The Very Group, which operates digital retailer Very, has raised £180,000 for children’s reading charity Coram Beanstalk at its sixth charity ball at ACC Liverpool on Friday 2 December 2022.
Funds raised from the event will support Coram Beanstalk, Very’s charity partner since 2019, to continue to provide one-on-one reading support to children across the UK through its network of schools and volunteer reading partners. The charity’s research shows 94 per cent of schools receiving its support see an improvement in general attitude to learning, and that children who choose to read feel better about themselves, and do better in school and in life.
The retailer’s 1980s-themed charity ball saw 800 guests, including celebrities Lucy Mecklenburgh, Ryan Thomas, Catherine Tyldesley and Rachel Lugo, enjoy dinner and performances from a star-studded line-up of some of the era’s most iconic artists, including Go West, Paul Young, Tony Hadley and The Human League. Guests also bid generously to win a selection of coveted prizes and experiences including VIP hospitality tickets to Peter Kay at The O2 and VIP backstage passes to Parklife festival.
Proceeds from the ball take the total amount raised by The Very Group for Coram Beanstalk to date to £510,000. Colleagues have undertaken fundraising activities, including marathons and skydives, while the retailer has also donated tech bundles to Coram Beanstalk’s partner schools and created product collaborations such as a collection of Roald Dahl x Very pyjamas, for which 30 per cent of sales were donated to the charity.
The Very Group has a long history of supporting charities, having raised more than £1.5 million for its partners over the last five years. Previous partners include The Whitechapel Centre in Liverpool and The Booth Centre in Manchester, which both support people affected by homelessness, Alder Hey Children’s Charity and Claire House Children’s Hospice in Wirral.
Lionel Desclée, Group CEO at The Very Group, said: “We had a fantastic evening and I’d like to thank our guests for their generous support, which will make a real difference in children’s lives. Our purpose is to help families get more out of life and we’re proud to work with Coram Beanstalk, whose mission is so closely aligned with our own.
“We couldn’t have raised this sum without our wonderful sponsors, partners, colleagues and volunteers both at the ball and over the last three years. A huge thank you to everyone involved for supporting The Very Group and Coram Beanstalk in their vital work.”
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