365 Response entered 2021 with the goal of partnering with a charity for the entire year, and to use the opportunity to expand on our company values of “doing something good every day” and “caring about what we do and say.” We mean it when we say that these are our guiding principles, and we relish in any opportunity to give back to the communities that we’re so honoured to serve day-to-day. This is why we chose to support Martin House, a charity and hospice that provides vital end of life care and support for children, as much of our work feeds directly into these environments.
Sarah Fatchett, 365 Response’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, shared her eagerness to work with a charity that supported children with special needs:
“Living with a child or family member that has special needs or life-limiting conditions and accessing the support that you need, can be very challenging. 365 Response was born out of painful moments that ultimately led to us creating a business to give people better access to the support that they need, at the time that they need it.”
Building Funds with the Accumulator Challenge
The Accumulator Challenge was set by Martin House to see if participating companies could turn £30 into £3,000 in 30 days. An incredibly tough goal, but one the 365 Response team embraced with a positive mindset and plenty of determination to aim high. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, our fundraising efforts needed to look different to always ensure the safety of the team and participating members. After many discussions with the team about the options available to us for virtual events, we decided on the 3 most likely to push us towards that ambitious goal:
- The Training team were first to put the wheels in motion, creating an enticing Easter hamper which they then raffled off. The impressive prize included several chocolate treats, sweets, and more bottles of alcoholic beverages than we could possibly make out in the image.
- The 365 Smart Platform team held a fun “Guess the Service User” competition, which featured the names of popular and notable movie characters. Fan favourites such as John Wick, Harley Quinn, Edward Scissorhands and Indiana Jones made an appearance.
- The Marketing team raffled off 2 exciting experiences, favouring the option to provide an outdoor experience for the winners to look forward to as the UK shifts out of lockdown number 3. The prizes on offer were a paintballing experience for 4, which could be redeemed at various centres around the UK, and an afternoon tea river cruise throughout the beautiful and historic city of York.
The Impact of our Fundraising
The month of virtual fundraising tested the team, but our hard work paid off! By the end of March, we were able to raise a total of £1,681, over 50% of the original goal set by the charity. It gave us an insight into how challenging fundraising can be, and how much these organisations rely on the generosity of the public to provide these essential services.
To put it into perspective:
- £5 – This could pay for a 10 minute phone call with a Care Team Specialist in the middle of the night, for a parent who needs some reassurance from a medical professional who truly knows their child.
- £10 – This could buy a box of PPE gloves. These are an essential part of any personal care we provide at the hospice to help keep our children healthy and happy for as long as possible.
- £20 – This amount could purchase 5 cannulas for the hospice. A cannula is a small, flexible tube inserted into the vein which allows for medication and/or fluids to enter the bloodstream directly. These are a critical part of pain relief and symptom control. The use of a cannula helps children, and their families avoid the pain and discomfort of regular injections and interrupted sleep.
365 Response, along with the other companies that signed up to complete the Accumulator Challenge, were able to raise a combined total of £5000. An impressive amount that could cover the cost of a specialist bed and mattress for the hospice, which allows a child or young person with complex health needs to have a good and safe night’s sleep as they adjust to their new environment. This specialist equipment, as well as having a number of advanced medtech features to allow for cables and tubes to feed into the bed, is also height-adjustable, giving a child in a wheelchair the type of independence to transfer to and from bed in a way that would be near impossible in a standard one.
A Message from Martin House
Upon completion of the Martin House Accumulator Challenge, we reached out to Daisy Mankee, Regional Fundraiser for Martin House, for her thoughts on the month’s events:
“We’re absolutely thrilled with how well the amazing team at 365 Response took on our Accumulator Challenge. Their incredible donation could cover the cost of our Community Team of paediatric and palliative specialists visiting more than 15 families in their homes while they continue to shield against the ongoing pandemic.
Their response to this challenge has been a wonderful way to kickstart a brilliant fundraising partnership between 365 Response and Martin House and I’m thoroughly looking forward to working with them more in 2021 – thank you, 365!”
Completing this challenge whilst the nation muddled through lockdown number 3 provided the team with an increase in morale, and a feeling of togetherness during a difficult time for all. Placing our energy into ensuring a better quality of life for the more vulnerable members of society instilled a sense of pride and hope in ourselves and the ever-changing world around us.
The donations we receive throughout the year will provide such immense support to this organisation and the children who receive care via the hospice. We will continue to do charity work throughout the year, and just like the Accumulator Challenge, we welcome any support that you can offer. Whether we have a live fundraising event to promote or not, we hope that you’ll consider joining us in our quest to “do something good every day,” and donate to this wonderful charity today.