£1,000 was raised for Birmingham-based social enterprise Jericho, a charity and family of seven social enterprises that provides supported work opportunities for people facing extreme challenges in getting a job. They primarily support marginalised young people and survivors of modern slavery. What makes JERICHO different is their combination of vital support and activities. These reduce isolation, support recovery and promote inclusion to transform lives and help people become more employable.
Rebecca Stone, Head of Fundraising at Jericho and pictured with members of the Associated Architects Birmingham team above/below, said:
“We really appreciate being chosen as your charity of choice. To give your donation some perspective, £1,000 could pay for work PPE and uniform for ten of our new Autumn term apprentices or provide four months of English lessons for our survivors of modern slavery. It’s going to make a real difference our participants lives.”
Across the month there was plenty of friendly competition in the top stepper individual and team leaderboards, with Architectural Assistant Maria Venturoli taking first place (pictured below in red on a walk on holiday with her family). Her step count was boosted through the charity work which she participates in each evening, redistributing supermarket food close to expiry that would otherwise go to waste. Teams also took part in weekly walks, a run club, and tried walking meetings, all with the aim of increasing their step counts.
A further £879 was raised by the 12 members of the Associated Architects team who took part in the St Modwen 5km / 10km Charity Land, an event that raised over £55,000 in total. Land Aid’s mission is to end youth homelessness in the UK. They provide monetary grants and broker pro bono advice to support hundreds of charities each year.
Director Stephen Townsend said:
“I am incredibly proud of the whole Associated Architects team for their efforts this autumn. STEPtember has really bought the entire Practice together to raise money for such great causes. Well done team and thank you to all that donated!”.
