Franklins Solicitors is calling on local charities to apply to become beneficiaries of the Franklins £50 Challenge 2026.

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 .

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.

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 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.

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:

• Northampton Hope Centre
• Cynthia Spencer Hospice
• The Lewis Foundation
• Willen Hospice
• YMCA

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

• Age UK Milton Keynes
• The Air Ambulance Service
• The Arthur Ellis Mental Health Foundation
• Headway
• Milton Keynes Hospital Charity
• Rainbows Hospice
• Shay’s Smiles

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 .

Franklins Solicitors, a leading legal firm with offices in Milton Keynes and Northampton, is inviting local charities to nominate themselves as beneficiaries of their annual fundraising campaign – the Franklins £50 Challenge. This year, Franklins has pledged to support a minimum of eight local charities through the initiative, with nominations open until 27th September 2024.

The Franklins £50 Challenge 2025 will run from 24th February to 23rd May 2025. Now in its sixth year, the campaign has become a significant platform for local charities to partner with businesses in raising essential funds for their services. The 2025 campaign theme, Local Help and Hope for Every Generation, underscores its commitment to making a positive and lasting impact across the community.

The challenge continues to grow in popularity, attracting an increasing number of businesses, large and small, to get involved each year. Participating teams receive £50 seed funding from Franklins Solicitors, which they are tasked with transforming into substantial contributions for their chosen charity over the course of three months. They can be as creative as they like with their fundraising ideas. Beyond financial support, the campaign helps raise awareness and encourages community engagement in driving meaningful change.

In 2024, 40 teams from businesses across Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire raised over £35,000 to support eight local charities, making it the most successful year to date. The firm is aiming to beat this record in 2025.

Andrea Smith, Equity Partner at Franklins Solicitors, commented on the decision to continue running the campaign for 2025:

“Following the success of this year’s challenge, we received wonderful feedback from the charities and teams involved and have seen so many inspiring fundraising ideas come to life.

We’ve received enquiries from several charities interested in participating next year. Our focus is on working specifically with local charities, and we will be choosing a diverse range of charities who offer support to people through different stages of life.”

Charities based in Milton Keynes or Northamptonshire that align with the campaign’s theme of providing help and hope for every generation are encouraged to apply.

Interested charities can submit their applications by visiting www.franklins50.co.uk  (where businesses can also register their interest in entering a team). The deadline for charity nominations is Friday, 27th September 2024.

We are delighted to announce that the annual Franklins £50 Challenge has set a new record, with more than £35,000 raised in this year’s Apprentice-style challenge.

Forty teams from across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes took part in the challenge and raised a total of £35,733 for eight local charities – smashing last year’s total of £20,000. The teams received £50 seed funding from Franklins in February and had three months to turn the £50 into as much money as possible for their chosen charity.

An awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 19 June to celebrate the achievements of the teams who used their entrepreneurial skills to come up with creative ways of fundraising, including retro movie nights, stone-baked pizza lunches, 12-hour bike rides, football tournaments, lawn-mowing, bake sales, raffles and much more.

Nick Hewer, Lord Sugar’s former right-hand man and Apprentice star, presented awards to the top five fundraising teams with a team from the John Lewis Partnership in first place, raising £2,922 before Gift Aid. The top five fundraising teams also included MIXXOS Group, Travis Perkins, Amazon BHX3 Daventry and Commsave Credit Union.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Nick Hewer said: “I was intrigued by the challenge and excited by it because it’s clever and it works! From 40 teams, £50 each, that’s a £2,000 investment and the return was extraordinary – they raised £35,000 between them for local charities. I think it’s tremendous community spirited work and I’ve got nothing but admiration for the people that turned that £50 into thousands – and for Franklins for actually driving it forward and turning it into such a success.”

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said: “We are so delighted that this year’s challenge has been a record-breaking year and are incredibly proud that, since it began in 2018, the Franklins £50 Challenge has now raised more than £135,000 for local charities – and that’s including a break during lockdown. At the very heart of this year’s challenge was our desire to fight hunger, fuel wellness and change local lives and we hope that the money raised for the eight local charities will bring a positive impact to people throughout Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes.”

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

Awards were also given for all teams raising more that £1,000 and the following categories:

Small Business Superstar – Sophisticake Creations

Best Community Initiative – LOL Theatre Company

Most Creative Fundraising Idea – Aiimi

Best Example of Teamwork –Soiltechnics

Best Use of Social Media – Commsave Credit Union

More information about how the challenge can be found at: 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

We are seeking teams to take part in the Franklins £50 Challenge 2024. 

Eight charities from across Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire have been selected to benefit from the Apprentice-style fundraising challenge, organised by Franklins Solicitors LLP. 

Franklins has launched a social media video to encourage teams to join, featuring representatives from each of the eight charities taking part. Taking inspiration from the opening credits of The Apprentice, the video demonstrates how the initial £50 seed funding from Franklins can grow into substantial funds for each charity. 

Each team taking part receives £50 and has three months to turn the seed funding into more however they choose. From cake sales to car washes, sponsored walks to black tie events – the possibilities are endless. 

The 2024 challenge will run from 20^th February to 21^st May with the underlying aim of fighting hunger, fuelling wellness and changing local lives. 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.  

Companies, organisations, associations and clubs are all invited to take part and join up as a team to raise money for one of the eight charities benefitting this year: Cynthia Spencer Hospice, the Hope Centre, The Lewis Foundation, Northamptonshire Community Foundation, Willen Hospice, MK Act, Harry’s Rainbow and YMCA. 

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said: “We would really encourage teams to sign up and take part in this year’s £50 Challenge. Not only does the challenge raise much-needed funds for charities, it is also an excellent team-building opportunity for those taking part, showing how creative thinking and teamwork combined can generate incredible results with a long-term impact on the local community.” 

Franklins is encouraging companies and organisations to sign up to take part in the 2024 £50 Challenge. To register as a team visit: www.franklins50.co.uk  

Eight charities based in Milton Keynes and Northampton are set to benefit from an Apprentice-style fundraising challenge, organised by Franklins Solicitors LLP.

Willen Hospice, MK Act, Cynthia Spencer Hospice and the Hope Centre have once again been selected to benefit from the challenge and four new charities – Harry’s Rainbow, YMCA, The Lewis Foundation and Northamptonshire Community Foundation – have been chosen to gain valuable funds from the challenge in 2024.

The challenge sees each participating team receive an initial £50 seed funding from Franklins. Each team then has three months to turn the £50 seed funding into substantial funds for their chosen charity however they choose – anything from bake sales to barbecues, auctions, car washes and more.

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 2024 challenge will run from February to May with the underlying aim of fighting hunger, fuelling wellness and changing local lives.

Lorraine Devereux, Fundraising Manager for YMCA, said: “YMCA are thrilled to have been selected for the Franklins £50 Challenge. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to connect with our local community to support young people both here in Milton Keynes and in Northampton where we will be launching a supported housing service for young care leavers in 2024. We are up for the challenge and looking forward to rallying our local community to get behind YMCA and help raise funds and awareness for all the great work that we do.”

Odette Mould MBE, CEO of Harry’s Rainbow, said: “I have seen so much about the Franklins £50 challenge over the years, with some amazing companies and individuals getting involved, to support many charities across MK and Northampton. I’m so delighted that we have been chosen to be supported through this ingenious initiative, to raise both awareness and funds.”

Dean Jones, Head of Giving and Development at Northamptonshire Community Foundation, said: “We are delighted to have been selected as one of the designated charities for 2024. Our campaign to shine a spotlight on Rural Community Needs was launched in June 2023. We know from our research that there are people within Northamptonshire’s rural communities who are experiencing rising levels of homelessness, social isolation, the burden of meeting the rising costs of everyday costs fuel or food and the choice at times of whether to heat their homes or feed their families.”

Lorraine Lewis, CEO of The Lewis Foundation, said: “It was fantastic news to hear that we had been selected to be one of the chosen charities for Franklin’s £50 Challenge. More than ever, due to the cost of living crisis, the people who are diagnosed with cancer who we support in hospital are struggling to afford the basic essentials they need, in addition to home comforts. This challenge will be a fantastic opportunity for businesses to work together and think outside the box to raise awareness and funds to support those within our community who need help.”

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said: “We’re excited to be working with eight 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 local businesses as possible signing up to take part for 2024. As well as raising money to help make a positive impact in the local community, it’s a fantastic opportunity for teambuilding, getting creative and having fun.”

Franklins is encouraging companies and organisations to sign up to take part in the 2024 £50 Challenge. To register as a team visit: www.franklins50.co.uk