Curo News

Charity partnership

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 10:34:09 Z

Curo colleagues walked, baked and cycled their way to raise more than £11,000 for their chosen charity of the year St Peter’s Hospice.

Each year, Curo colleagues vote for a local charity to focus their fundraising support on. St Peter’s Hospice was chosen as a thank you for the care and support the hospice provided for a much-loved and respected colleague – Mike Purnell – who lost his battle with cancer in January 2023.

The charity is the only adult hospice in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset, supporting a population of nearly one million.

“St Peter’s has positively touched the lives of lots of people, including many of us at Curo,” says Victor da Cunha, Curo’s Chief Executive. “I’m incredibly proud of all the colleagues who’ve taken part in everything from sponsored spinathons to boot sales and raffles to raise this phenomenal amount.”

For people nearing the end of their lives, St Peter’s Hospice aims to provide physical, psychological and spiritual care in an environment of support, comfort, compassion and respect. Professionals support patients in their own homes as well as at the hospice.

Ben Lee, Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager, St Peter’s Hospice, says: “The Curo colleagues demonstrated remarkable proactivity and creativity in their fundraising activities. They signed up for events, organised office fundraisers, and even embraced challenges such as a cold water dip.

“Curo's fundraising efforts will directly contribute to supporting the care provided by St Peter's Hospice. The funds raised play a crucial role in sustaining and enhancing the hospice's services, ensuring access to compassionate and specialised care for patients facing life-limiting illnesses. This support enables the hospice to offer comfort, dignity and a comprehensive range of services to individuals and their families during challenging times.”

Thanks to the following suppliers for their support with our fundraising: Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP, Appello Careline, CDW, Conferex, Devonshires Solicitors, FlexMR, a division of MRSG Limited, Freestyle, Gem Security Systems, Genesys – JN, ITGL, Jackson Lift Services, JC Applications Development, JCG Electrical, LeasePlan UK, MD Building Services, Midland Forestry, Orbis Protect, Phishing Tackle, Softcat, Sunrise Software, The Complete Roofing Company, The Monarch Partnership, Total Jobs, Travis Perkins, Vuelio, Wavenet, Woods Building Services Ta AA Woods.

Curo colleagues take the plunge for charity

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 12:56:44 Z

A group of Curo employees raised more than £1,000 for St Peter’s Hospice by taking part in a cold water swim.

Michelle Sage, Mason Sage, Caz Gray, Karen Sheppard, Carl McMurtry, Tracy Benson and Kai Nickells braved the icy waters of Portishead outdoor swimming pool on Saturday, 2 December at the St Peter’s Hospice cold water dip. With outside temperatures barely nudging above zero all day the group watched on with an impending sense of dread as other groups completed their swims – with everyone limited to just 15 minutes in the water because of the cold weather.

Michelle said: “It was -1°C as we were getting undressed to get into the freezing pool. None of us were looking forward to it – but it was all for charity, and that’s what kept us going. In the end, we all smashed it and I felt amazing afterwards.

“We are overjoyed to have raised £1,092 for the charity.”

St Peter’s Hospice is Curo’s 2023 charity of the year. The charity was chosen as a thank you for the care and support it provided for a much-loved and respected colleague – Mike Purnell – who lost his battle with bowel cancer in January.

Michelle said: “Mike wasn’t only a colleague of mine, but a dear friend as well. St Peter’s Hospice looked after Mike, and were a massive support to him and his family.”

Clemi Williams, Corporate Partnerships Officer at St Peter’s Hospice, said: “I was so impressed with the Curo team! They did so well, and had the best costumes too!”

Curo colleagues pick St Peter’s Hospice as their new Charity of the Year

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 16:03:35 Z

Kind Curo colleagues have chosen St Peter’s Hospice to raise funds for as their Charity of the Year 2023.

“St Peter’s is a charity which has positively touched the lives of lots of people, including many of us at Curo,” says Victor da Cunha, Curo’s Chief Executive. “We’ll do all we can to raise as much as possible over the coming year to support its incredible work.”

St Peter’s Hospice is the only adult hospice in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset, supporting a population of nearly one million. For people nearing the end of their lives, it aims to provide physical, psychological and spiritual care in an environment of support, comfort, compassion and respect. Professionals support patients in their own homes as well as at the hospice. They also teach other healthcare professionals how to care for people at the end of their lives.

“St Peter’s Hospice are so pleased to have been picked as Curo’s charity partner,” says Clemi Williams, Corporate Partnerships Officer at the hospice. This type of support means we can continue providing the very best end-of-life care. The past year has been particularly difficult, with demands for our services increasing, so this partnership will go a long way in supporting patients and families. We’re excited to work with Curo and support them in their various fundraising activities.”

Curo colleagues have already been busy coming up with fundraising ideas, with a sponsored ‘spinathon’ planned for March and a gruelling 100k Jurassic Coast walking challenge taking place in May.

Every year, Curo colleagues are asked to pick one charity to fundraise for. The process starts with colleagues suggesting charities to support, these are shortlisted and they are then asked to cast their votes.

Over the past 12 months, Curo colleagues have raised a grand total of £10,842 for Bath City Farm as their Charity of the Year 2022. Alison Howell, Communications Lead at Bath City Farm, says that the money raised will have a tremendous impact. “It will improve the lives of our team, volunteers and visitors in so many ways,” she says.

Curo raises almost £12,000 for Bath children’s charity Time is Precious

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 11:30:22 Z

Curo colleagues organised fund-raising activities to raise money for the charity, including sponsored hikes, naming Curo vans, quizzes, a cycle challenge and a charity raffle with prizes donated from 66 local and national businesses.

The family run, Bath and North East Somerset-based charity fundraise to equip children’s hospital wards with stress relieving equipment to make the stay more relaxing for children receiving treatment and their visiting family.

Curo Chief Executive Victor da Cunha, whose half marathon run contributed £1,800 to the fundraising total, said:

“It’s been wonderful working with Time is Precious and we’ve loved raising money for such a great cause.

“Some of our colleagues have done some truly amazing and inspiring things to raise money and awareness for such a fantastic local charity.”

Time is Precious Director Nicky Halford said:

“We would like to thank Curo from the bottom of our hearts for choosing Time is Precious as their charity of the year for two years.

“The last two years have been a struggle for us all, and the support has meant so much. Raising such a huge amount is totally fantastic: it has gone such a long way.

“The money has been used to help refurbish the Royal United Hospital’s Children’s Ward garden, as well as providing Christmas presents and life-enhancing items to children on the ward.”

The remaining money will be spent on refurbishing the hospital’s Children’s Ward to make it a more child-friendly place to visit.

Community pantry customers get cooking equipment

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 11:04:29 Z

Oasis Pantry in Southdown, Bath received energy saving cooking packs to help families on low incomes, including 50 slow cookers, from housing association Curo and Travis Perkins Managed Services.

Oasis Pantries are part of a growing network of community pantries in Bath, supplying low cost, high quality food each week to local people.

Oasis Pantries reached out to Curo to help fund practical support measures, like energy efficient cooking for low-income families.

More than £2,000 was spent to give at least 50 families packages including low energy light bulbs, a slow cooker, recipe books and draught excluders. Over £100 worth of food was also donated.

Claire Henwood, from Oasis Pantries said:

"Oasis Pantry (Roundhill) are delighted with this support from Curo and Travis Perkins.

“We know from surveying our members that fuel costs are a significant concern, and we're so pleased to be able to offer these slow cookers and recipe books as a way to cook healthy meals for a fraction of the energy costs of a regular oven, alongside the other items to reduce overall fuel consumption."

The donation was provided through a joint Curo and Travis Perkins funding pot which is available for local community projects and ideas.

Pearl Slee, Asset and Energy Performance Manager at Curo said:

“We’re thrilled at Curo to be able to support this project. We hope this will make a difference to food pantry customers’ fuel bills and help tackle fuel poverty in the area.”

Martyn Piper, Account Manager at Travis Perkins Managed Services said:

"We are very pleased to be able to help: with food and fuel poverty on the rise, it's great to be able to support those in need."

If you live or work within approximately a 15-minute walk of an Oasis Pantry, and your household income is less than £18,000 a year, you’re eligible to become a pantry member.

Curo to spread Christmas cheer with sweet treat donation

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 10:33:22 Z

170 chocolate oranges were donated by Curo to Bath Open Christmas, to help put a smile on their guests’ faces at this year’s event.

Bath Open Christmas usually takes place every year on 25 December and welcomes 160 guests for a hot festive meal, entertainment and good cheer in the Dining Hall at Kingswood School, in Lansdown.

Caroline Holcombe from Bath Open Christmas says: “Christmas can be a difficult time for many people who find themselves on their own over this festive period. Not everyone is lucky enough to have lots of family to spend Christmas with and some feel particularly lonely at this time of the year.

“At Bath Open Christmas we welcome anyone who would otherwise be alone at this time. There will be a delicious festive lunch, an opportunity to chat with other people and even gifts from Father Christmas – and we’d like to thank Curo for their donation which I’m sure will help us spread some much-needed joy this year!”

Alongside chocolate oranges, Curo also donated prizes for the raffle which will take place on the day, including a tea service set, a variety of sweets and more chocolate!

Curo Sales Manager, Jodie Winter, says: “We’re delighted to support Bath Open Christmas this year and help them bring a little happiness to so many people.

“Supporting the communities we work in and partnering with organisations whose work benefits local residents is really important for us at Curo. We hope everyone has a fantastic time at this year’s Christmas lunch!”

This year’s Bath Open Christmas will be a little different, with measures in place to protect the safety of all guests and volunteers. The venue will be regularly ventilated and everyone attending will need to wear a face covering and take a lateral flow test in the 24 hours prior to the event.

There are still some places available for this year’s event. Call Bath Open Christmas on 01225 312271 or 07392 974405 to book your free ticket.

Thanks for supporting Curo CEO Vic's Bath Half Marathon charity run

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 13:46:57 Z

Congratulations to Curo Chief Executive Victor da Cunha who took part in the virtual Bath Half Marathon last weekend to raise money for Curo's Charity of the Year, Time is Precious.

Also a huge thanks to everyone who donated money and helped to raise £1,836.25 for the charity.

XX of Time is Precious said: "This amount is a massive boost for our family-run charity, and means they can continue helping poorly children and their families by making life more comfortable and fun in hospital and at home."

Time is Precious aims to create a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere for children and their families in hospital or at home. The charity was set up by Neil and Nicky Halford in memory of their son Ben who sadly died from cancer in 2010. He was cared for at Bristol Children’s Hospital, Frenchay and RUH children’s ward for almost four years.

We caught up with Vic after his run to find out how it went... "I'm feeling really good after the run and super proud of the money #TeamCuro have raised for Time is Precious," said Vic. "I've found running a valuable release during lockdown, a time for me to destress in fresh air and clear my head. I'd love to run a full marathon - an organised one with closed-off roads! That would be an amazing achievement and another great fundraising opportunity."

If you'd like to donate to our Charity of the Year please click here.

Funding boost from Curo to extend homelessness initiative in Bath

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 09:13:21 Z

Pictured, left-right: Curo Resident Engagement Manager Tom Box presents Billy Chip Co-founders Jon Hope and Meg Abernethy-Hope with their grant cheque.

Funding boost from Curo to extend Billy Chip homelessness initiative in Bath

Billy Chip, a local initiative that enables homeless people to get a hot drink and a warm welcome in local cafes or shops has received a boost with a £1,500 grant from Curo.

The ‘Billy Chip’ token can be given to any homeless person instead of money. The recipient can redeem The Billy Chip in any participating outlet for a drink and food. Billy Chips can be bought for £2 at any participating retail outlet.

The grant was made from Curo’s Community Funding Pot, a fund provided by Travis Perkins Managed Services. Curo Resident Engagement Manager Tom Box said: “The Billy Chip initiative is a brilliant idea and we’re so pleased to be supporting this social enterprise. We hope this extra money will make it possible for more businesses in and around Bath to start accepting and selling Billy Chips as the lockdown eases, providing homeless people with somewhere welcoming where they can ask for a cuppa or a bite to eat and be treated with respect and humanity.”

Billy Chip co-founder Jon Hope said: “We already have around eight retailers on board in Bath, and we really want to get more to join in. The way Billy Chip works, retailers aren’t out of pocket but that means we need money to get new retailers started with a supply of Billy Chips. This £1,500 will go a long way towards helping to expand this network of support for homeless people in Bath and beyond.”

The tokens are named after Bristol ambulance driver Billy Abernethy-Hope who first thought up the concept of the Billy Chip. Tragically, Billy died whilst backpacking in Thailand. His father Jon and sister Meg set up the Billy Chip initiative as a social enterprise in his memory.

To find out more about Billy Chip, as a business or an individual interested in buying Billy Chips, visit billychip.com.

We're excited to announce our new Charity of the Year for 2020

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 13:53:05 Z

Every year Curo colleagues nominate and vote for a local charity they would like to support. This year colleagues have chosen to support Time is Precious, a local South West charity whose aim is to help create a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere for children and their families in hospital or at home.

The charity works alongside specialists to purchase equipment and refurbish areas to support not just those children who, because of illness or disability, find themselves in hospital for treatment but also their families who want to be with them because time is just that precious.

Charity founder Nicky Halford from Time is Precious, said: “Time Is Precious are absolutely thrilled and honoured to be the chosen charity for Curo. We are totally voluntary run and therefore every penny goes towards improving the lives of seriously ill and disabled children, in hospital and at home. We look forward to meeting you all and working with you. Together we can make a real difference.”

Curo Communications & Brand Manager Rachael Allen said: “We’re very excited to be supporting Time is Precious through our fundraising this year. Colleagues are busy planning lots of fundraising activities including bakes sales, taking part in the Half Iron Man, writing competitions, raffles, quizzes and plenty of dress-downs and dress-up days! Curo’s fabulous young-at-heart residents who attend our Livewell Hubs have also pledged to support Time is Precious through regular coffee mornings and raffles.”

Pictured, L-R: Curo colleagues: Nathan Anscombe, Sara Gosman and Will Burns are busy training to take part in the Half Iron Man, happening in June, raising money for Time is Precious.

For more information about our charity of the year fundraising appeal click here.

Curo’s housebuilding team wear it pink for Breast Cancer Now

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 14:40:32 Z

Curo’s housebuilding team have joined the ‘Wear it Pink’ campaign on Friday 18 October, to support Breast Cancer Now’s annual fundraising event.

Wear it Pink happens every year in October, the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and is one of the biggest fundraising events in the UK aimed at facilitating continued vital research into the disease.

Curo staff have today sported their best pink outfits, with colleagues working on site swapping their usual green high visibility jackets for pink ones, raising £352 for the cause.

Curo Sales Director, Lisa Howells, says: “Curo colleagues take part in many charity fundraising events throughout the year for causes that are close to our hearts. It’s great to see that everyone has made an effort on ‘Wear it Pink’ day and joined the national campaign to help raise money for further life-saving breast cancer research.

“We’ve all had fun choosing our outfits for today, baking pink treats and, most importantly, donating. Colleagues looked fabulous in pink both in the office and on our construction sites and we’re already looking forward to making next year’s event even bigger and better.”

To mark the occasion, Curo have also installed planters with pink cyclamens at Mulberry Park, their 700 homes development in South Bath.

Since launching in 2002, Breast Cancer Now’s Wear it Pink day has raised more than £33 million to fund research and provide emotional and practical support to people affected by breast cancer. If you’d like to support this fantastic cause, donate directly to Breast Cancer Now at www.justgiving.com/campaign/wearitpink2019.

Curo MD to cycle 1,000 miles for charity

Wed, 15 May 2019 16:36:39 Z

Gerraint Oakley, the Managing Director of Curo’s house-building business, is cycling roughly 1,000 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End in a bid to raise £5,000 for the Royal United Hospital (RUH), Bath Children’s Ward – Curo’s chosen Charity of the Year for 2019.

The iconic ‘End-to-End’ journey will take nine days to complete. Gerraint will set off from John O’Groats on Friday 12 July and will arrive at his destination on Saturday 20 July. He will cycle on average over 100 miles a day and will be joined by a friend and a Curo colleague who will be driving a van for the whole journey to provide support.

Gerraint says: “This year we’re fundraising to help the RUH Bath Children’s Ward to provide additional services, facilities and equipment for the thousands of children they treat every year. I know this is a cause very close to many of our colleagues’ hearts and everyone is making an effort to get involved in fundraising, from bake sales to walking and running marathons and, of course, donating.”

To help Gerraint raise money for RUH Bath Children’s Ward, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/curo-cycle-ride.

Gerraint is calling on all housing associations up and down the country to join him on this challenge. He says: “Wouldn’t it be great if colleagues from housing associations across the country would join in to help raise money for the amazing charities they’re supporting!

“Aside from supporting some fantastic causes, it would also be an opportunity for us to increase awareness of our sector, connect with colleagues and have some fun along the way.”

Colleagues from the sector are welcome to join Gerraint on his journey across Britain either for the whole challenge, or any of the nine stages:

Friday 12 July
John O’Groats to Tain – 125.83 miles

Saturday 13 July
Tain to Ballachuish – 112.51 miles

Sunday 14 July
Ballachuish to West Kilbride – 121.47

Monday 15 July
West Kilbride to Gretna – 103.70 miles

Tuesday 16 July
Gretna to Ecclestone – 112.11 miles

Wednesday 17 July
Ecclestone to Ludlow – 114.93 miles

Thursday 18 July
Ludlow to Bath – 90.47 miles

Friday 19 July
Bath to Okehampton – 96.53 miles

Saturday 20 July
Oakhampton to Land’s End – 96.30 miles

If’ you’d like to take part in the ride across Britain, contact CuroHomesAdmin@curo-group.co.uk for more information.

About RUH – Bath Children’s Ward

Every year, tens of thousands of children receive care and treatment at the Royal United Hospital, Bath. Some go in for routine operations, others for therapy to help them cope with disabilities and other chronic illnesses. Charitable support helps make life better for these children, and their families.