Bell Ingram colleagues stomp over 11 million steps for charity challenge

Thirty-five intrepid walkers of all ages and abilities have been stepping up to raise cash for Bell Ingram’s two chosen charities – Parkinson’s UK and Guide Dogs UK Charity For The Blind.

Clocking up a combined total of 11598589 steps during the month-long April fundraiser, the group of colleagues from across the company’s offices in Scotland and the North of England raised £480 which was split between the two charities.

Supported by their dogs, children and partners, the walkers fitted in their extra miles before, during and after work as well as at weekends, and a WhatsApp group was set up to motivate the group and soon became a great way of sharing routes and posting pictures.

Mark Mitchell, Bell Ingram’s Managing Partner, comments: “Our annual Spring Step Challenge is always popular with colleagues. It was born out of lockdown in an attempt to increase the physical and mental wellbeing of our colleagues. It proved so popular that we have kept it going and with this year’s winner racking up 793,557 alone, colleagues continue to amaze me with their competitiveness and physical ability.

“This year we walked in aid of Parkinson’s UK and Guide Dogs UK Charity For The Blind. We are delighted to be able to give this small gesture to two worthy causes that play a huge role in the lives of some of our colleagues.”

Deirdre McVean, Perth & District Fundraising Group Coordinator for Guide Dogs, said: “We would like to thank everyone involved in this fantastic challenge in aid of Guide Dogs.

“It’s incredible when we receive support from businesses, and we are hugely grateful to Bell Ingram for their support.

“Guide Dogs relies on donations and the funds raised will help us to support more people with sight loss to live actively, independently and well.”

Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world and affects an estimated 12,500 people in Scotland.

Marion Pirrie, Regional Fundraiser for Parkinson’s UK, said: “We are really grateful for the effort the team at Bell Ingram has put in to raise this amount, which will help our work across service improvement, policy, campaigning and providing support for the Parkinson’s community right across Scotland.”

Parkinson’s UK helps people with the condition, and their carers, live better and also funds research into the most promising treatments.

“With the generous support of fundraisers, we are able to continue funding research into better treatments for Parkinson’s and push for the right level of support for people living with the condition,” added Marion.

Bell Ingram recognised as Carer Positive employer

Bell Ingram is delighted to announce it has been recognised as a Carer Positive organisation by Carers Scotland.

The Carer Positive award is presented to employers in Scotland who have a working environment where carers are valued and supported. Carer Positive employers recognise the importance of supporting carers in their workforce through flexible working policies or with simple, practical measures which can make a big difference.  This helps with retaining experienced members of staff, reducing absence, and cutting down on avoidable recruitment costs.

HR Manager, Kirsty Watson said: “People are at the heart of Bell Ingram and as an employer we are committed to supporting our team in all aspects of their lives.  We have several carers already in the organisation who benefit from our supportive working environment. We look forward to working with Carers Scotland on how we can further improve life at Bell Ingram for our employees with caring responsibilities.”

Bell Ingram welcomes nationwide ‘Flock to the Show’ campaign

Rural property and business specialists, Bell Ingram, is taking part in a large public art trail celebrating Scotland’s farming community ahead of the Royal Highland Show this Summer.

Flock to the Show is a nationwide event featuring 39 painted sheep that will tour the country from the Highlands to the Borders to promote the return of the Golden Shears Competition to this year’s Highland Show.

Golden Shears 2023 will see the best shearers and wool handlers from over 30 different countries descend on the Royal Highland Show to compete to be the World Champion. This is one of the biggest events in the shearing calendar and will be a tightly fought spectacular.

As well as promoting the Show, each sheep raises awareness of a particular issue affecting the Scottish farming industry. Bell Ingram is sponsoring Rainbow, a beautifully designed multicoloured blackface sheep by artist Emma McKie. Rainbow’s unique design is made up of painted balls of wool highlighting the hardship faced by sheep farmers selling their wool at plummeting prices.

Bell Ingram, which has headquarters on Isla Road in Perth will be taking part in the event and will be hosting Rainbow during the Tayside section of the trail between April 18^th – 28^th and would encourage members of the public to come and get their picture taken with the beautiful sculpture.

Emma describes the inspiration behind Rainbow: “Historically sheep were always prized for their fleece. Since the Stone Age, wool has been on of the most effective forms of all-weather protection known to mankind. It breathes, isolates, keeps off moisture and is temperature regulating and self-cleaning. Unfortunately, in the last few decades, the mass production of synthetic fibres and fast fashion has caused the demand for natural wool to plummet. Most farmers now face the hardship of paying more to have the fleece sheared than they make selling it. So my design it to celebrate where real wool comes from.” 

Bell Ingram’s Managing Partner, Mark Mitchell says: “We are excited to welcome Emma McKie’s Rainbow to the Bell Ingram office in Perth. Supporting the Scottish farming community is integral to Bell Ingram’s Rural Land Management work and, as avid supporters of the Highland Show we are delighted to get involved in their latest campaign.

“Everyone is welcome to visit Rainbow during her stay here at our office overlooking the Tay. We look forward to throwing open our doors to the public and seeing all the social media activity promoting this great cause.”

Bell Ingram’s office is located at Durn, Isla Road, Perth, PH2 7HF.