Local hospitality business, Ideal Collection, are beginning 2016 with a pledge to support the The Murray Parish Trust. The company is teaming up with Hampshire companies, New Forest Spring Water and Harvest Fine Foods, to donate 50p from every litre of New Forest Water sold at their restaurants to the charity.
The collaboration involves businesses which form part of the local food group Hampshire Fare and marks the renewal of Ideal Collection’s corporate partnership with Hampshire Fare which is entering its 25th anniversary year. The decision to support The Murray Parish Trust was motivated by personal experiences as Oliver Weeks, the Managing Director of Ideal Collection explains:
“The Murray Parish Trust is doing wonderful work to support the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Southampton University Hospital. It is a charity which is close to my heart as we have had first-hand experience of the fantastic work of the hospital after sadly losing our son. I have wanted to find a way to support the hospital over the past year and am pleased to be able to enter 2016 raising money for such a worthy cause.”
Sarah and James visited Ideal Collection’s No.5 Bridge Street in Winchester to launch the scheme. Sarah commented on what the support means to the charity:
“We are delighted that Ideal Collection, New Forest Spring Water, Harvest Fine Foods and Hampshire Fare are collaborating to support The Murray Parish Trust. It is a relatively young charity and we are keen to involve the immediate community so it is ideal that we have local producers and local businesses supporting our charity. At the moment we are raising money to expand the PICU unit to include two extra beds after that we hope to turn our focus to developing a children’s A&E facility. We had an initial target of £1 million but we hope to exceed this and continue working to raise all that we can.”
Kevin Cowell, Director of New Forest Spring Water is excited by the opportunity to support the charity: “The Murray Parish Trust is an excellent cause which we are really pleased to be supporting. Together we can make a real difference.”
The initiative is being made possible thanks to Harvest Fine Foods who have agreed to distribute the spring water to all the Ideal Collection venues. The wholesale food distribution supplier is in the process of relocating to Totton in Hampshire.
Ideal Collection has already donated £30,000 to a local allotment scheme project working with disadvantaged members of the community. Its support for The Murray Parish Trust is the next phase in its commitment to the local community. As well donating money from water sales, children will eat for just £2 during January and the entire £2 will be passed on to The Murray Parish Trust. During the remainder of the year £1 from every children’s meal will be donated to the trust.
A fundraising dinner will also be held on Friday 26th February at No.5 Bridge Street in Winchester in aid of the Trust. A four course meal using ingredients from within a 25 mile radius to celebrate Hampshire Fare’s 25th anniversary will be served to guests. The evening will include live jazz and a charity auction, for more information about booking a table call No.5 Bridge Street on 01962 863838.
Visit our GALLERY for more images on this event.
Photographs by The Electric Eye Photography.