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.