Syngenta Huddersfield’s neighbourly gesture secures £2k donation for local Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice
Huddersfield-based car dealership, Ray Chapman Volvo, has made a £2,000 donation to Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice in gratitude to Syngenta Huddersfield, after the science-based manufacturer helped the dealership out by providing land for temporary car storage.
Ray Chapman Volvo approached Syngenta, seeking storage for cars whilst the dealership undergoes a six-figure refurbishment and, in the spirit of being a good neighbour, Syngenta offered them use of land along Leeds Road for five months. Instead of commercial terms, a donation was made on Syngenta’s behalf to local cause, Forgot Me Not Children’s Hospice.
Syngenta is a leading science-based agricultural technology company, with a commitment to drive innovation, enabling farmers to meet the growing demands of a changing world. The Huddersfield site is one of the company’s most prominent and award-winning UK production sites, with roots going back 100 years in Huddersfield.
The refurbishment taking place at Ray Chapman Volvo includes a fully refurbished showroom and a new state of the art workshop, which includes full MOT facilities and the very latest four-wheel alignment systems. The works are allowing the dealership to recruit five new employees to its growing team: two apprentices, two workshop technicians and an MOT vehicle tester.
Speaking about the donation, Kelly Dungworth, regional fundraiser for Forget Me Not Hospice, said: “We are really grateful for the support from Syngenta and Ray Chapman Volvo. A donation of this size can pay for a variety of items to support the hospice, from the therapist we hire weekly to support our children and their families, to the on-call doctors we have to pay for.
“The cuddle cots in our end-of-life care family suite cost over £1,200 each, not including maintenance and accessories. Without businesses supporting Forget Me Not, we wouldn't be able to provide the care we currently offer. At the minute we are only 10 per cent Government funded, however, we only see around 0.8 per cent of that. Support from companies, such as Syngenta and Ray Chapman Volvo, allow us to carry out a high level of care to families across West Yorkshire facing the loss of a child.”
Carl Sykes, community relations manager at Syngenta Huddersfield, said: “We’re delighted that we have come to an arrangement which benefits all parties involved. We were happy to provide Ray Chapman Volvo with the additional space they needed to temporarily store their cars and we are very pleased to see such a big donation being made to Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, who’s work is so important. Thank you to the team at Ray Chapman Volvo for their generous support.”
Mark Gooseman, general manager at Ray Chapman Volvo, said: “Syngenta has been a great neighbour and have helped us out massively by allowing us to use some their land to store our cars whilst we undergo refurbishment. Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice is a wonderful charity, and we are delighted to donate to a place which provides such important care for families in West Yorkshire.”
Businesses can support Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice in a variety of ways, including choosing them as their charity of the year, playing the weekly lottery, becoming an individual giving member, joining the 99'er Business Club and hosting in-house fundraising events. Further information can be found on the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice website.