Charity Fundraising

2018 Charity Fundraising

Havens Hospice - £90

For Easter team Amara took part in various Easter themed games and bake off to raise money for Haven’s Hospice. Providing support care for adults, babies, children and teenagers at the end of their lives, Haven’s Hospice care is free for as long as it is needed within the home and their two hospices. Amara’s donation will go towards the £10,000 per week is costs to provide care and support.

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2018 Charity Fundraising

Sports Relief - £648

In April Amara held another staff seconds sale and the team made an impressive £648 for Sports Relief. Believing that everyone deserves the right to live happier, healthier and safer lives, Sports Relief aim to change countless lives. Amara’s donation will be used to tackle critical issues affecting people across the UK and the world.

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2017 Charity Fundraising

Macmillan Coffee Morning - £350

At the end of September the team held a charity coffee morning in aid of the Macmillan Coffee Morning. Macmillan’s biggest fundraising event, people all over the UK host their own Coffee Morning to raise money for a great cause. Macmillan provide medical, emotional, practical and financial support, as well as campaigning for better cancer care, and because cancer affects more than just those facing it, they’re there for friends and family too. With statistics showing that one in three people will face cancer, Amara’s donation made from the coffee morning will help ensure that no one has to face it alone.

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2017 Charity Fundraising

Farleigh Hospice - £1,140

In autumn, some members of the team took part in the Cycle For Life for Farleigh Hospice and also held a staff seconds sale. The sponsored event had three distances to choose from 20km, a fun, family friendly route taking in the beautiful Essex countryside; 50km, a ride through picturesque villages suitable for all ages and abilities; 100km, a more challenging route blended with beautiful Essex surroundings. Providing hospice care to people affected by life-limiting illnesses across mid Essex and support for families and people who have been bereaved, Farleigh Hospice was established in 1982. Amara’s £1,140 donation will go towards the £16,039 in costs to provide Farleigh Hospice’s services each day.

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2017 Charity Fundraising

Volunteering at PARC!

In the summer, members of the team volunteered at local charity PARC to help out with various activities and help tidy their garden and play areas. PARC Essex was developed by a group of parents in 1995 due to the lack of support and play opportunities for children with additional and special educational needs. Aiming to provide play and recreation facilities for children with additional needs, while parents and other siblings can take a break, PARC has a various play areas within their garden where the children can explore, have fun and get outside in an area that is safe and secure all year round.

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2017 Charity Fundraising

MS Society - £1,146.50

In April, Amara arranged another staff seconds sale that raised an impressive £1,146.50 which was donated to MS Society. With an ultimate goal to find a cure, MS Society is working to make sure that no one has to face MS alone. Made up of a committee of people living with MS, researchers, fundraisers, campaigners and volunteers, MS Society knows that together they are strong enough to stop MS and are working hard to make that happen. Amara’s donation will help to fund research into more effective treatments, welfare campaigning and provide support and services to people living with MS.

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2017 Charity Fundraising

Red Nose Day - £2123.13

In March, team Amara raised money for Red Nose Day by wearing red clothes and taking part in an all-day raffle. With prizes kindly donated by the team that ranged from ballroom dancing lessons and homemade pies to hand drawn portraits and beauty treatments, everyone had their eye on something. Combining the total of money raised from the day to the most recent staff seconds sale saw Amara adding £2123.13 into Comic Relief’s 2017 overall amount. Comic Relief runs every other year with a vision of a just world free from poverty. Running since 1985 the charity has raised millions through Red Nose Day, promoting doing something funny for money.

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2016 Charity Fundraising

North Essex Christmas Appeal

With festivities in full swing, team Amara took the time to reflect on those less fortunate and each member of the team was encouraged to donate at least one gift to a local gift appeal. Founded by Gemma Frost in 2008, the North Essex Christmas Appeal aims to deliver a gift on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to elderly residents and adults who will spend Christmas alone. With a suggested unisex Christmas gift list of blankets, calendars, chocolate boxes and covered hot water bottles, over 80 gifts were donated, with the number gifts donated from the team matched by Sam & Andrew Hood.

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2016 Charity Fundraising

Crisis at Christmas – Homelessness - £2349.05

For Christmas, the team did some festive shopping at the final staff seconds sale of the year to raise money for Crisis at Christmas. Formed in 1967 as an urgent response to the growing homelessness crisis, the charity has since helped tens of thousands of people out of homelessness and campaigned for change. Amara raised £2349.05, which helped towards ensuring a place for a homeless person to have welcome support, opportunity to shower, clean clothes and a health check at Christmas. It also gave three nutritious hot meals, including a Christmas dinner and an introduction to Crisis’s year-round services. This service costs £22.32 per person, which meant that Amara’s donation managed to secure 105 homeless people a place over Christmas.

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2016 Charity Fundraising

Children In Need - £147.50

Team Amara raised £147.50 for Children In Need in November by dressing up in yellow and spots and sharing delicious spotty treats. As the BBC’s official UK charity, every penny of the money raised goes to countless projects across the UK to improve the lives of disadvantaged young individuals. From those living in poverty to those abused, the charity believes every child in the UK should have a safe, happy and secure life.

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2016 Charity Fundraising

Alzheimer’s Research UK - £587

Just before things got a bit festive, the team were treated to another staff seconds sale to grab some bargains and raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK. The UK’s leading dementia research charity, Alzheimer’s Research UK is dedicated to the causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and ultimately finding a cure. Amara raised £587 for their worthy cause which will go towards ground-breaking research to help Alzheimer’s Research UK bring about the first life-changing dementia treatment by 2025.

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2016 Charity Fundraising

Myeloma UK & Dementia UK - £968.78

The team once more enjoyed an Amara staff seconds sale and raised £968.78 that was split between charities Myeloma UK and Dementia UK.

Myeloma UK is the only organisation in the UK which deals exclusively with Myeloma, they’re here to support everyone affected by myeloma and are committed to finding a cure. Receiving no government funding, Myeloma UK rely almost entirely on voluntary donations and fundraising to support their work; Amara’s donation will be efficiently and effectively invested in supporting patients and their families and funding world–leading genetics research.

Dementia UK provide specialist and compassionate dementia support for families that need it through their Admiral Nurse service. Giving families and people with dementia one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions they need to face dementia with more confidence and less fear, Admiral Nurses are also continually trained, developed and supported by Dementia UK. Amara’s donation will ensure that the Admiral Nurses can continue to give live-changing support to families facing dementia.

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2016 Charity Fundraising

Asthma UK - £917

During the second half of the year, Amara’s staff seconds sale raised a wonderful £917 which was donated to Asthma UK. With a long history, stretching back to 1927, Asthma UK is a membership-based charity with a current membership of approximately 5,200. Working to stop asthma attacks and, ultimately, cure asthma, this donation will help to fund world leading research, campaign for change and support people with asthma.

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2016 Charity Fundraising

Sands - £1405

Amara’s staff seconds sale raised an impressive £1405 during the first part of the year, which was donated to Sands. The stillbirth and neonatal death charity support anyone who has been affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth. A heart-breaking situation and a charity very close to our hearts, the money will help the charity to support parents, grandparents, siblings, families and friends during this time.

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2016 Charity Fundraising

CALM - £1378.91

For the middle part of 2016, all funds raised at the staff seconds sale went towards CALM. With a focus on preventing male suicide in the UK, the charity aims to change a culture that can often prevent men from seeking help when they most need it. As the leading cause of death in men under 45, the charity need all the support they can get in the way of fundraising and Amara are pleased to raise £1378.91.

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2016 Charity Fundraising

Alzheimer’s Research - £796.75

Alzheimer's Research UK is the UK’s leading dementia research charity dedicated to causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and cure.
Backed by our passionate scientists and supporters, we’re challenging the way people think about dementia, uniting the big thinkers in the field and funding the innovative science that will deliver a cure. Our mission is to bring about the first life-changing dementia treatment by 2025. During the final part of 2016, the Amara team raised nearly £800 through the staff seconds sale, which was donated to support this pioneering research.

2016 Charity Fundraising

Macmillan, British Heart Foundation, Children in Need

Throughout 2016 the Amara team have also taken part in several fundraising events in the office. For the first fundraising event of the year, Amara took part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning to raise £147.50. Each department baked a different sweet treat to raise money to aid the fantastic support that Macmillan offer, with the aim to ensure that no one has to face cancer alone. Committed to fighting cardiovascular disease, Amara raised £173.74 for British Heart Foundation, by making pancakes, wearing red and bringing in a selection red themed food. For the final 2016 event, Amara joined in with Children in Need, the BBC’s official UK charity aiming to improve the lives of disadvantaged young people, filling kitchens with yellow, spotted bakes and raising £147.50 in the process!

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2015 Charity Fundraising

Macmillan Cancer Support

This year Macmillan Cancer Support was universally chosen as the recipient of the money raised for our staff seconds sale. A cause close to all of our hearts, a friend to the Amara Team was recently diagnosed with cancer and they are relying on the vital help of the charity whilst undergoing treatment. Macmillan know how a cancer diagnosis can affect everything in a sufferer’s life, so their aim is to help them take back some control. Whether the person needs advice about work, help with financial worries or just someone to talk to, they are there.

Thrilled to help in any way we possibly can, the sale made nearly £1,700 including gift aid and we hope this contribution will assist in the care and support of those that need it at the very troubling time after a cancer diagnosis.

2015 Charity Fundraising

The J’s Hospice

A local charity to the Amara offices and first discovered by CEO Andrew Hood at his annual V Festival trip where he paid to use the charity’s sparkling amenities rather than risk the less than desirable normal toilets, so impressed was he with the charity’s story that we have been supporting and raising money for them ever since! Andrew himself took part in his own challenge for this amazing cause which saw him cycle an impressive 2014 miles for 2014, after which he donated £2014 to the charity.

From marshalling at the first Chelmsford Marathon for which The J’s was the main charity partner, to a Christmas collection outside a local superstore, the events that we have been involved in have been varied to say the least. The entire team took part in the charity's main fundraising event, Pedal for the J’s, in Spring 2015. The 15, 35 or 50 mile bike ride was a fantastic sporting activity to sink our teeth into, and everyone either cycled on the day or marshalled. Each team member crossed the finish line and we raised over £7,000 for The J's Hospice. 

Providing essential tailored nursing, respite and end of life care for young adults suffering from a variety of lift limiting conditions from cancer to complex neurological conditions, The J’s aim is to help young adults to live their life to the full, however short. Not only focused on the young adult, they also offer emotional care, bereavement support and a range of activities for the whole family for them to enjoy what little time they have left together. A worthy cause and one that the whole Amara Team feels passionately about, we were extremely excited to be able to support The J’s Hospice in 2014 & 2015.

  Chelmsford Marathon

  J's Hospice Christmas Volunteering

<  Andrew's Cycling Challenge

  Pedal for the J's

2014 Charity Fundraising

Epilepsy Research UK

Each year Amara holds a staff seconds sale, this eagerly anticipated event gives the team a chance to get their hands on some of our luxurious items that would otherwise be a tad out of price range. The key factor of this sale is that all proceeds go straight to a charity of the team’s choice which in 2014 was Epilepsy Research UK, a cause extremely close to one of the team’s hearts due to them losing a family member to the condition the year before. Dedicated to exploring the still relatively unknown disorder, the charity funds essential scientific research into the causes, treatments and prevention of Epilepsy and strives to eventually develop a cure for this life threatening condition which affects nearly 1 in 100 people in the world.

The sale was a fantastic success and raised a staggering £1,486, significantly higher than the year before largely due to the fact that the team has greatly grown in size between now and then! We were astounded to hear this total and are proud that our donation will go towards such essential scientific research.

2014 Charity Fundraising

Grief Encounter

When a child’s parent or close loved one dies, their lives are never the same again. Grief Encounter’s mission is to work closely with children and their families to address the confusion, fear and anxiety left by this loss, to help them make sense of hurt, and above all they aim to help them find a way out of the abyss of grief.

In Early 2014 Amara supported this fabulous charity in various events and provided goodie bags for both their annual Fundraising Ball & Comedy Night.

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2013 Charity Fundraising

Cystic Fibrosis Trust

From the start of October, all the way to the Christmas Jumper Day, the Amara Team fundraised for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust through the Great Amara Charity Bake Off.

This huge Bake Off involved every staff member going head to head to get to three finalists who battled it out on the legendary Christmas Jumper day with a selection of impressive bakes. From mouth-watering sweets to succulent savouries we saw nearly every bake possible and by charging a small amount to sample each tasty treat we managed to raise an impressive £1,149 - all through our love of eating!

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2013 Charity Fundraising

Cancer Research UK

In September Amara's General Manager Harriet took part in Pretty Muddy, Cancer Research UK's inaugural obstacle course event to raise money for the world's leading cancer charity. Dedicated to saving lives through research and providing essential care & support for people living with cancer and their families, Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day that all cancer can be cured.

Harriet raised an outstanding £300 taking part in Pretty Muddy and as an avid participant in Race for Life she has so far raised over £700 for the charity.

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2013 Charity Fundraising

Movember - a global movement

On Thursday 21^st November, the entire Amara office donned rather dashing stick on moustaches all in the name of Movember!

There were truckers, bikers, Casanovas and even a few villains there to raise money for the leading men’s health charity that work tirelessly to spread awareness & fight against cancer and mental health issues.

A fanTachtic reason to look silly for the day, wouldn’t you agree?

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2012 Charity Fundraising

British Liver Trust

The British Liver Trust was our charity for 2012, the leading liver charity in the UK for all adult liver conditions they work to pioneer liver health and reduce the impact of liver disease through awareness, care and research. Team member Jane Pople chose the 2012 charity and decided to run the 2013 Brighton Marathon in aid of them, getting everyone at Amara involved with fundraising. Everyone partook in the Christmas Jumper Day which is now set to be an annual event. There was also a hugely successful staff sample sale where all proceeds were donated to the charity. Over £2,000 was raised in total and a lot of fun was had along the way.

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2011 Charity Fundraising

Orchid: Fighting Male Cancer

The Amara boys were in charge of the 2011 charity, and chose Orchid, a cause dedicated to fighting male cancer. Andrew Hood, Adam Boston, Tom Freeman,

Andrew Curran and Alex Holliman all took part in a 40 mile bike ride around Essex and successfully completed the race, despite hiccups including Adam’s peddle falling off at one mile.

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Our Charitable Ethos

At Amara we believe in doing our bit for charity and enjoy giving back to the community wherever we can. Each year we focus on carefully selected charities and support them with a host of different activities and events. If you wish to speak to us regarding a charity that you support then please contact customer.services@amara.com