Prospect attaches itself to Barnardo’s for the OneGreenPaperclip fundraising challenge

29 June 2008

29 June 2008

Employees from Aberdeen based engineering partner, Prospect, are the first corporate organisation in the UK to take up Barnardo’s OneGreenPaperclip fundraising challenge.

 

Morag McIntyre, Corporate Partnerships Executive at Barnardo’s Scotland said: “The aim of the challenge is for teams to work together, and think creatively about how to turn nothing into something to raise funds for some of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people. Starting with one green paperclip, teams spend a number of weeks trading to end up with something valuable which can be sold or auctioned to raise funds for Barnardo’s Scotland.”

 

The challenge was inspired by Canadian blogger, Kyle MacDonald who remarkably transformed a red paperclip, holding together his CV, into a new home by making fourteen trade-ups – ensuring that items increased in value with each swap.

 

Barnardo’s developed this concept last year by launching a UK-wide student paperclip competition, called the OneGreenPaperclip challenge, to raise money for disadvantaged children, young people and their families. Lohit Kalburgi of the BBC TV series, The Apprentice supported the competition, which closed in March 2008, by offering students tips from his experiences tackling Sir Alan Sugar’s weekly sales challenges.

 

Now, Barnardo’s Scotland is targeting businesses to support the Apprentice style challenge. Jonathan D’Arcy, Prospect’s Managing Director, said: “It’s fantastic that Barnardo’s has come up with a fun, innovative, creative, challenge that allows employee volunteers across the UK to use their workplace skills, and develop new transferable skill along the way, while making a valuable contribution to the lives of vulnerable children in the UK. I would really encourage businesses across Aberdeen to support the initiative and get their employees involved.”

The four teams of budding entrepreneurs from Prospect will have just seven weeks working together, using their skills of persuasion and a touch of creativity to banter, bargain and negotiate with local businesses.

 

The items or opportunities obtained will go to auction on Friday, 29 August at a charity fundraising event, organised by Prospect, at the Palm Court Hotel in Aberdeen.

 

For further information about the challenge and how your company can take part contact: Morag McIntyre at Barnardo’s Scotland (0131 314 6646) or visit http://www.barnardos.org.uk/corporate