegate Group has hit a milestone of £100,000 raised for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association. Fundraising efforts continue as further initiatives, activities and events are planned for throughout September.
The £100,000 raised up to this point and the many upcoming fundraising initiatives are part of Stonegate Group’s corporate fundraising partnership with the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association and MND Scotland. The partnership announced earlier this year runs across the national Stonegate estate, including its pubs, bars, venues and head office support teams, who will be working with the two charities across England, Wales and Scotland.
Tim Painter, HR Director of Stonegate Group, said: “I’m extremely proud of the whole team who have helped reach this amazing milestone. Each initiative has been a unique and fun-filled experience and I can’t wait to see what else our talented teams come up with to continue raising funds in the future.”
In September there will be four big fundraising drives. Each initiative will be attempted by different parts of the Stonegate team. The Development Division will be taking part in The Million Step Challenge, where they will collectively walk 1,000,000 steps in a day. The challenge is taking place along the Grand Union Canal in Solihull and will see each member of the team walk 18 – 20 miles.
On the 7 September, Greta Kachkouche, Area Manager for Stonegate Group, will be leading a team of 25 General Managers and a few Deputy Managers down the Bedford to Great Barford canoe trail on the river Ouse. They will be paddling for five hours and have set themselves this challenge as they wanted to do a fundraising activity that will be fun as well as contribute to team building.
From Monday 19 September until Friday 23 September 2022 Stonegate Group’s Customer Contact Centre and Logistics will be organising a virtual cycling tour of Stonegate Pubs called the Tour de Stonegate Group. They will virtually visit each format of Stonegate Pub, Brand Owner Breweries, various Head offices and even their CEO’s beloved Leeds United at Elland Road Leeds. From Inverness in Scotland all the way down to Penzance in Cornwall, covering 2022 miles.
From Saturday 24 September until Monday 26 September Craft Union Pubs will be taking part in a fundraising weekend. The weekend will see individual pubs putting on their own events and taking part in activities to raise funds.
On the 30 September, members from the southwest Leased and Tenanted Operations team will be taking part in the Great South West 4 Peaks Challenge. If all the hiking was not enough, they will also be carrying a keg of beer the whole way. They’ll be climbing Brown Willy, High Willhays, Dunkery Beacon and Pen Y Fan with a grand total of almost 2,500 miles.
All these great fundraising activities are just the tip of the iceberg with more to come throughout the year on behalf of the MND Association and MND Scotland. The MND Association focuses on improving access to care and providing information and support for people living with or affected by MND in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and MND Scotland does the same for those living in Scotland. Both charities fund and promote research that leads to new understanding and treatments and brings a cure closer. They campaign and raise awareness so the needs of people with MND across the UK are recognised and addressed by wider society. People with MND, their families and carers are at the heart of everything they do.
Ian Gardner, Head of Development at the Motor Neurone Disease Association, said: “We are delighted to see that Stonegate Group has hit this amazing milestone. We are extremely grateful for all the fundraising initiatives planned, there is currently no cure or effective treatment for MND, and donations like these will enable us to continue all-important MND research for treatments and a cure for this devastating disease. Continued fundraising activities through this partnership with Stonegate will make such a difference to the lives of people living with MND, their families and carers.”
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NOTES TO EDITORS
About Stonegate Group
Stonegate Group is the largest pub company in the UK. Its portfolio is comprised of over 4,500 sites, split across the managed division and leased and tenanted businesses.
The managed pubs division, which employs over 16,000 people, is split into Branded and Traditional pubs. Branded is comprised of: Slug & Lettuce, Popworld, Be At One and Venues. Traditional (unbranded) pubs are made up of: Proper Pubs, Town Pub & Kitchen, Classic Pub & Dining, Social Pub & Kitchen and Craft Union.
2022
- BII’s National Innovation in Training Awards (NITAs): HR Manager of the Year (Jemelle Bish), Best Apprenticeship Training Programme (ATOP)
- Publican Awards – Best Community Operator (Craft Union Pub Company)
2021
- Licensed Trade Charity Awards raising awareness through fundraising
- Great British Pub Awards – Stonegate Group Pub Partners’ Pub of the Year, Best Pub to Watch Sport
- MCA Retailers’ Retailer Awards – The Hero Award (Suzanne Baker)
2020
- Great British Pub Awards – Feeding the Community, Community Mindfulness & Ei Publican Partnerships Pub of the Year
- REBA Employee Wellbeing Awards – Best New Wellbeing Strategy (5000+ staff)
- Publican Awards – Best Pub Employer (501+ employees)
- Publican Awards – Best Community Operator (Craft Union Pub Company)
2013-2019
- BII’s National Innovation in Training Awards (NITAs): HR Manager of the Year, Lee Woolley (2019); Best Managed Company for Training; Lifetime Achievement Award for Chairman, Ian Payne (2016)
- CGA Insight Hero and Icon Awards (two awards): Icon Award Ian Payne MBE, Business Leader, Simon Longbottom (2019)
- UK Hospitality’s Dusk ‘til Dawn Late Night Awards (two awards) – Icon Award (Ian Payne MBE), Best Marketing and Promotions Award (2019); Best Service & Team (2018)
- Great British Pub Awards – Best LGBTQ+ Pub (2019); Best LGBTQ+ and Best Sports Pub (2018); Best Pub Garden, Best Entertainment and Best Sports Pub (2017); Best Sports Pub (2016);
- BII Scotland Awards Best Operator for Training (2019)
- Retailers’ Retailer of the Year (two awards): Lifetime Achievement Award, Ian Payne MBE; Investor of the Year TDR Capital (2019); Investor of the Year: TDR Capital (2017)
- Menu Innovation & Development Awards (MIDAS) (two awards): Best Menu, Premium High Street Pub: Slug & Lettuce; Best Menu, Town & City Pub: Walkabout (2019); Premium High Street Pub: Town Pub & Kitchen (2017); Best New Concept: Missoula, Montana Bar & Grill (2014); City and Bar Dining: Slug and Lettuce (2013)
- Publican Awards (five awards): Best Community Pub Operator, Best Pub Employer (501+ employees), Best Managed Pub Company (51+ sites), Best Drinks Offer, Business Leader of the Year Chief Executive, Simon Longbottom (2019); Best Late Night Operator (2018); Best Managed Pub Company; Best Late Night Operator, plus highly commended Best Employer 501+ employees (2017); Business Leader of the Year, Chairman Ian Payne (2014); Best Pub Employer 51+ sites (2013)
- British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) Chairman’s Award (2018)
- Licensed Trade Charity: Outstanding Corporate Contribution Award (2018)
- APPBG PUBAID Corporate Charity Fundraiser Award (2018)
- Scottish Training Federation: Best Large Employer (2016)
- HR Excellence Awards: Best Learning and Development Strategy (2016)
- HR Distinction Awards: Innovation for Digital & Social Media (2016); People Development (2015); Innovative Use of Technology (2014)
Press release from Leisure PR.
For further information, please contact Catherine Wiltshire via CatherineWiltshire@leisurepr.co.uk.