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

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.

Former Apprentice star and Countdown presenter Nick Hewer has shown his support for the Franklins £50 Challenge in a social media video.

Lord Sugar’s former right-hand man is encouraging teams to sign up to take part in the Apprentice-style fundraising challenge.

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 2024 challenge will run from Tuesday 20 February to Tuesday 21 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.

Nick Hewer, who lives in Northamptonshire, said: “The Franklins £50 Challenge is a brilliant initiative to test your entrepreneurial skills and see how you could grow £50 seed funding into substantial funds for charities across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes. I’d encourage everyone to consider forming a team and taking part in this creative team-building challenge.”

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said: “We are so grateful to Nick for lending his support to the challenge. We’re hoping to secure a record number of teams taking part this year and would ask companies, organisations, associations and clubs to sign up before the challenge starts on Tuesday 20 February.”

Eight charities from across Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire have been selected to benefit from the challenge: Cynthia Spencer Hospice, the Hope Centre, The Lewis Foundation, Northamptonshire Community Foundation, Willen Hospice, MK Act, Harry’s Rainbow and YMCA.

Franklins is encouraging companies and organisations to sign up to take part in the 2024 £50 Challenge before it starts on Tuesday 20 February.

To sign up visit: 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  

In a heart-warming achievement, Franklins Solicitors LLP, Hope Centre, and His Church Charity are thrilled to announce that the Pallets of Hope campaign has smashed its fundraising target. This means that each of Northampton Hope Centre’s 11 community larders and hom

eless centre will receive a pallet of Christmas essentials, including food and warm clothes. Together, the pallets have a combined retail value of £27,500! This means that many struggling families and people facing homelessness in Northamptonshire will experience a brighter Christmas.

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors, played an instrumental role in contributing to the  success of the campaign. She not only ran the New York Marathon but also completed the Amazing Northampton Run half marathon in support of the cause. Speaking about the campaign’s success, Andrea expressed her gratitude, saying:

“The work of both His Church and the Northampton Hope Centre are invaluable to making a tangible difference to communities. As the use of larders continues to increase, the importance of ensuring they are stocked to meet the demand cannot be underestimated. Food is a basic need and it is a privilege for Franklins Solicitors to be able to support and make a difference. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported my runs and the Pallets of Hope campaign.”

Kyra Williams, Marketing Manager for Hope Centre, highlighted the urgency of the campaign, stating:

“We are seeing a huge rise in hardship across the district, debts and rising living costs mean that Christmas will be a struggle to make ends meet, instead of being the celebration it should be. This campaign will bring relief to so many with gifts, food, and warm clothing. The campaign has been a huge success; we can’t thank Franklins Solicitors, Northants Food Reach, and His Church enough for making this happen.”

While this campaign has made a significant impact during the Christmas period, the cost-of-living crisis continues to affect people all year round. This led to the establishment of Northants Food Reach, a collaboration between His Church and Franklins to encourage the business community to provide ongoing support to food banks and larders in Northamptonshire.

Operations Director Richard Humphrey said: ‘His Church provides creative solutions for a whole range of surplus food, clothes and supplies including toys. Thanks to our partnership with Franklins Solicitors, we have been able to redistribute 11 pallets of these wonderful items to support Hope Centre’s Community Larders and homeless centre.”

To find out more about how your business can support food banks beyond the festive season, visit the Northants Food Reach page here.

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

This festive season, a heartwarming initiative called Pallets of Hope is set to brighten the lives of those facing hardship in Northamptonshire, thanks to a collaboration between Franklins Solicitors, Northants Food Reach, Hope Centre, and His Church charity.

The campaign’s goal aims to raise funds for a minimum of 11 pallets of food, warm clothing, and gifts, all destined for individuals and families in Northamptonshire who are in need. These essential supplies will be distributed during the festive season, ensuring that as many people as possible can enjoy a special Christmas.

The 11 pallets, packed with necessities such as food, warm clothes and gifts, will be dispatched to Hope Centre’s various locations across Northamptonshire by the end of November. Key delivery points include Hope Centre’s Homeless Centre at Oasis House and their Community Larders. Through the invaluable support of His Church, an emergency goods redistribution charity, each pallet can be secured with a £500 pallet administration donation, which includes delivery. Remarkably, each pallet carries a retail value of £2,500.

The Pallets of Hope campaign sets an ambitious fundraising target of a minimum of £5,500, which will enable them to secure and distribute all 11 pallets with a combined retail value of £27,500.

Kyra Williams, Marketing Manager at Hope Centre, expressed the urgency of this campaign, stating:

“Due to the rising cost of living, we have seen a drop in donations and, at the same time, an unprecedented increase in the demand for our services. This means that the support of local businesses and other community groups has never been more important, so that we can continue to help as many people as possible, particularly through these coming winter months.”

Andrea Smith, Equity Partner at Franklins Solicitors LLP, emphasised the power of collective action, saying:

 “We’re urging businesses to unite in this campaign to help ease the financial burden for struggling local families this Christmas. Through our partnership with His Church charity, we are able to secure pallets of essential household items for a fraction of the retail cost – meaning donations go much further.”

To make a difference and donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/pallets-of-hope

Franklins Solicitors, a prominent legal firm with offices in Milton Keynes and Northampton areas, is excited to announce the launch of its annual charitable initiative – the Franklins £50 Challenge 2024. The challenge is set to take place from 20th February to 21st May 2024, and the firm is inviting local charities to step up and nominate themselves for the opportunity to be one of the six selected beneficiaries.

Currently, the line-up of supported charities includes two prominent organisations based in Milton Keynes – Willen Hospice and MK Act – along with two Northampton-based charities – Hope Centre and Cynthia Spencer Hospice. To complete the roster, Franklins Solicitors is looking to involve one more Milton Keynes-based charity and one more Northampton-based charity.

The Franklins £50 Challenge, now in its seventh year, represents a remarkable platform for local charities to collaborate with local businesses and community groups to raise vital funds for their services. This 2024 strapline, “Fighting hunger, fuelling wellness, changing local lives“, underpins the campaign’s commitment to making a meaningful impact on the community.

The essence of the £50 Challenge lies in its innovative fundraising approach. Each participating team receives an initial £50 seed funding from Franklins Solicitors, which they have three months to turn into substantial funds for their chosen charity. The campaign not only generates financial support but also raises awareness and engages the local community in driving positive change.

Since its inception in 2018, the Franklins £50 Challenge has successfully raised over £100,000 for local charities, showcasing the potential for collective efforts to bring about meaningful transformation.

Speaking about the decision to open the challenge up to more charities, Rosanna Stimson, Marketing Manager said:

‘Following the success of this years’ challenge, we received such positive praise from the charities who were involved and the teams who took part that we wanted to expand the opportunity so that more people could be supported by the campaign.

We’ve focused specifically on working with charities who are dedicated to helping those affected by the cost-of-living crisis or committed to improving health and wellbeing within our communities as these are issues that affect so many of us and numbers only continue to rise.’

For the 2024 campaign, Franklins Solicitors has expanded the opportunity for local charities to participate. Charities that are based in Milton Keynes or Northampton and are aligned with the campaign’s themes of addressing the cost-of-living crisis and promoting wellbeing are encouraged to apply.

Interested charities can submit their applications by emailing marketing@franklins-sols.co.uk  (you can also register your interest in entering a team to the same address).

Or if you prefer, charities can sign up here , and teams can sign up here.

The deadline for charity nominations is Friday, 29th September for eligible charities to express their interest in becoming a beneficiary.