Prospect attaches itself to Barnardo’s for the
OneGreenPaperclip fundraising challenge
 Employees from Aberdeen based engineering partner, Prospect, are
the first corporate organisation in the UK to take up
Barnardo’s OneGreenPaperclip fundraising challenge.
Morag McIntyre, Corporate Partnerships Executive at
Barnardo’s Scotland said: “The aim of the challenge is
for teams to work together, and think creatively about how to turn
nothing into something to raise funds for some of the UK’s
most vulnerable children and young people. Starting with one green
paperclip, teams spend a number of weeks trading to end up with
something valuable which can be sold or auctioned to raise funds
for Barnardo’s Scotland.”
The challenge was inspired by Canadian blogger, Kyle MacDonald who
remarkably transformed a red paperclip, holding together his CV,
into a new home by making fourteen trade-ups – ensuring that
items increased in value with each swap.
Barnardo’s developed this concept last year by launching a
UK-wide student paperclip competition, called the OneGreenPaperclip
challenge, to raise money for disadvantaged children, young people
and their families. Lohit Kalburgi of the BBC TV series, The
Apprentice supported the competition, which closed in March 2008,
by offering students tips from his experiences tackling Sir Alan
Sugar’s weekly sales challenges.
Now, Barnardo’s Scotland is targeting businesses to support
the Apprentice style challenge. Jonathan D’Arcy,
Prospect’s Managing Director, said: “It’s
fantastic that Barnardo’s has come up with a fun, innovative,
creative, challenge that allows employee volunteers across the UK
to use their workplace skills, and develop new transferable skill
along the way, while making a valuable contribution to the lives of
vulnerable children in the UK. I would really encourage businesses
across Aberdeen to support the initiative and get their employees
involved.”
The four teams of budding entrepreneurs from Prospect will have
just seven weeks working together, using their skills of persuasion
and a touch of creativity to banter, bargain and negotiate with
local businesses.
The items or opportunities obtained will go to auction on Friday,
29 August at a charity fundraising event, organised by Prospect, at
the Palm Court Hotel in Aberdeen.
For further information about the challenge and how your company
can take part contact: Morag McIntyre at Barnardo’s Scotland
(0131 314 6646) or visit http://www.barnardos.org.uk/corporate
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