Franklins Solicitors is calling on local charities to apply to become beneficiaries of the Franklins £50 Challenge 2026.£50 Challenge 2025 Award Winners Group shot

Now in its eighth year, the Challenge has become a much-anticipated fundraising campaign in the region, connecting businesses and charities to raise vital funds and awareness under the banner: Start Small, Grow Big. Make a Difference.

The 2026 Challenge will run from 23rd February to 29th May 2026 and will once again support twelve local charities. Charities have until Friday 3 October 2025 to submit their nominations.

The concept is simple: Franklins provides participating businesses with £50 of seed funding, which they are challenged to grow into as much money as possible for their chosen charity over a three-month period. From bake sales to skydives, the creativity and enthusiasm of the teams have made the Challenge a community favourite.

In 2025, a record-breaking 57 teams raised over £59,000 for twelve charities across Milton Keynes, Northampton, and the surrounding areas – the most successful year to date.

Andrea Smith, Equity Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said:

“The Franklins £50 Challenge is proof that small beginnings can lead to extraordinary impact. We’re proud to have grown this initiative from supporting just three charities in its first year to twelve today. For 2026, we’re looking forward to partnering with charities that make a real difference to people at every stage of life. It’s a privilege to shine a light on the incredible work being done in our communities.”

Charities based in Milton Keynes, Northampton, or the surrounding areas are encouraged to apply here.

Businesses, organisations and individuals can also register to take part in the challenge as a team on www.franklins50.co.uk .

We are  thrilled to announce that this year’s Franklins £50 Challenge has raised a record-breaking total of £59,219.85 for 12 local charity partners – the highest amount since the initiative began in 2018.

Now in its seventh year, the Franklins £50 Challenge is a unique three-month fundraising campaign that empowers local businesses and community groups to think entrepreneurially and give back. The 2025 Challenge ran from 24th February to 23rd May, with 57 teams from across Milton Keynes and Northampton taking part.

Each team was given £50 by Franklins Solicitors and challenged to turn it into as much money as possible through creative fundraising, all in aid of one of the 12 pre-selected local charity partners. Teams were free to choose which of the official charities they wished to support.

The initiative wrapped up in style on Thursday 19th June with an Awards and Celebration Evening at the Delta by Marriott Hotel in Northampton, hosted by Franklins Solicitors. Teams were presented with certificates and awards to recognise standout efforts.

A video showed some of the fundraising highlights, including activities such as afternoon teas, bake sales, a murder mystery evening, a 24 hour bakeathon, book sales, car boot sales, car washes, coffee mornings, head shaves, disco bingo, drawing competitions, table tennis tournaments and even a sky dive – proving just how far £50 can go with a little creativity and passion.

2025 Award Winners:

• Overall Winner: Parias Construction and Interiors Limited
• Runner-up: Commsave Credit Union
• 3rd Place: The Lewis Foundation Coffee Shop (Elgar Centre)
• 4th Place: Mixxos Group
• 5th Place: John Lewis & Partners
• Small Business Superstar: Love Local Hub
• Most Determined: Sophisticake Creations
• Best Example of Teamwork: Kirkby Diamond
• Best Use of Social Media: The Brady Creative
• Best Community Initiative: The Axe and Square
• Most Creative Fundraising Idea: OneFourSix
• Fearless Fundraisers: Commsave (Kate and Jasmine)
• Young Entrepreneurs: Rainbows Young People Team

Andrea Smith, Equity Partner at Franklins Solicitors LLP, announced the final fundraising total:

“We are beyond proud of what this campaign has become. The £50 Challenge is about empowering our local community to think big with small beginnings – and this year’s total of nearly £60,000 proves just how powerful that can be. Every penny raised will make a real difference to the lives of people across our region.”

TV personality Nick Hewer, who returned to present the awards for a second year, was full of praise for the teams’ ingenuity:

“It’s one thing to receive £50, but to turn it into thousands through sheer effort, imagination, and heart – that’s impressive. This challenge is more than just fundraising; it’s a masterclass in community spirit and creative thinking. I’m proud to be part of it.”

Marcus Parias from Parias Construction and Interiors Limited, the 2025 overall winner, shared their reaction:

“Taking part in the Franklins £50 Challenge has been incredibly rewarding. We were determined to go all in – and to walk away as overall winners is the icing on the cake. It brought our team closer, allowed us to give back and reminded us what’s possible when we pull together.”

Franklins Solicitors will open applications this September for charities interested in being selected as a beneficiary for the Franklins £50 Challenge 2026.

 

 

The Franklins £50 Challenge 2025 has officially come to a close, following three months of community spirit, creativity and incredible fundraising efforts from local businesses and organisations across Milton Keynes, Northampton and the surrounding areas.

Running from 24th February to 23rd May, this year’s challenge saw a record 56 teams take part – the highest number since the initiative began. Each team was handed £50 by Franklins Solicitors LLP and tasked with turning it into as much money as possible for one of 12 local charity partners, all while keeping their ideas safe, legal and as imaginative as they dared.

This year’s charity beneficiaries included:

The Arthur Ellis Mental Health Foundation, Al’s Pals, Willen Hospice, The Lewis Foundation, Cynthia Spencer Hospice, The Air Ambulance Service, Rainbows Hospice, Shay’s Smiles, Milton Keynes University Hospital, YMCA, Age UK Milton Keynes and The Northampton Hope Centre.

Participants pulled out all the stops with an extraordinary range of fundraising ideas, including midnight bakeathons, samosa making, disco bingo, head shaving, tombolas, art sales, skydiving, football tournaments and murder mystery nights. The creativity, community spirit and generosity displayed was inspiring.

The total amount raised – expected to be a record – will be unveiled at a special celebration event on 19th June at the Delta by Marriott Hotel in Northampton, where teams and charity partners will come together to celebrate their collective achievements.

Rosanna Stimson, Head of Marketing at Franklins Solicitors LLP, said:

“The Franklins £50 Challenge is a highlight of our year and we are blown away by the innovation and passion that our teams have shown in 2025. Watching our local community come together with such enthusiasm and creativity for such a broad range of fantastic causes is truly inspiring. We’re proud to play a small part in empowering these efforts and are incredibly excited to reveal the final fundraising total next month.”
Now in its seventh year, the Franklins £50 Challenge continues to grow in popularity and impact, championing grassroots fundraising and shining a spotlight on the incredible work being done by local charities.

Charities who would like to become beneficiaries for next year’s campaign will be invited to submit their applications for consideration in September 2025.

Photos: The Mixxos Recruitment team organised a charity football match to support the YMCA, raising over £3,000.

Franklins Solicitors LLP has joined forces with His Church Charity to deliver more than 2,500 Easter eggs, along with essential food items, to charities and food banks across Milton Keynes and Northampton.

This seasonal effort is part of the ongoing MK Food Reach and Northants Food Reach campaigns—initiatives launched by Franklins and His Church to help combat food poverty. The campaigns invite local businesses to donate to His Church, which then uses the funds to supply and distribute pallets of food and goods to those in need throughout the region.

Among the beneficiaries this Easter were:

• Milton Keynes University Hospital Charity
• Milton Keynes Food Bank
• Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity
• Baby Basics
• Three Pillars Feeding Shelter
• Brackley Community Larder
• YMCA
• Hope Centre Northampton

Louisa Hobbs, Operations Manager at Milton Keynes Food Bank, said:
“Thank you so much to Franklins Solicitors for supporting MK Food Bank through its MK Food Reach initiative. We were absolutely delighted to receive a pallet of wonderful Lindt Easter eggs, and a pallet of groceries from His Church this week. The delivery means that we can put an Easter egg in every single food parcel we distribute this week. The pallet of groceries has come at a great time as food stocks are running low and will go to immediate use supporting families and individuals over Easter and beyond.”

Hannah Forbes, Project Manager at Baby Basics, commented:
“We are incredibly grateful to Franklins for their generous sponsorship of a pallet of chocolate eggs. Thanks to their support, we’re able to bring a little extra joy to the families we support by including chocolate eggs in our Easter packages. Donations like this make a real difference, and we truly appreciate their kindness and commitment to helping local families in need.”

Andrea Smith, Equity Partner at Franklins Solicitors, explained:
“Since starting the MK Food Reach and Northants Food Reach campaigns three years ago, Franklins has been making monthly contributions to help fund pallets of food and essential items for local food banks. This Easter, we wanted to extend that support to some of the incredible local charities we work with and bring some seasonal joy to families and individuals who might be struggling.”

Christine Wyld from His Church Charity added:

“We’re delighted to partner with Franklins on the Food Reach campaigns. His Church partners with an extensive portfolio of retailers and manufacturers, by providing bespoke, charitable redistribution solutions for residual stock. We are delighted that our partnership has meant that so many charities and individuals have benefitted from our relationship and that these Easter Eggs have been a great blessing.’

To support the MK Food Reach campaign and help make a difference in your community, click here to donate.

The Franklins £50 Challenge is off to a promising start, with the halfway point now reached in this year’s campaign. Teams across Milton Keynes, Northampton, and the surrounding areas have already raised nearly £17,000 (excluding gift aid) for 12 local charities, with an ambitious target of £50,000 to be reached by the end of the campaign.

The £50 Challenge sees teams from local businesses receive £50 seed funding from Franklins, with three months to turn the £50 into as much as possible for their chosen charity. The 12 charity partners for 2025 are: The Arthur Ellis Menal Health Foundation, Al’s Pals, Willen Hospice, The Lewis Foundation, Cynthia Spencer Hospice, The Air Ambulance Service, Rainbows Hospice, Shay’s Smiles, Milton Keynes University Hospital, YMCA, Age UK Milton Keynes and The Northampton Hope Centre.

Since the challenge kicked off in February, 60 teams have been getting creative with their fundraising activities, which include everything from disco bingo nights and raffles, to head shaving, samosa making, sponsored silence, bake sales, car boot sales, quizzes, and even table tennis tournaments.
The total raised is set to increase significantly before the campaign closes on May 23rd. There is plenty more excitement to come, with a range of fundraising activities planned for the second half of the campaign, including football tournaments, marathon running, a Three Peaks Challenge, and even a skydive!

Jacob Holmes from Kirkby Diamond, who shaved his head to raise money for The Air Ambulance Service, shared the team’s experience of participating in the campaign:

“Kirkby Diamond has had such a great time partaking in the Franklins £50 Challenge. The shaving and waxing was definitely a memorable moment for us all, and it’s been amazing to see how passionate everyone is about raising money for these incredible local causes. Kirkby Diamond is proud to be part of something that’s making such a difference to the community.”

Andrea Smith, Equity Partner at Franklins Solicitors, expressed pride in the teams’ achievements so far and excitement about the upcoming fundraising events:

“We’re incredibly proud of the dedication and creativity demonstrated by the teams involved in the Franklins £50 Challenge. To have already raised nearly £17,000 at the halfway point is an outstanding achievement, and we know there’s much more to come. We’re looking forward to seeing what the remaining weeks bring as more events and activities take place to support these wonderful local charities.”

The Franklins £50 Challenge aims to raise at least £50,000 for charity by the end of May. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.franklins50.co.uk .

 

The team from kirkby DIamond with Karen Hughes from The Air Ambulance Service

The Kirkby Diamond team from the Franklins £50 Challenge pose with Karen Hughes from The Air Ambulance Service. From left to right: Jacob Holmes, Paul Quy, Karen Hughes, Paul Hazell, Steve Cable.

A record number of 60 teams have signed up to take part in the Franklins £50 Challenge to raise money for 12 charities across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes.

The Apprentice-style challenge sees teams receive £50 seed funding from the organisers – prominent legal firm Franklins Solicitors. The 2025 challenge kicked off on Monday 24 February and teams have until Friday 23 May to come up with creative ways to turn their initial £50 funding into as much money as possible for their chosen charity.

The teams taking part this year range from sole traders such as Mindy Robinson of SophistiCake Creations in Northampton to teams from department store chain John Lewis & Partners. They also come from a wide range of industry sectors, including: accountancy, law, agricultural, recruitment, training, hospitality, catering, manufacturing, marketing and insurance, to name a few.

Last year’s challenge saw teams fundraising by everything from bake sales and raffles to retro movie nights, stone-baked pizza lunches, 12-hour bike rides, football tournaments, lawn-mowing and much more.

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said: “It is inspiring to see so many teams deciding to sign up and the variety of organisations they are from, all with the same aim of bringing help and hope to local communities within Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes. With a record 12 charities set to benefit from the 2025 challenge, we are looking forward to seeing the creative ways the teams turn £50 into substantial funds which can really make a difference.”

The charities set to benefit this year are: Cynthia Spencer Hospice, Northampton Hope Centre, The Lewis Foundation, Willen Hospice, YMCA, Shay’s Smiles, Milton Keynes Hospital Charity, Age UK Milton Keynes, The Air Ambulance Service, Arthur Ellis Mental Health Foundation, Al’s Pals and Rainbows Hospice.

More information can be found about the challenge at: www.franklins50.co.uk

Follow the progress of the challenge at www.facebook.com/FranklinsSolicitorsLLP or on Instagram @franklinssols

Star of The Apprentice and Countdown, Nick Hewer has shown his support for the Franklins £50 Challenge for the second year running by taking part in a social media video to launch this year’s campaign.

The launch video features Nick Hewer, Lord Sugar’s former right-hand man, encouraging teams to sign up to take part in The Apprentice-style challenge, organised by prominent legal firm Franklins Solicitors. The challenge sees teams from across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes receive £50 seed funding from Franklins with three months to turn the £50 into as much as possible for their chosen charity.

A record 12 charities have been selected to benefit from this year’s challenge which aims to make a difference locally, with an emphasis on bringing local help and hope to every generation. The selected charities are: Cynthia Spencer Hospice, Northampton Hope Centre, The Lewis Foundation, Willen Hospice, YMCA, Shay’s Smiles, Milton Keynes Hospital Charity, Milton Keynes Age UK, Air Ambulance, Arthur Ellis Mental Health Support, Headway Milton Keynes, and Rainbows Hospice.

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors, commented: “Last year’s campaign was a record-breaking year with more than £35,000 raised for eight local charities. This year, with a record 12 charities set to benefit, we’re hoping we can raise even more money and really make a difference by bringing help and hope to as many people as possible across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes.”

Nick Hewer said: “I first became involved in the Franklins £50 Challenge last year and I’m delighted to lend my support again this year as it’s such a brilliant initiative to spur people on to fundraise and ignite entrepreneurial thinking and flair. I’m looking forward to discovering the creative ways teams choose to turn one £50 note into hundreds, or hopefully thousands of pounds to benefit the charities that help so many people in our local communities.”

Last year’s challenge saw teams fundraising by everything from bakes sales and raffles to retro movie nights, stone-baked pizza lunches, 12-hour bike rides, football tournaments, lawn-mowing and much more.

The Franklins £50 Challenge 2025 runs from Monday 24 February to Friday 23 May. Teams can sign up to take part in the challenge at www.franklins50.co.uk

For more information or interview requests, contact Rosanna Stimson, Marketing Manager at Franklins Solicitors LLP, on 01908 660966 or email: rosanna.stimson@franklins-sols.co.uk

Milton Keynes and Northampton are poised to see a significant boost in charitable support thanks to the Franklins £50 Challenge, an innovative fundraising initiative inspired by the Apprentice. Franklins Solicitors LLP has selected a record 12 charities from over 40 applicants to benefit from the 2025 campaign, including seven new partners that are joining the initiative for the first time.

The participating charity partners for 2025 include:

New additions to this year’s line-up are:

The Franklins £50 Challenge invites local businesses to form teams that each receive £50 seed funding from Franklins Solicitors. Over the course of three months, these teams are tasked with creatively transforming their initial investment into substantial funds for their chosen charities. Participants can employ a variety of fundraising methods, from bake sales to barbecues, auctions, car washes, and more.

Since its inception in 2018, the Franklins £50 Challenge has successfully raised over £135,000 for local charities while shining a spotlight on their invaluable contributions to the community. The 2025 challenge will run from February 24th to May 23rd, under the tagline: “Local Help and Hope for Every Generation.”

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said:

“Each year, the £50 Challenge continues to grow and attract more participation. We received over 40 applications from charities who wanted to be part of the 2025 campaign. It was an extremely difficult decision to narrow this down. So much so, that we decided to select 12 charity partners, a 25% increase from last year.

 We’re really excited to be working with local charities who do amazing work in our communities and rely on public support to help make this happen. We hope to see as many businesses as possible signing up to make a difference. As well as raising money to help make a positive impact in the local community, it’s a collaborative opportunity for teambuilding, networking, getting creative and having fun.”

Franklins is encouraging companies and organisations to sign up to take part in the 2025 £50 Challenge. To register as a team visit: www.franklins50.co.uk .

Teams across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes have been putting their entrepreneurial skills to the test to raise money for eight local charities as part of the Franklins £50 Challenge.

Mandy from the Commsave team abseiling for Cynthia Spencer Hospice

With almost a month still to go before the challenge ends, more than £10,000 has already been in the Apprentice-style challenge and we are hopeful that the record of last year’s total of £20,000 will be broken and a new record set.

The 2024 challenge, which started in February, has seen 41 teams turn their £50 seed funding from Franklins into more money for their chosen charity. With less than four weeks to go, the race is on to be the best performing team with events taking place to raise as much money as possible including retro movie nights, six-aside football tournaments, 12-hour bike rides and abseiling down the Northampton Lift Tower.

Andrea Smith, Equity Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said: “From bake sales to lawn mowing, raffles to make your own pizza lunches, this year’s teams have really put their entrepreneurial skills to the test and come up with so many creative ways to raise money for local charities. The aim of this year’s challenge is to fight hunger, fuel wellness and change local lives and with so much money already raised we hope to bring about positive change throughout Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes.”

Since it began in 2018, the Franklins £50 Challenge has raised more than £100,000 for local charities, showcasing the potential for collective efforts to bring about meaningful transformation. The eight charities benefitting from this year’s challenge are Cynthia Spencer Hospice, the Northampton Hope Centre, The Lewis Foundation, Northamptonshire Community Foundation, Willen Hospice, MK Act, Harry’s Rainbow and YMCA – MK.

The 41 teams taking part this year are from the following organisations: Travis Perkins, Towergate Insurance, Syncro Office Technology, Piroto Labelling Ltd, Keep Moat, Chartwell Controls, OneFourSix, The Brady Creative, Commsave, Virtual Sales Team, MacIntyre Hudson, All Things Business, I Love Catering, Facilities Management Solutions, Franklins Solicitors, Soiltechnics, Hawsons Chartered Accountants, Acorn Commercial Finance, Boom 7, Laugh Out Loud Theatre Company, Metro Bank, Cottons Group, Amazon (Daventry), Delapre Abbey, House of Mystery Ltd, Nationwide Building Society, Quest Employment, Handpicked Hotels (Fawsley Hall), Sophisticake Creations, Work Buzz, John Lewis & Partners, Aiimi Ltd, Somnium Recruitment Ltd, Plumbing & Gas Solutions Ltd, Smith Jenkins Planning & Heritage and Brioche Pasquier.

More information about how the challenge works can also be found at: www.franklins50.co.uk

A record number of teams have signed up for a charity challenge to raise funds for eight charities from across Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire.

The Apprentice-style fundraising challenge, has a total of 42 teams taking part – the highest number since the challenge first launched in 2018 and up by 17 from last year’s 25 teams.

The 2024 challenge got underway on Tuesday 20 February and teams have already started their fundraising efforts with initiatives ranging from doughnut sales to raffles, dress down days, netwalks and office swear boxes.

The Apprentice-style fundraising challenge sees each team receive £50 from Franklins Solicitors. The teams then have three months to turn the seed funding into more money for their chosen charity. Since it began in 2018, the Franklins £50 Challenge has raised more than £100,000 for local charities, showcasing the potential for collective efforts to bring about meaningful transformation.

The eight charities benefitting from this year’s challenge are Cynthia Spencer Hospice, the Hope Centre, The Lewis Foundation, Northamptonshire Community Foundation, Willen Hospice, MK Act, Harry’s Rainbow and YMCA.

Former Apprentice star and Countdown presenter Nick Hewer has also wished the teams well and shown his support for the Franklins £50 Challenge in a social media video. Lord Sugar’s former right-hand man recently met some of the representatives from the charities and teams taking part at a networking event organised by Northampton BID.

In a special video, Nick Hewer, who lives in Northamptonshire, said:

“I wish all of the teams taking part the very best of luck and look forward to hearing about all their fundraising successes. Who will be the star candidates? Only time will tell!”

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said:

“We are delighted that so many teams have risen to the challenge and decided to put their entrepreneurial and team-building skills to the test. The ultimate aim of the Franklins £50 Challenge is to fight hunger, fuel wellness and change local lives. Last year the challenge raised more than £20,000 but with so many teams taking part this year we hope to raise a record-breaking amount of money for local charities.”

The 42 teams taking part this year are from the following organisations:

Travis Perkins, Towergate Insurance, Syncro Office Technology, Piroto Labelling Ltd, Keep Moat, Chartwell Controls, OneFourSix, The Brady Creative, Commsave, Virtual Sales Team, MacIntyre Hudson, All Things Business, I Love Catering, Facilities Management Solutions, Franklins Solicitors, Soiltechnics, Hawsons Chartered Accountants, Openreach, Acorn Commercial Finance, Boom 7, Laugh Out Loud Theatre Company, Beyond the Podium Ltd, Metro Bank, Cottons Group, Amazon (Daventry), Delapre Abbey, House of Mystery Ltd, Nationwide Building Society, Quest Employment, Handpicked Hotels (Fawsley Hall), Sophisticake Creations, Work Buzz, John Lewis & Partners, Aiimi Ltd, Somnium Recruitment Ltd, Plumbing & Gas Solutions Ltd, Smith Jenkins Planning & Heritage and Brioche Pasquier.

The 2024 challenge runs until Tuesday 21 May. Follow the progress of the teams and their fundraising efforts on Franklins’ social media accounts: @FranklinsSols on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), or on Facebook and LinkedIn by searching Franklins Solicitors LLP. More information about how the challenge works can also be found at: www.franklins50.co.uk

Photo from L-R: Katie Vickers – Northamptonshire Community Foundation, Dean Jones – Northamptonshire Community Foundation, George Smith – Franklins Solicitors LLP, Simon Long – Franklins Solicitors LLP, Nick Hewer, Denise Watson – Franklins Solicitors LLP, Lorraine Lewis – The Lewis Foundation, Rosanna Stimson – Franklins Solicitors LLP, Steven Dryden-Hall – Boom 7.