The Franklins Solicitors LLP team, together with the 24 teams taking part in this year’s #Franklins50 challenge, celebrated last night (Wednesday 21 June) as they saw the total raised by the challenge since 2018 smash their £100,000 target.

£20,000 was raised this year and will provide the following support to each charity:

The small gathering, held at The Marriott Hotel in Northampton, brought together participating teams from across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, and the benefiting charities. Awards were given out for a variety of achievements this year.

  1. Top fundraiser for MK Act and overall: BWC Profiles – raised £3,000.
  2. Top fundraiser for Northampton Hope Centre: Louise from Miller & Chalk – raised £562.10
  3. Top fundraiser for Cynthia Spencer Hospice: Travis Perkins with £1,593.80.
  4. Top fundraiser for Willen Hospice: Team Bala from John Lewis – raised £2154.75.
  5. Small Business Superstar: Peter Bakare, Nutri Troops – raised £1,317.
  6. Best use of social media: Syncro for their launch video – raised £920.
  7. Most creative fundraising idea: dbfb Communications who produced, printed and sold their own cookbook featuring the favourite recipes of their staff, along with printed branded aprons – raised £625.
  8. Best community initiative: OneFourSix digital marketing hosted a BBQ serving breakfast and lunch for the second year running, which was promoted to local businesses – raised £800.
  9. Best example of teamwork: John Lewis Teams – their four teams – Odney, Ambleside, Leckford and Bala – competed against each other to raise a grand total of £5621.81.

The challenge required teams to take £50 seed funding from Franklins Solicitors LLP and turn it into as much money as possible over three months for their chosen charity – one of the   local charities taking part across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes this year.

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors LLP, said:

“It was a great evening to get everyone together to celebrate the achievements of the teams taking part this year but also exceeding the £100,000 raised since we began the challenge in 2018. This year we really want to help towards the current cost-of-living crisis and improving wellbeing. It’s great to see the difference the money raised will make to the local charities involved.“

Lolly Marlborough, Fundraising and Marketing Manager at MK Act, said:

“In total the Franklinks50 challenge has raised £4317 for MK Act and we’re so grateful to Franklins and everyone who took part at BWC Profiles, Nutri Troops and MK Softball. This money will make the hugest difference to MK Act, helping 104 men, women and children suffering domestic violence including paying for a trip to the seaside for the children in our refuge. It has been a really fun challenge and so great for team building and building connections.”

Louise Danielzuk from Northampton Hope Centre said:

“In a nutshell this money will mean people in Northampton no longer need to go hungry and the money raised will feed 750 hungry families. Every day we are hearing more stories of people unable to feed themselves, or families having to go without food because they simply cannot afford the food, or the fuel to cook it with. This money means that this no longer needs to be the story.”

If you would like to take part in the 2024 #Franklins50 challenge, please email marketing@franklins-sols.co.uk.

Our offices will be closing at 17:30 on Thursday 22nd December and re-open 09:00 on Tuesday 3rd January 2023.

Wishing you and your loved ones good health and happiness for the festive season.

As headline Sponsors of the SME MK and Buckinghamshire Business Awards, Franklins Solicitors LLP were delighted to host the Winner’s Circle, an event dedicated to Gold and Silver winners of the 2022 SME Awards. The event was held on the premises of MacIntyre, the chosen charity partner for the Awards.

MacIntyre organised welcome drinks and a delicious buffet lunch, prepared by their dedicated catering team.

Damian Cummins, Awards Director, welcomed the guests and then handed over to Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins. As a judge on the awards panel, Andrea recognised the high caliber of the award entries and congratulated the guests on their achievements.

Andrea also took the opportunity to talk about MK Food Reach, a project set-up in partnership with HIS Church Charity. MK Food Reach is a campaign where businesses and individuals can provide much needed support to people struggling with food poverty in Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas. You can find out more here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mk-food-reach .

The event ended with a raffle, with the proceeds going to MacIntyre towards their excellent work to support people with learning disabilities.

It was a fantastic finish to the awards and we wish all the businesses that are going through to the SME National Business Awards later this year the best of luck.

Franklins Solicitors are proud to be the Headline Partner at the SME MK & Buckinghamshire Awards 2022. The awards will take place on 29th June 2022 and the deadline for award submissions is Wednesday 20th April 2022.

In their 5th year, the prestigious business awards are the credible opportunity for local hard working, industrious and enterprising SMEs to showcase their success over the last 12 months.

SMEs are businesses whose personnel numbers are 250 employees or less and are responsible for driving innovation and competition in many economic sectors.

“As a business we believe that excellence is not an exception.” said Managing Partner, Simon Long. “We are backing these important awards because we know that SMEs across Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire share this belief and are working harder than ever in a very challenging economic environment.”

As Headline Partners of the Awards, Franklins Solicitors is supporting two categories, the Business of the Year for more than 50 Employees and Young Business Person of the Year.

“SMEs with over 50 employees are the engine that is driving our local economy.” said Andrea Smith, Equity Partner. “That is why we want those SMEs, who we know have a great story to share to enter the awards and ensure their success and their message is shared across Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire.”

“Franklins has been established for over 40 years and we recognise that to be successful for another 40 years we need to highlight the local business talent in our region.” said Simon Long. “Therefore by putting our name to the Young Business Person of the Year we want to ensure young women and men who work in an SME and who have shown real hard work and success enter and be recognised on the stage in front of some of the most influential business in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire.”

The closing date for the SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards 2022 is Wednesday 20th April 2022 at 3pm.

Any business based or operating in Buckinghamshire can enter up to 3 categories and must have less than 250 employees at the time of entering or be self-employed.

To find out more and enter the awards, please visit here.