Julia's House Background

The Richmond Group supports Julia’s House, a local children’s Hospice which aims to improve the life quality of terminally ill children.

Since March 2007 all Richmond Group employees have been given the chance to donate £1 a week from their salary. The tax and NI saved on the income is also donated and the Richmond Group matches this donation, making a total of around £3. In the first year of this scheme being operational we have donated over £35,000 to Julia’s House, enough to pay the salary of a wonderful full time nurse, Ron Scroggie, who works to support 6 families in their own homes.

In July 2007 an idea raised by one of our call centre staff was tested by a group of Management Development Trainees. The idea was a simple one, to give all Richmond Group customers the chance of donating 49p when they make a payment over the telephone to us. The trial was a huge success, with 80% of customers agreeing to donate 49p, and some far more. In the first 9 months of operation this scheme has raised over £100,000 for Julia’s House, enough to allow them to open for an extra day every week. The feedback from our customers and our staff has been great and the donation scheme is an example of how Richmond Group innovation, passion and resourcefulness can be used to benefit those less fortunate than ourselves.

The combination of these donation schemes have made us the largest supporter of Julia’s House donating over £200,000 to date, with an estimated 20% of the total funding needed to provide support to around 100 children and their families coming from The Richmond Group, our staff and our customers.

Click here to visit the Julias House website.

Read Richmond Group Employee testimonials on Julia’s House

Variety Club: Show on the Pier

Openwide International and Ian Goode, General Manager of the Pier Theatre Complex gave Variety Club Children’s Charity the complimentary use of the Pier Theatre to hold the annual Variety Club ‘Show on the Pier’ hosted by Variety Club Wessex Committee Member and Children’s BBC host Chris Jarvis. 500 Special Needs and underprivileged children arrived in Sunshine Coaches from schools all over the Wessex Region.

Other fabulous performers included children’s entertainer ‘Andycadabra’, Juggler Peter Matthews and Dance Troupe ‘Pure Funk’ all of who entertained these wonderful children free of any charges. A complimentary ice cream was given to each child during the interval by Purbeck Ice Cream.

Variety Club would like to thank J P Morgan and Britannia for arranging the transport of 75 children from Winchelsea Special Needs School in Parkstone, many of whom would not have been able to attend if it wasn’t for them coming to the rescue again.

Complimentary rides were given to the children by Stanley Reeves and Lee Burden, owners of the Carousel and rides on the end of the Pier as did the Seafront Council Officers Noel Oliver and his team who took the children for rides on the Noddy Train between Bournemouth and Boscombe Piers prior to the Show starting at 12.00 noon.

Many of these children had never seen a Carousel, a Noddy Train or a Show in a Theatre and could not hide their excitement.

Each child was sent home with Bournemouth Rock, a chocolate bar from 6336, popcorn and a wonderful Party bag gratefully supplied and put together by Staff from The Richmond Group in Bournemouth who some of who also attended and helped.

Read Richmond Group Employee testimonials on the the party for the children at the end of the pier.

Youth Cancer Trust Background

The charity was first established on the investigation of Brenda Clark, who had recently lost her only child Tracy Ann, aged 21, from cancer. It was very quickly realised that young cancer patients were obtaining great benefit from a short holiday: The youngsters provide comfort and encouragement for each other and Bournemouth has all the facilities needed for an enjoyable holiday for young people.

Since forming the charity YCT has grown slowly but steadily. At every stage of the development YCT has taken great care to understand the youngster's needs and to learn from them and their parents about the service we provide. It has become more and more apparent that YCT boost's confidence provide invaluable 'fun' and 'stress-free' periods and more than anything else bring normality and hope back into the young peoples lives.