Derby charity me&dee partnership with Birchover off to a flier
Added by Love Business East Midlands | 14 May 2018
UPDATED: 14 May 2018
Derby-based charity me&dee have received a boost with the news that their new partnership with Birchover Sales and Lettings has delivered £800 in the first month.
Maria Hanson MBE is the figurehead of the charity, which creates treasured memories by providing holidays for parents or children who have a life-shortening or life-limiting illness. Birchover agreed a deal in March to become a Platinum Partner and also to donate £100 for every home within the DE and NG postcodes that they sell.
In March, Birchover sold seven homes in the DE and NG postcodes in addition to the £100 per month they pay to be a Platinum Partner.
Lisa Bridge is pictured, presenting the £700 cheque to Maria Hanson MBE. Also pictured are Hope the elephant and Hero the lion. Hope and Hero are available for members of the public to gift to the children that me&dee send on holiday to Mablethorpe, where the charity have a caravan and a beach chalet. Hope and Hero cost £25 each and are a beautiful present to gift, ensuring that the children have a physical reminder of the lovely holiday they have had with their family. To find out how to gift a Hope or Hero and all the other ways to help the charity, which is based on Friar Gate, you can visit www.meanddee.co.uk.
Over the past twelve years, holidays have been provided to 2,000 families who have a parent or child with life-shortening or life-limiting illnesses. They now also offer holidays to physically and emotionally injured service men and women. The family breaks provide an opportunity to create precious memories at such a vital time and include a stay in the accommodation, plus extras such as a memory box and exclusive use of the beach hut. Sometimes, the charity is able to add personalised extras such as tickets to the nearby seal sanctuary.
Birchover is owned by husband and wife team Carl and Lisa Bridge. The partnership was agreed following a meeting with Maria Hanson MBE and her partner Mark. Lisa Bridge explains why Birchover wanted to support me&dee.
“We have known Maria for several years and have always been in awe of the energy, passion and hard work she puts into me&dee. The work that they do is incredibly impactful, creating the opportunity for vital family time together at such an emotionally-tough time. It is such an amazing, kind charity and Maria has worked so hard over such a long period of time. We spent a couple of hours discussing all the great work that they do – possibly the most heartbreaking thing to discover is that they try to prioritise the holidays based on which child has the shortest time to live. That really brought home to us the value of the work they do for the families involved”.
A quick glance through the testimonials on their website, meanddee.co.uk, demonstrates the wonderful positive memories that the charity creates. The Guilders family have a 12 year old daughter, Poppy, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour as a baby.
They stated that “We had so much fun and created so many happy memories, we simply cannot put into words how very grateful we are”.
There are many similar examples of how me&dee have touched the hearts of families at such an important time.
Often, Maria says, the beneficiaries are the siblings, who have spent years quietly supporting their brother or sister. The holidays in Mablethorpe are perfect for families to relax, recharge and spend time together as a family unit.
The charity cost £70,000 to run in 2017 and the main reason that it can offer holidays to so many families is because Maria has never taken a salary.
Birchover join a host of existing corporate partners who support the charity. The other Platinum Partners, who also contribute £100 per month, are MGladwin Electrical, Class A Alarms, Michele Walsh and Essential Print Services. Franklands Insurance Brokers have announced that me&dee will be their annual charity for the second consecutive year, whilst Riviera Travel donate 10% of the value of all holidays they sell to me&dee.
Businesses can support me&dee for as little as £20 per month. They offer Silver Packages for £20 per month, Gold Packages for £50 per month and the Platinum Package does include two free tickets to the annual me&dee ball.
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