Today is LandAid Day, the annual day of fundraising where the UK property and construction sectors unite to do something amazing for disadvantaged children and young people.
Across the UK, over 50 companies will show their commitment to our cause by getting active or doing something serious, silly and selfless to fundraise for LandAid.
Support for LandAid Day has been particularly impressive this year. Some of the amazing feats include Rollapaluza spinathons, Monopoly treasure hunts, three-legged river runs, quiz nights, orienteering races, Great British Bake Off-style competitions and even one attempt to get into the Guinness Book of World Records.
Not all this activity has been confined to LandAid Day itself. We’ve also seen a huge amount of activities in the lead in, including several cycling challenges, golf days and a property industry bootcamp. Not to mention the fundraising campaigns run by our friends at Estates Gazette and Property Week.
It has often been said that the property industry knows how to throw a good party. LandAid Day shows that it knows how to put its hand in its pocket for more meaningful causes too.
Those companies who have committed their time, energy and enthusiasm today know that LandAid Day is a great opportunity to do some inter-office engagement, encourage team building between colleagues and boost their organisation’s CSR programmes.
More importantly, whatever our supporters’ plans – large or small – every penny raised from LandAid Day is invested directly in grant funding for capital projects, helping local charities build or renovate the space needed to give carefully-tailored support to children and young people who, for whatever reason, have had a bad start in life.
Children and young people who have experienced addiction or abuse at home, who have been in care or separated from their families, who have been sleeping rough or living in a hostel, who had learning difficulties, who succeeded at school but cannot find work, who lack the life skills to be able look after themselves or their siblings.
Sometimes it’s difficult to fully visualise what these young people live through – until you try living it yourself. Then you know that it takes great resilience to survive. The charities we support are specifically set up to help young people turn their lives around.
LandAid recently launched its latest round of grant applications to an overwhelming response: over 170 eligible applications totalling over £20m. We anticipate that we’ll only have £1million to give out in grants.
There’s a huge amount of need out there, and we can do so much more. If you work in the property industry, this charity is your charity.
So if you have a colleague, client or competitor who is doing something for LandAid Day, make sure you sponsor them. Or why not make a donation today? You can text donate LAND14 £10′ to 70070.
You can also sign up to our Thunderclap to announce your support to the Twittersphere:
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/16740-landaid-day-2014
Help us give the young and disadvantaged a brighter future by supporting LandAid Day today. Let’s make it the best ever.