I&G Community Round Up

Welcome to the round-up of 2022 and what a great year it’s been.

I’d just like to use this time to thank everyone for continuing their extra-curricular activities for our 50th year in business. Since the last newsletter, we’ve raised another £11,554.73 and counting, as well as £7,200 for the Snow Dog sponsorship and £2,711.71 worth of volunteering hours.  The team have also completed a refurbishment to The Kirkwood’s dining facilities worth over £13,000, all progressing to our final target of £50,000.

This has been achievable through the support of our established business relations and the community ties

Crowdfunding to support our local hospice on JustGiving

Read on to find out what we’ve been up to 

Happy Festivities and we’ll see you in 2023,  

Christopher Carline, Managing Director 

2022 sees the journey of I&G’s 50th year in business and a £50k pledge for our chosen charity to match. Here we celebrate all that we’ve achieved in support of a matter close to all our hearts.

I&G, founded in 1972, works across the north of England and has just recorded its most successful year of trading following new contract wins across health, education and commercial projects. 2021 also saw a recruitment drive following their move into new £1m custom-designed offices, meaning I&G stepped into its 50th year on a strong footing. To mark this major milestone, I&G staff voted for a cause close to their hearts, choosing The Kirkwood as its fundraising focus.

Kirkwood Hospice opened its doors in March 1987 to care for local people living with life-limiting illnesses and provide support for their families and friends, free of charge.

The Kirkwood is not just a building, an In-Patient Unit or a place of care today. They are a movement of people. They’re clinical and medical professionals, patients, carers, and families. Employees, supporters and volunteers. They may look a little different, but their mission remains the same today, as it did at the very beginning; to provide the best care

The Kirkwood, joined by West-Yorkshire-based construction company Illingworth & Gregory (I&G), designed and renovated the space, and hospice staff celebrated with a grand unveiling. Entertainment included refreshments and a plaque revealing ceremony to welcome staff members into the brand-new canteen

Mario Charbonneau, Site Foreman for I&G, explains why he got involved in this particular scheme; 

“Here at I&G, the Kirkwood is a cause that means a lot to all of us, and we wanted to do something that gives back to the community we serve, and return something special that would benefit everyone who works for and with the Kirkwood” 

Chris Carline, Managing Director for I&G, said;

“With our design for ‘The Kirkwood Kitchen’, we wanted to give the charity something modern and fresh, whilst also delivering a flexible space for their hard-working teams to relax, eat and socialise in.”

Refurbishment works for The Kirkwoods to the canteen area will create a dedicated space to rejuvenate, as well as a custom-designed area for staff to have downtime and nourish themselves. Further work for the canteen begins to give flexibility in the arrangement of hexagon dining tables for larger meetings and social gatherings

Michael Crowther, Chief Executive for The Kirkwood, was delighted with the new space and believes it will become a space not just to grab a bite to eat, but a haven for the charity’s dedicated volunteers and employees.

“ Illingworth & Gregory have created has far exceeded our expectations. They’ve given us a modern, relaxing space to spend time in. The Kirkwood Kitchen is no longer just a room to eat a meal, but a vibrant place to take time out, catch up with colleagues and unwind.

Our teams work hard 24 hours a day to provide outstanding and compassionate care for patients and their families, and it’s really important that they have somewhere to relax during their breaks. I am thrilled with our new dining space.’’

We wanted to say a special thank you to our supplies and subcontractors –
JA Richardson| Atkinson Acoustics | Airedale Flooring |HEC Decoration | Richardsons Office |G4graphics – who have generously donated their skills and resources to ensure this refurbishment project provides the workers at The Kirkwood a place of rest for all the hard work they do.

It’s no secret that we’ve been getting our paws stuck in supporting the highly anticipated and popular Snowdog art trail to Kirklees.

The Wild in Art trail worked closely with the Kirkwood to bring 67 brightly decorated Snowdogs sculptures to the local towns and villages across Kirklees.

Inspired by The Snowman™ and The Snowdog, the hugely popular sequel to Raymond Briggs’ classic story The Snowman, Snowdogs Support Life, Kirklees brings the magic of the Snowdog character to life this Autumn.

Such an event can be enjoyed within the community thanks to the help of our suppliers and subcontractors getting stuck in. The outreach from our local community support has been tremendous, and we’d like to thank our sponsors, Caval & Kitching Plant hire, who have generously donated their time and resources to ensure this installation goes smoothly to aid the trail on the move.

Thanks to the community rally behind this event, helped The Kirkwood raise an astonishing £78,950 in the grand auction. All the money raised will help to support local patients and families across our community – whenever and wherever they need it most.

We wanted to send on our personal thanks and a few examples of the impact everyone’s kindness from I&G and Sewell Group has had within The Kirkwood:

What an outstanding year this has been for you all, in business and personal challenges undertaken during your 50/50 pledge.

Congratulations on reaching this momentous milestone of 50 years in business and long may it continue.

Your pledge to donate £50,000 to The Kirkwood movement has helped so many people across Kirklees, helping us to support 2,111 patients and families when they needed us most.

 

People like Symone: “My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer in February 2021, which slowly spread to his brain and other areas. The Kirkwood helped us during a time when we were struggling to help ourselves and gave us a home from home.”

 

You’ve helped support our Nurses who in turn have supported 1,249 patients in their own homes or care homes over 2021-2022.

Your kindness and generosity have had a huge impact on all of us and the people we care for. We simply can’t thank you enough for all you have done to support us.

 

We hope you all have the best Christmas with your families – Thank you & Merry Christmas.