A BURNHAM company is helping two charities while doing its bit to tackle climate change with a creative approach to the Farleigh Hospice £50 challenge.

Impamark, which supplies personalised promotional merchandise, is participating in this year's £50 Farleigh Hospice challenge for the first time - and will also be helping the National Trust and the planet with its novel fundraising idea.

The company, based in Burnham-on-Crouch, is using the £50 start-up capital provided by sponsor Birkett Long to buy 10 trees from the National Trust. Impamark will then be raffling them off to raise money in aid of Farleigh Hospice. The trees will be planted by the trust as part of its pledge to plant 20 million trees by 2030.

The trees will be planted nationwide and winners will be able to dedicate their tree in memory of a loved one. The purchase of these trees supports the trust with its pledge to tackle climate change through the planting of new woodlands.

Impamark owner and managing director Nicky Crisp said: "We're delighted to be involved in the £50 Challenge for Farleigh Hospice. My father was supported by Farleigh, so this is a very personal opportunity to help raise funds for them.

"The coronavirus pandemic has been the most challenging period for charities and we are excited to participate and make a difference".

"As a business it is important to us to give something back, both to the local community and to the planet. Through this approach to the challenge we are not only supporting the hospice, we are supporting the National Trust, giving something back to the environment and making it possible for the winners to commemorate someone special with the planting of their tree."

All proceeds of the raffle will go directly to Farleigh Hospice. Tickets cost £5 each, three for £10 or eight for £20.00. Tickets will go on sale today (4 May) and will be available to purchase throughout May and June. The closing date is 30 June and the raffle will be drawn by an online generator on the 9 July at 12pm.

"Michelle Martin, Corporate Fundraiser at Farleigh Hospice said: "We love Impamark's idea to raffle off trees for their £50 challenge fundraiser! The aim of the challenge is for participants to grow their £50 into hundreds, or even thousands through their own fundraising activities. This approach is a socially responsible hat trick - it will not only grow their start-up money to help us, it will also benefit the National Trust and the environment!

"This year's challenge is celebrating the amazing work of the Farleigh Hospice nurses who have been working on the frontline of the pandemic, supporting the NHS and delivering hospice care within people's homes and out in the community. All the money raised from the raffle will go towards supporting our nurses, helping them continue to care for people with a life-limiting illness across mid-Essex and offering vital support to patients and their families free of charge."

To make a donation and purchase a raffle ticket visit the Farleigh Hospice website using the link here.

About the £50 Challenge:

Sponsored by Birkett Long LLP, the challenge is simple - participants will be given £50 and six months to raise as much money as possible in aid of Farleigh Hospice.

The challenge runs from 1 April to 30 September annually and is open to businesses, groups or organisations of any size.

Registration is now open and participants can sign up at any point over the next six months, as long as it's before the closing date of 30 September.