Big-hearted professionals have helped raise £2,000 for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, following a culinary charity fundraiser hosted at Simpsons restaurant.
The city corporates raised the much-needed funds at the popular Phoenix Business Lunch Club, which was organised by SEO agency Bootcamp Media.
96 generous networkers enjoyed a three course lunch provided by the Michelin-starred restaurant, whilst raising funds for the Hospice through collections and an auction. Prizes included theatre tickets, a tasting menu experience at Simpsons and a table at the upcoming Nachural Entrepreneurship Awards – with the latter being purchased by Banabay’s MD, Mark O’Sullivan.
The fundraiser comes at a special time for Birmingham St Mary’s as this year, the charity is celebrating 40 years of care and support to local people living with life-limiting illness.
Bootcamp Media’s managing director, Jamil Shabir, said: “Birmingham St Mary’s holds a special place in my heart after staff at the Hospice cared for my uncle, Mohammed Muneer, a couple of years ago. When my uncle was diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, it was a really difficult time for him and our family but Birmingham St Mary’s were there for us every step of the way. I will always be grateful for having that support, which is why I wanted to raise funds for the charity at the Phoenix Business Lunch.”
The Phoenix Business Lunch Club has been running for nearly 25 years, with the aim of connecting like-minded professionals whilst supporting local charities. This is the second time that Bootcamp Media have hosted the club lunch and the second time they have chosen to raise funds for Birmingham St Mary’s.
Jamil added: “It was incredible to see so many professionals come together at our Michelin-starred fundraiser – and even better to know that we raised £2,000 for the Hospice. Thank you to everyone who came along and made a donation, and a special thank you to the brilliant team at Simpsons for providing top notch food on the day.”
Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice opened in 1979 and at the time, it could care for 25 people on any given day. Four decades later and the Hospice is supporting over 400 people every day, providing care in people’s homes, in the community, at its Day Hospice facility and at the Hospice’s Inpatient Unit.
Pamela Hodgetts, corporate fundraising officer at the Hospice, said: “We were extremely honoured that Jamil and Bootcamp Media chose to support Birmingham St Mary’s at the Phoenix Business Lunch. It was a wonderful afternoon of amazing food and even better company – a great example of how city corporates can support our charity.
“Whilst 2019 is a really special year for the Hospice as we celebrate our 40th anniversary, it’s also a chance to highlight how significantly the demand for hospice care is growing. It will cost £9 million to provide vital services this year – with less than 40 per cent coming from NHS funding – so we really rely on the generous support from our business community to help us fill the gap. Money raised from events like the Phoenix Business Lunch will enable us to continue to care for people, wherever and whenever they need it, helping them to live well with life-limiting illness.”
If you’re a business and you would like to support Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, find out how you and your colleagues can fundraise at work.
