Three local charities have each received £2,500 from leading Aberdeen sales and lettings agency Northwood following a year of fundraising as part of its 15th anniversary in business.
Aberdeen Amateur Athletics Club (AAAC), Friends of ANCHOR and Forget Me Not Club each received a slice of the £7,500 raised by the team last year during an 18.6 mile walk from Northwood’s newest office in Banchory to its oldest in Rosemount, as well as a fire walk at Elsick House in November.
The fundraising events were part of a year of ‘giving back’ by the Northwood staff to its local communities. Each month, they provided support to a range of different organisations throughout the region, offering practical hands-on help including sorting and clearing up, gardening, painting, and mock interviews for those looking to get back into employment.
Welcoming the charities to the Rosemount office, Northwood Director Laura Mearns said the decision to give back to Northwood’s local communities had been made by the team when considering how to celebrate the company’s landmark anniversary.
“Last year was all about celebrating how far we have come as a company and that is, in no small part, down to the help and support of our local communities. One of our company values is to ‘live and love local’ and we honour that in every way we can,” said Laura.
“We chose to fundraise for Aberdeen Amateur Athletics Club (AAAC), Friends of ANCHOR and Forget Me Not Club because of the valuable and much needed work they do with people from all walks of life, and it gives us a huge amount of pleasure to be contributing in some small way in what is currently a difficult time for many charities.”
Vanessa Walker, Erica Banks, both of Friends of ANCHOR; Eunice Gardyne, of Forget Me Not Club; Northwood Director Laura Mearns; Emily Clark, Forget Me Not Club; Jane Davidson and Ruth Watson of AAAC.
Since 2020, Aberdeen Amateur Athletics Club has offered training to athletes aged from seven to 63 years old with physical, developmental and sensory disabilities, in events including sprinting, shot put, club throw, wheelchair racing and frame running.
Some of the athletes take part in competitions all over the UK and further afield; three wheelchair racing athletes completed the London Marathon this year. The charity also supports the annual Grampian Parasport Festival at ASV and the Parallel Sportshall competition, giving school children from throughout the North-east an opportunity to try athletics.
Ruth Watson, Pathways and Community Officer at Aberdeen AAC, as well as a coach, said: “We are delighted to be receiving this funding from Northwood and are extremely grateful for the time and effort that people have put in to raise this money.
“We will be using this donation to help support the growth of the para section of the club, particularly to attract more children into the sport of para-athletics, plus help maintain the specialist equipment that our athletes use.”
Forget Me Not Club offers a lifeline for people living with dementia across Aberdeen City and Shire and is the only service of its kind in North-east Scotland. Because its sessions are non-chargeable, the charity is entirely dependent on donations and fundraising.
General Manager Eunice Gardyne said: “Our sessions allow our clients to live with dignity, enjoying social interaction, mental stimulation and physical activity in a nurturing and welcoming setting, all while offering carers and families some important respite time with the comfort of knowing their loved one is safe and happy.
“The current financial climate is challenging for the Third Sector, so support from local businesses like Northwood allow us to continue the vital service that so many vulnerable people in our community rely on. We are immensely grateful to have received this donation and want to thank Laura and her entire team, as well as everyone who contributed.”
Friends of ANCHOR directly supports the ANCHOR Unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, which is the main cancer and haematology care facility in the region and is used by patients from the north and North-east. Founded in 1997, the charity provides wellbeing support for patients while also investing in equipment, research and staff development.
Head of Communications Erica Banks said: “It’s been fantastic to have the team at Northwood supporting Friends of ANCHOR as one of their chosen charities. They’ve gone above and beyond in their effort to support local causes to mark 15 years in business, and it’s been a real pleasure to get to know some of the team during that time, with their 18 mile walk between the Aberdeen and Banchory offices and a daring fire walk too.
“We’re truly grateful for the dedication from the staff, and every penny they’ve raised for Friends for ANCHOR will directly support the ANCHOR Unit.”