18 June 2010
Nationwide Manager picks up an RSA Director and drops off a cheque for Macmillan
A General Manager at a Nationwide Crash Repair Centre has to be prepared for all eventualities. However, Dave Bridges, the General Manager from East Grinstead, took charity fundraising to a new extreme last week when he was asked to handover a donation of 1000 pounds to support RSA's 300 year anniversary Charity Challenge on behalf of the UK's largest fixed site and mobile vehicle body repairer.
There was a catch. Handing over the cheque to support Macmillan Cancer Support was the easy part. In fact, picking up Ian Thomspon, the Director of UK Personal Motor Claims at RSA, from the South at 4.45 in the morning and driving him to London was not a problem either. Dave had just not expected Ian to be wearing nothing more than a well-stocked bra, a pink frock and fetching rose-patterned tights.
The insurance world (and his family) will be relieved to know that being dressed as a woman and hitch-hiking to London is not normal practice for Ian. The activity was part of a charity drive to celebrate RSA's 300 year birthday. The insurance giant was established in London in 1710, shortly after the Great Fire of London, and now employs 23,000 people worldwide. For RSA's 300 year anniversary Charity Challenge, all employees have been asked to donate goods or time to a charity of their choice, but one that must be associated with either crime, community or climate.
RSA's UK Operations Executive Team decided to raise money for its charity initiative by travelling across the county to visit every RSA site - by fair means, or foul. All of the participants were released into the community with only 25 pounds each in their pockets, and were tasked with gaining sponsorship and donations as they went. As they travelled from site to site, they also participated in additional fund raising activities at local sites. So far, the team has raised over 5000 pounds for Macmillan Cancer Research.
Ian is now safely back in his suit but still recovering from his fund-raising expedition. “We had a fantastic time and are absolutely delighted with the support we received. The donation from Nationwide Crash Repair Centres was wonderful – and I can't thank Dave enough for picking me up. However, I will never again ask a Nationwide Crash Repair Centre manager "Does my bum look big in this?'...”
The RSA team which took part in this initiative include: David Pitt, Ben Horton, Ian Thompson, Jimmy Barber, David Walker, David Frost, Shona Cotterill, Graham Pennie, Karen McGillivray, Clare Stephens and Nigel Gosden.
Ends
Ref: NCRCMR/002
