Anyone standing towards the top of Midsomer Norton High Street at the recent Carnival may have been lucky enough to meet Big Ted, collecting alongside Andrews staff. There was a cake sale, free balloons for children, and the chance to take part in a colouring competition and name the teddy as part of the evening’s celebrations.

The team at Andrews are embarking upon a huge challenge to make £20, which was given to them by the RUH’s charity, The Forever Friends Appeal, grow into £20,000, in honour of the appeal’s twentieth anniversary this year.

Andrews have until 31st January to fundraise the cash, alongside its offices in Bath, with efforts also including a sponsored bike ride of 100 miles. Local schools have also been involved with the fundraising colouring competition.

The company has invested the £20 given to them by the Forever Friends to make the fund grow and are welcoming in residents to come and have a go at their ‘Name a Teddy’ competition, which closes on 16th December. At just fifty pence a go, you will be helping to raise vital funds for the redevelopment and expansion of the breast unit at the RUH. A winner will be selected at random, and the teddy prize could make a fantastic Christmas present!

Andrews has a long, charitable history. Its founder, Cecil Jackson-Cole, (known as CJC), used funds and seconded personnel from his business to establish the world’s first permanent overseas aid agency, Oxfam. He did the same with Help the Aged and Action Aid.

Before his death, Andrews was put into the ownership of two charitable trusts, which continue to receive a minimum of 35% profit not reinvested in the business, to fund new, innovative charity projects.

One of these is ‘My First Base’, which will see fifty homes made available for tenants, alongside fundraising for painting and decorating, and mentoring for occupants to gain further education, training and work experience. There will also be a cost for refurbishing the properties, which will be carried out by another charity the Andrews Charitable Trust supports, the Together Group, which trains and employs ex-offenders.

To donate online to the Forever Friends’ £20 to £20,000 challenge being carried out by the local Andrews branches, readers can visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising

/andrews-forever-friends