Teams from Ulster Bank and the Northern Ireland braved the wet weather on Friday afternoon to finish off their 40 hours of movement challenge to raise much needed funds for the Northern Ireland Hospice.
Beginning on Wednesday afternoon, around 100 colleagues and supporters took to bikes, treadmills and to the streets in an effort to clock up 40 hours of continual movement to mark the 40 years of care provided by the NI Hospice, which is celebrating a special anniversary this year.
The endurance challenge is all part of Ulster Bank’s annual ‘One Week in September’ fundraising drive where colleagues from across the bank’s network coming together to raise as much money as possible for a local charity. This year, colleagues selected the NI Hospice as the worthy recipient and have been participating in bake sales, quizzes, charity football matches and cookery demonstrations to support the cause.
The 40 hour sponsored walk was the biggest event this year and was given an extra boost when star of Bloodlands and The Missing, James Nesbitt, joined the teams on the last lap of the event.
Despite the torrential rain, the local actor posed for selfies and carried a donation box in an effort to boost support for the event and add more funds to the overall total.A longtime friend of the NI Hospice, Mr Nesbitt said he was happy to support such an important charity.
“I’ve been aware of the invaluable work carried out by the Northern Ireland Hospice for some time now and am blown away by the incredible work that they do in such difficult circumstances. To this end, I was only too happy to brave the rain and join the volunteers on the last hour of their challenge and hopefully collect a few more pounds for the cause. Congratulations to everyone who took part in this great event and for not allowing the bad weather to dampen the spirts.”
Terry Robb, Head of Retail Banking, said it was a cause everyone working in Ulster Bank was happy to get behind.
“Many of colleagues and team members have been supported by the NI Hospice in various different ways and so wanted to do what they could do give something back and ensure the organisation can continue with its great work.
“For 40 years the NI Hospice has been providing the highest quality of care, often during the most difficult times for local families, so moving for 40 hours felt like an appropriate challenge for our teams to take on.
“It’s been fantastic to work with the hospice and learn more about the great care they provide, and we hope our fundraising efforts will enable them to continue with this in the years to come. Special thanks to Mr. Nesbitt for joining us on the walk and for giving us a boost when it was most needed.”
Bonnie MacRae, Corporate Fundraiser with the Northern Ireland Hospice said without the support of organisations such as Ulster Bank, it would not be able to continue to deliver vital care services.
“This year marks a significant milestone for our organisation so we are delighted to have this funding boost from Ulster Bank and have the support of so many colleagues and volunteers at this crucial time for the hospice.
“Like many charities, we are operating in really difficult times financially speaking so any help with fundraising is greatly appreciated and enables us to continue to deliver invaluable care and support to individuals and their families during their greatest time of need.
“It was a gruelling challenge, but we are so grateful to everyone at Ulster Bank for taking part and it was wonderful to celebrate with everyone at the finish line.
In 2022, Ulster Bank’s One Week in September campaign raised over £80,000 for then charity partner Macmillan Cancer Support and teams will be hoping to meet this target again this year. Along with the walking challenge, local chef Jenny Bristow has been delivering Autumn Cookery demonstrations with all proceeds going to the bank’s fundraising drive for the hospice.
To learn more about the work of the NI Hospice or how you can support the organisation, visit www.nihospice.org
