Breaking down Barriers in the local community

This is a guest blog by PGL Beyond

Being a key part of the local community is really important to all colleagues at PGL Beyond and ensuring our purpose of enriching young lives goes beyond those who visit our centres. 

At each of our centres and support centres colleagues choose through our Reachout Fundraising programme local charities to partner with are making a difference to children and young people in the local community.  

At Boreatton Park in Shropshire the team have created great links with Hope House Hospice. To understand how they could best support the charity, they visited the team and discussed what help and support they need. They really hit the ground running volunteering to marshal a recent charity walk and members of the team also abseiled down Anglesey Tower on 17 May in aid of the Hospice. Fundraising currently stands at just under £600 and donations are still coming in. 

At PGL’s Caythorpe Court centre in Lincolnshire, colleagues there have voted to partner for the second year in a row with Rainbow Stars, a local children’s disability charity. Having built a solid foundation during 2024, the team are in regular contact with the charity to share information and help them in the best way possible.  Fundraising stands at £450 delivered through race nights and craft activities with talent shows and treasure hunts in the pipeline. 

At the PGL Beyond support office at Discovery House in Blackpool the team have also chosen to renew their partnership with the local food bank for a second year. How local are they to the office? Well they can look out of their window and see them! They have focused efforts  on supporting the produce needs and have run successful campaigns which has seen team donate advent calendars, half term food packs and over 100 Easter Eggs this April. Cumulatively they have donated over 80kg of food and the team also regularly volunteer to collect, pick and pack food parcels for those in need across Blackpool and Fylde. 

At Windmill Hill in Sussex the team have been supporting the Martha Trust in both volunteering and fundraising. Recently members of the centre went and did a garden makeover to help create a beautiful outside space, whilst a race night generated £261 much needed funds.  

PGL’s Osmington Bay team have been supporting the Teenage Cancer Trust, the only charity dedicated to supporting young people with cancer. The centres annual Charity auction is the highlight of their fundraising. This year’s event held at the beginning of May has already raised a huge £5000 and monies are still coming in.  

We are hugely proud of the efforts of all our team members in going beyond for their local charities and ensuring we can bring real community purpose.