With at least 119 offices from 48 companies across the UK property industry taking part in LandAid Day we estimate around 3,000 people took part in #LandAid Day 2013 – Mission Possible. Add companies who had teams in the LandAid Day Abseil and the Treasure Hunt, and 67 companies were involved.
LandAid Day starts with ideas and energy. Mission Possible was the spark that created an explosion of creativity. It was a gauntlet for personally demanding charity fundraising. The ideas and achievements have proved that any mission is possible, with determination and focus.
Personal challenges started with 97 people completing the 541ft LandAid Day Abseil off the Broadgate Tower. Whether confronting fear or the simple and very natural self-preservation that stops you walking backwards off a high building, the abseil was, for everyone that took part, a phenomenal experience.
Leading on LandAid Day
We had a hunch the day would go well with a pre-LandAid Day Drinks Reception from Palmer Capital which included an auction with some great prizes, including flights to New York.
Foundation and Industry Partners across the industry stepped up to the plate for Mission Possible.
Land Securities followed up on 2012’s activity with massive engagement across the country. The creative team entered the world of publishing, with the Daily Spy, previewing a day of treasure hunts, quizzes and raffles. On the day, teams set out looking for clues around Trafalgar Square. Lunchtime had the restaurant in the Strand packed with roulette wheels, spy cut-outs and stylish manicures before the raffle with incredible donated prizes, including iPads.
GVA set the challenge to learn a new skill, with everything from pasta making, wine tasting, jewellery making, first aid and bee keeping. The day was incredible, set up with a GVA film that deserves an Oscar of its own.
Cakes, Bakes and More
Cake bakes were understandably popular. Argent had a bake off with several categories, including one for parent and child teams, which produced some stunning results. Judging was by Miles Kirby, owner of local restaurant Caravan at King’s Cross. Spinning through on the screens, were pictures from the Cute Pet Competition. 1-2-3… ahhh.
Cushman & Wakefield combined a bake off – including a butter-cream iced LandAid cake – with a table-tennis competition. A fee for dressing down and a fine for not dressing down are sure to add to their fundraising total.
PwC joined in their first LandAid Day with an online auction, collections and fancy dress. A mini-fete greeted LandAid Day celebrators at Frogmore, who had fairground games, challenges and a raffle. Gerald Eve had their team dressing up in green.
British Land went to work as spies, with a quiz, raffle, guess the baby competition and a cake bake. Bond Dickinson had nine offices across the country competing in a bake off. Lambert Smith Hampton mixed a bake off with a raffle. Broadgate Estates, RBS and M&G Real Estate all had cake bakes. It’s an ideal fundraiser, with inspiration coming from the incredibly popular BBC programme the Great British Bake Off.
DTZ bought 23 dozen donuts for a donut-eating competition. We’ve got a few pictures, and there’s a brief highlight in the Estates Gazette LandAid Day film. There were a host of activities in other offices around the country, building on the incredible DTZ bike week earlier in the year.
Thanks and Tweets
Some creative ideas came from the Mission Possible challenge. Over 600 people thanked LAH Property Marketing and each one earned LandAid £1. Estates Gazette offered a #Tweetathon, retweeting message for donations. Latest total is £1,000 raised, (and a little mention in the Evening Standard to boot!).
On the Bike
Cycling got some great results. SEGRO, set out on the gruelling Olympic road race route with around 70 riders, linked only by their love for sheds and bikes, travelling from Rosslyn Park to Box Hill and back. The route totalled 73 miles with a shorter distance of 32 miles for the sprint specialists.
Malcolm Hollis also hopped on their bikes on a beautiful sunny Friday in September, to support LandAid Day, with around 30 cyclists made up of staff and their clients setting off from Molesey on a couple of routes – one of 50 miles, the other at 70 miles – through leafy Surrey. Great day on the bikes, everyone back safely and an impressive cheque for LandAid.
An Incredible Day of Giving
This year the greatest newcomer award goes to Knight Frank. Combining all five corporate departments, 72 offices across the UK joined in a phenomenal Day of Giving for LandAid (and four other charities). Offices across the country tweeted their activities, and for those in London the activity included biking to Paris (and beyond), static rowing from Oxford to London, manicures, cake bakes, throwing sponges at senior partners in the stocks and so much more.
Not everything can happen on LandAid Day. We know of a few things scheduled in the coming months. One of which is the Property Week football tournament scheduled for November, which, in addition to great coverage and support, is another great part of the annual LandAid Day.
Treasure Hunt
Twenty one companies entered 26 teams to the Spy Catcher Treasure Hunt. Dressed in fancy dress, the property industry set off to explore the streets of London.
Here is the roll call for the treasure hunt teams: Allsop LLP, Bellenden, Broadgate Estates, Capital & Regional, Capstone Property Recruitment, Chainbow, Derwent London, DTZ, Estates Gazette, Frogmore, Gerald Eve, Grainger, Grosvenor, Helical Bar, Holtby Turner, Irwin Mitchell, LAH Property Marketing, Malcolm Hollis, Mayer Brown International, PwC and Royal Bank of Scotland.
Take a look at the team shots – there are some incredible photographs highlighting the creativity and energy of the teams that took part.
Construction Rocks
If LandAid Day wasn’t packed enough, the incredible team at Construction Rocks 2013 provided the perfect end of day party. Eight bands competed for the top spot in a battle of the bands that had people partying and dancing to the end of the night. Passiv Attack took the honours for best band, with The CATS being best newcomer and Mr Meaner being the Best Fundraiser. See what the papparazzi on the night made of the party.
You make LandAid Day – Thank You
Thanks to everyone who contributed to LandAid Day 2013. We raised a phenomenal £140,000! It’s been an incredible occasion. The property industry has done itself proud.