Accord Mortgages’ team members have raised almost £4,500 by raffling hampers and taking part in a bike-a-thon, and they are preparing to take part in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, a walking challenge, on 14 June.
The firm’s most recent challenge saw 17 employees use pedal power to clock up 200 miles on static bikes at headquarters.
FareShare is a charity fighting hunger and food waste by redistributing quality surplus food from the food industry to 8,500 local charities.
Additionally, the charity offers lunch clubs for older people, community kitchens, breakfast and after-school clubs, domestic violence refuges, and homeless shelters, and aims to address root causes of poverty.
Yorkshire Building Society, the parent of Accord Mortgages, has teamed up with FareShare until 2026, and aims to raise £1m to fund an employability programme that aims to help lift people out of financial hardship.
‘Plenty more planned’
Tom Brook (pictured left), business development adviser for Accord, said: “We have set ourselves a goal to raise £12,000 for FareShare in 2024. Halfway through May, we are on target, at £4,500 raised so far. This is through donations from our amazing brokers and fundraising activities within the team. We have run raffles, Easter activities and cycled over 200 miles in one day.
“Going forward, we have plenty more planned, with the team taking part in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in June, and we are organising and leading a big football tournament later in the year where the whole society can take part.”
Lizl Smith, business development adviser for Accord, said: “I had the privilege to go and spend a day at the FareShare distribution centre in Leeds recently. It was an amazing experience to see how they help so many charities.
“The people working there are doing so much in their own time to help others, and they do it with so much cheer and enthusiasm. The passion and support for this worthy cause is evident in all of them.
“It really highlighted to me how we can all do our bit in our own way by going to volunteer and rethinking our own wastage at home. I am looking forward to going again to help as it was a very fulfilling experience.”
