Drivers Jonas employees have dug deep into their pockets for the company’s annual Auction of Promises.
The national commercial property consultancy firm raised more than £26,000 including a top-up from the Drivers Jonas Charitable Foundation (DJCF) by bidding on a range of auction items donated by staff and external consultants.
In the Midlands office, an eclectic range of promises ranged from a bespoke designed cocktail, to a mystery date with a building surveyor and a homemade cake each week for a month which was snapped up by the firm’s hungry project management and building consultancy team. The most eagerly fought-over prize was a dinner for four kindly donated by Opus Restaurant, Birmingham.
The highest earners at the auction were four tickets for an Arsenal v Liverpool football match which raised over £800. Other popular items included a framed Manchester United shirt signed by Ryan Giggs, a pleasure flight over London in a twin-engine aircraft and even a silver service lunch for 12 in Drivers Jonas’ London dining room served by managing partner Nick Shepherd.
The money raised will be split between several charities including Birmingham homeless refuge, St Basil’s and the firm’s own nominated charity, WheelPower.
WheelPower has launched a £6million “Wheel Appeal” to purchase 2,012 specialised sports wheelchairs in time for the 2012 Paralympics in London. Drivers Jonas aims to sponsor a fleet of more than 50 wheelchairs and has so far made a commitment of 16.
The first of the specialised wheelchairs was handed over at the firm’s staff Christmas dinner in December.
Jack Pegram, aged 17, is already an England wheelchair soccer international and is delighted with his new chair which will greatly help his table tennis ambitions. He received the chair in front of 500 employees, the Pegram family and Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive of WheelPower.
JackRod Jones, Chairman of DJCF comments: “DJ is delighted to be the sponsor of the first specialised sports wheelchair to be handed over under WheelPower’s Wheel Appeal. WheelPower is DJ’s preferred national charity and we have enjoyed our relationship over the past eight years.”
