FUNDRAISING BALL MAKES THOUSANDS FOR MACCLESFIELD CHARITY

A Macclesfield charity has been boosted following its annual fundraising ball at The Tytherington Club.

JJ’s Sensory Play Centre’s fifth annual charity ball, sponsored again by Gilbert Lawton Volkswagen, generated over £7,000 for the South Cheshire children’s charity.

JJ’s, which relies entirely on donations, is a soft padded multi-sensory facility that provides relaxation and stimulation for children and adults with special needs.

The money raised will go towards the annual costs of providing the centre, which co-founder Joanne Griffiths admits needs all the money it can get.

She said: “The charity ball has helped raise money which is vital to keep the charity going.

“It costs about £45,000 a year to run the charity and the annual ball is key to the centre remaining open.

“The continued success of the ball and the play centre isn’t possible without the support of local businesses, including Gilbert Lawton, and this is greatly appreciated by everyone at JJ’s.”

The centre is open six days a week and has over 200 people regular coming along to use the facilities.

It is primarily aimed at children and adults with learning disabilities, but is open for children under three who don’t come under those categories.

Further improvements are planned but Joanne knows without further investment the additional equipment will be put on hold.

She added: “As people spend less money on activities so we have seen a drop in revenue and while we understand the situation, it’s frustrating we can’t improve the current facilities for those who attend JJ’s.

“Ideally the centre needs about £10,000 for a new lighting system which would greatly improve the enjoyment and benefits to the children and adults.”

Nick Ashton, brand manager at Gilbert Lawton Macclesfield, said: “JJ’s provides a fantastic service to the local and regional community and we’re delighted to be able to continue our involvement in raising money and awareness of the charity for the third consecutive year.

“We are constantly looking at new ways of raising money for JJ’s and look forward to continuing to help in 2012.”

CHARITY FAMILY WIN TRIP TO THE WILD WEST

A family from Congleton in Cheshire is saddled up and ready to fly out to a Texan ranch holiday after winning a national competition.

Denise Page secured the ‘Wild West’ break for her family after she won a ‘spot the ball’ contest at JJ’s Sensory Play Centre annual charity ball, which was sponsored by Gilbert Lawton Volkswagen in Macclesfield.

The holiday was the main prize of Volkswagen’s national competition to mark the launch of their new Touran and Sharan models.

Denise (below with Gilbert Lawton Volkswagen's brand manager, Nick Ashton) will fly out to Texas in early April with her daughter Francine and partner Guy.

Speaking of her prize, Denise said: “I was a little surprised when I had the call to tell me of my win, as I didn’t really expect all the flights and accommodation to be paid for.

“But once I had confirmation in writing, I was very excited by the choice of holidays on offer and a trip to Texas appealed to all the family – although Francine said she won’t be coming if she has to eat beans around a campfire!”

Nick Ashton, brand manager at Gilbert Lawton Volkswagen, said: “Our congratulations go out to Denise and her family and we hope they enjoy their holiday to Texas.

“We’re also pleased that we’ve helped raise awareness about the work of JJ’s Sensory Play Centre, as we extended an invitation to the charity ball to all of our customers.”

JJ’s Sensory Play Centre, which is located on Snape Road in Macclesfield, is a soft play environment which includes a sensory room. It relies entirely on donations to provide its services.

Their specialist facilities encourage young children, including those with special needs, to play in a safe environment through stimulation and interaction by using multi-sensory equipment.

For more information about JJ’s Sensory Play centre, please visit www.jjsplaycentre.co.uk or call 01625 667872.

JJ’S CHARITY BALL RAISES THOUSANDS

The third annual charity ball by JJ’s Sensory Play Centre has raised over £6,500 for the South Cheshire children’s charity.

A total of £6,550 was raised before, during and after the Oscar-themed ball at Tytherington Hall Golf Club.

Part of the money raised will go towards the ongoing fund, started by main sponsor Gilbert Lawton Volkswagen, to install a hydrotherapy pool at the Hurdsfield Industrial Estate centre.

The rest has already been allocated to buy new equipment to update and extend the sensory room.

JJ’s, which relies entirely on donations, is a soft padded multi-sensory facility that provides relaxation and stimulation for children and adults with special needs.

Joanne Griffiths, co-founder of JJ’s, said: “I’m delighted with the money raised as it means additional equipment can be installed immediately for the children to enjoy and benefit from.

“It wouldn’t have been possible without the support of local businesses, including Gilbert Lawton, and this is greatly appreciated by everyone at JJ’s.”

Nick Ashton, brand manager at Gilbert Lawton Macclesfield, said: “JJ’s provides a fantastic service to the community and we’re delighted to be able to continue our involvement in raising money and awareness of the charity.”

YOU SHALL GO TO THE BALL! GILBERT LAWTON VOLKSWAGEN BACKS FUNDRAISING EVENT

Macclesfield’s car retailer Gilbert Lawton has pledged its ongoing support to sensory play centre JJ’s by sponsoring its annual fundraising black-tie ball.

The Volkswagen site has worked alongside JJ’s for the past two years to raise funds and awareness of the play centre, which relies solely on donations to operate, and has committed to sponsor the 2010 ball; a major source of vital funds.

The event will take place at Tytherington Golf Club in Dorchester Way on Saturday September 18th.

JJ’s, on Hurdsfield Industrial Estate, is a soft padded multi-sensory facility that provides relaxation and stimulation for children and adults with special needs, and hopes to raise £10,000 at the ball.

Joanne Griffiths, co-founder of JJ’s, said: “Gilbert Lawton has been a huge supporter of JJ’s over the past two years and we’re delighted that the retailer has chosen to continue its support for the centre.

“The ball is always well attended and it’s the highlight of all the events we work on. The funds raised during the course of the night will help us continue to provide vital support and stimulation to the hundreds of children and adults who use the centre.”

Nick Ashton, brand manager at Gilbert Lawton Volkswagen, said: “We’ve worked closely with JJ’s over the past couple of years and we’ve seen first hand what a fantastic resource the centre is. We’re delighted to continue our support and we’re thoroughly looking forward to the ball, which is always a superb occasion.

Joanne added: “I’m pleased to announce all tickets have now been sold but we’re hoping for further prizes from local businesses.”

To donate a prize call 01625 667 872.

POST-CHRISTMAS CHARITY CHEER

A north west car retailer group is aiming to provide some charity festive cheer this Christmas by helping those unable to spend the season at home.

The Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund will benefit to the tune of £25 for every car sold at Inchcape’s 13 Volkswagen sites during the company’s January sale, which runs from 29th December to 10th January.

Cumbria Community Foundation’s appeal has already raised over £1m to help the victims of the recent floods that have left hundreds of people in temporary accommodation and without possessions.

The group’s sites in Chester, Bromborough, Salford, Altrincham, Macclesfield, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Hyde, Stockport, Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth and Telford are hoping to raise over £10,000 for the fund during the ten-day event.

Inchcape north’s divisional marketing manager, Tony Carr, said: “It’s important we help others at Christmas and this fund was very appropriate, as many flood victims will be spending the festive period away from their homes.

“Members of staff have family and friends directly affected by the floods, so we’re pleased to help in a small way.

“I hope lots of people take advantage of the offers we have and at the same time, help such a great cause.”

Deb Muscat, Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund Appeal’s acting director, said: “We’re grateful to every individual or business donation, especially from those outside Cumbria.

“Inchcape’s innovative idea shows the different ways businesses can help raise money.

“The Fund strives to improve the quality of life for those who have had their lives affected by floods in November this year.”

TOP MARKS FOR VOLKSWAGEN PARTS MANAGER

A parts manager at a Macclesfield car retailer is celebrating after passing a new management training course with some of the highest marks in the country.

Martin Pointon, who works for Gilbert Lawton Volkswagen, recently completed the parts managers aftersales qualification programme, launched by Volkswagen’s Training Academy.

The 29-year-old is the first and only parts manager to successfully complete all elements of the course.

Thrilled Martin, who lives in Macclesfield, said: “I am absolutely overjoyed and relieved to have passed the course and really proud to have done so well.

“The course taught me so much that will help me in my role as head of the parts department and for my future development.”

To pass the course Martin had to complete practical and theoretical assessments, take part in an interview and conduct a presentation on a project he was responsible for running over a 12-week period.

Having worked at the retailer on Winterton Way for almost seven years, Martin is now planning to start working towards an aftersales manager position.

Gilbert Lawton’s brand manager, Nick Ashton, said: “We believe that having knowledgeable staff is paramount to the success of a business.

“We are all very proud of Martin and I think the fact that he gained some of the highest marks in the country shows that we have the best parts manager out there.”

Issued on behalf of Gilbert Lawton Volkswagen by Connect PR. For more information contact Natasha Brown on 01902 714 957 or email natasha@connect-group.com