After raising more than £45,000 in 2020 the rebranded ‘Great Christmas Raffle’ has been launched.
The 2021 ‘Christmas Raffle’ again sees Vertu Motors offering the top prize – this time a MINI One 3-door Classic Hatchback in Moonwalk Grey, with an RRP of £17,405.
Working in partnership with Raffolux, this year’s online fundraising will enable individuals and businesses to either support all the charities taking part, donate to one of the more than 30 charities involved or for corporate donations to nominate a company’s chosen charity.
Entrepreneur Jeremy Middleton CBE founded Charity Escapes, which has raised more than £500,000 for charity. The Great Northern Raffle was launched in 2020 to offer charities a fundraising platform to help compensate for the lack of ‘live’ events, which Charity Escapes supports with prizes.
Jeremy Middleton of the Middleton Foundation said: “There is still a long way to go before charities recover from the Covid pandemic which decimated fundraising events so it’s just as important that the Christmas Raffle is as big a success as last year’s – if not bigger.
“We are incredibly grateful to Robert Forrester and Vertu Motors for once again providing us with an amazing prize. It is the generosity of businesses and individuals that enables us to help so many charities carry on the invaluable work they do, helping and supporting those who need it most.”
Robert Forrester, chief executive of Vertu Motors, which operates MINI dealerships in Durham, Malton, Stockton, Sunderland and York, said: “We are very pleased to once again support this fantastic initiative.
“So many charities benefit from the Raffle and the fabulous MINI is a very cool prize! It would be amazing to beat the brilliant total raised last year.”
Lynn Murphy, chief operating officer at The Bradley Lowery Foundation said: “This initiative really does support all the amazing charities that have struggled through the pandemic.”
Last year’s star prize, a 70 plate £17,000 Hyundai i10 N-Line, was won by Stephen Phillips, who works for HomeServe in Walsall, which generously bought tickets for many of its employees.
