Derian House Children’s Hospice has joined a Blackburn business group in order to engage with more local businesses and as part of a £220k charity pledge by referral marketing organisation BNI.
Chorley based Derian House provides respite, specialist palliative and end of life care for children and young people with life threatening illnesses from across Lancashire and South Cumbria.
Receiving only 7% of its funding from Government sources, and with a financial target of £3.85 million required this year to continue to provide its vital service, the hospice relies on its own fundraising efforts and the generosity of people across Lancashire and Cumbria, both individuals and businesses, to help them meet that target.
Established over 30 years ago, BNI now has over 200,000 members in over 70 countries worldwide. It works by organising weekly meetings for groups of businesses, who use their combined network of contacts to find business opportunities and referrals for one another.
The hospice was invited to join BNI Infinity as part of a charity drive whereby each chosen charity is gifted a seat within a group and its members commit to raising £20k per year for it. With eleven chapters operational in Lancashire, the offer equates to a £220k per year charity commitment by the organisation and its members in the county.
Derian House will now attend BNI Infinity’s meetings every week at Wilpshire Golf Club and outline its charity work to the chapter members and visitors. The members will work together to raise funds for the charity, aiming for the £20k per year required to meet the organisation’s pledge.
BNI Infinity Chapter President Dean Williams of Unicorn Health & Safety said: “We are very pleased and honoured to welcome Derian House as our nominated charity. With nearly 40 businesses in the group now, we are already working on some great fundraising ideas and hope to smash the target by the end of the year.”
