B2 Business Systems announces Cherish as charity of the year

Employees of B2 voted for Cherish to be their chosen charity of 2019 with the Deeside and St Asaph based teams lining up a range of fundraising activities to benefit this worthy cause. From cake bakes to the ultimate Snowdonian trekking challenge, ideas are coming in thick and fast, spurred on by appreciation of the service the charity provides and in some instances, their own personal experience of their care. B2’s Operations Manager, Ian Challinor explains, “Dylan, my son would not be alive if it wasn’t for the care he received in Wrexham SCBU. Cherish give a better start in life to the tiny or sick babies and their families who have been treated and cared for on the unit. The charity also put us in touch with other parents of children with the same condition as Dylan which really helped and we have made lifelong friends. A lot of the nurses that work on the unit are also part of the charity so it is a real community feel.” Mark Blythe, B2’s Helpdesk team leader, heads up the B2 Think Tank, a group of managers that are leading on the fundraising effort across the business. “Whether it’s a raising funds from our baking events and departmental darts matches, to company-wide sponsored events, our staff recognise the fantastic work and support that Cherish provide to sick children and their families. This is a great opportunity to raise money for such an important charity that has in reality touched many of the lives of our staff. We want to hit our target, provide the much needed support to this charity, and also have a bit of fun along the way!” Ruth Drake, chairperson for Cherish comments, “Cherish Wrecsam is a very small, local charity run entirely by volunteers. These volunteers are often parents who have had a baby in SCBU at some point and have benefitted from the work we do. One of our proudest achievements is the upkeep and running of parents accommodation on the unit, allowing parents to be close to their babies at all times during extremely critical periods. However this is just one aspect of what we provide for parents and babies, we fund many things ranging from the large – vital equipment, to the small – commemorative books dedicated to each baby as they leave or ‘graduate’ from the Unit. With some 250 families passing through the unit each year, the support we provide would not be possible without the help of fundraisers and companies such as B2. We are extremely grateful to Ian and Mark and the team for their input and very excited to be B2’s chosen charity for this year!!” Another B2 employee voting for Cherish explained, “Parents are assisted so much through the stressful and upsetting time. Without the charity there is no way they could do as much as they do now. The Charity have assisted since 1987 – imagine how many families have been helped.” The annual chosen charity and efforts to fundraise for important local causes form part of B2’s values that put people at the heart of the business, making the North Wales company a great place to work and do business with.