Law firm HBJ Gateley has triumphed in the Scottish heat of The Prince’s Trust Million Makers challenge, raising a total of £20,615.92 for the youth charity.
The competition, which sees teams of employees from across the UK compete to raise at least £10,000, is designed as a learning and development tool to build essential business skills and motivate staff.
The HBJ Gateley team, made up of eight trainees, was announced as the regional winner at the Royal College of Physicians on Thursday, February 18 and also won the title of ‘Most Entrepreneurial’.
Over the six months of the competition, the HBJ Gateley team sold a total of 407 hampers which included Scottish-made luxuries such as Pickering’s Gin, Walkers Shortbread, Mackays Preserves and Hectares Sweet Potato Crisps – a Prince’s Trust-assisted company.
To encourage people to buy hampers, the team added 50 ‘golden ticket’ prizes which included a ‘drive away’ weekend in a luxury car, a four-ball at the prestigious Loch Lomond golf course, bespoke jewellery and dinner for two in some of Scotland’s best restaurants.
Clare McManus, team member and recent graduate, said: “It has been a fantastic experience and I’d like to say how delighted we are to achieve such an outstanding result for the charity. It’s great to know that our efforts will go towards helping the lives of so many young people.”
The team also organised a last-minute fun run where staff members sponsored the team and helped raise a further £2,000.
Malcolm McPherson, senior partner at HBJ Gateley, said: “I am extremely proud that our firm has made such a large contribution to The Prince’s Trust and the young people it helps across the UK. The team did a fantastic job and put a great deal of effort into the competition.”
The team joined five other finalists, from across the UK, at The London Palladium on March 5, where the National Million Makers Champion was revealed.
The competition, which was first launched in 2008, sees over 100 organisations from across the UK compete to raise at least £10,000 each, over a six month period from an initial funding of £1,500. All profits go to The Prince’s Trust, which helps 50,000 disadvantaged young people each year, giving them the skills and confidence to find a job.
Team members include Lauren Buchan, Kirsty Girvan, Ben Sheppard, Gordon Herd, Steven Balmer, Clare McManus, Ava Dennis and Lauren Moran.