King Sturge anniversary year delivers record charity fundraising

As 2010 draws to a close, so do the celebrations marking King Sturge’s 250th anniversary year and its 1760 charity appeal. Charities are set to benefit from donations of close to £350,000 (ca. €415,000) from the firm’s staff and the property industry as a whole in the UK and Mainland Europe.

Throughout the year King Sturge brought together the property community to celebrate its 250th anniversary with the 1760 charity appeal. Setting a target of £250,000 (ca. €295,000) to raise by the end of the year for chosen corporate and local charities, events took place across the King Sturge network in the UK and Mainland Europe that went beyond reaching this target.

The appeal kicked off with more than 100 of the property industry’s most influential figures meeting at the RICS in London, heralding the start of a year of fundraising and celebrations.

In the UK, headline events included:

– The 4th King Sturge Property Triathlon which attracted a record 2,200 participants
– A 1,200 mile cycle challenge, linking King Sturge’s 16 UK offices
– The Summer Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts in London

In addition a large number of regional fundraising efforts aimed at supporting local communities took place across the UK.

On the continent, our 18 offices supported local charities through fundraising events that included:

– In Belgrade, Serbia, an archery tournament raised €7,000
– In Berlin, Germany, a beach football competition raised close to €9,000
– In Budapest, Hungary, a 220km cycle ride raise over €8,000
– In Warsaw, Poland, a series of social and sporting events raised over € 15,000

King Sturge anticipates the final amount of funds raised by the charity appeal in the UK and Mainland Europe to be close to £350,000, considerably more than was anticipated.

Richard Batten, Joint Senior Partner, comments “We have been amazed by the tremendous effort made by our staff and the support received from our clients and the property industry as a whole. This has enabled us to exceed our fundraising target by a considerable amount. We are delighted that two such worthwhile charities are benefiting from the celebrations marking our 250 years in the industry, therefore helping others in the future.”

The culture and essence of King Sturge have been forged over 250 years by responding to, and taking advantage of changes in the market place. King Sturge strives on the challenge that change creates. Innovation was at the source of King Sturge’s creation 250 years ago and it equally applies the multi-faceted firm of international real estate advisers that King Sturge is today.

The Budapest office was fundraising for Hópihe Children Fund and Heim Pál Children Hospital, who invested the money raised in equipping a children’s ambulance, and towards the refurbishment of their rehabilitation unit. The bike ride proved to be both popular by the participants and a successful fundraiser, so the office is considering holding the event as an annual fixture.