Tech That! Awards give us £3,000 cash boost

Generous Teessiders raised close to £3,000 for our charity in a special fundraising event organised alongside the inaugural Tees Tech Awards.
Our Infant Hercules Charity Club members Tees Business opened a JustGiving page to raise money to help send more struggling Teesside families for short breaks at our caravans near Filey.

The fundraising page was launched during the awards which were held virtually due to the Covid restrictions.

And thanks to a number of substantial donations from Tees companies and individuals, Tees Business smashed their target of raising £2,000 by reaching £2,350 – with Gift Aid bumping the total figure up to £2,820.

Every penny raised will be donated towards sending some of Teesside’s most disadvantaged children and their families for a short break in our three holiday homes on a caravan site at Reighton Sands, near Filey.

The cash raised should fund at least 10 of these trips, and Tees Business co-editor Dave Allan – who also does our publicity – said: “We’re thrilled to have raised as much as we did from a virtual event, because it’s a lot easier asking people to donate money in person – it’s far more challenging online!

“But, true to form, the Teesside business family pulled together and helped us smash our target, so we’re naturally delighted.”

The publishers have also previously raised more than £4,000 in total for Ovarian Cancer Awareness and the Halo Project from their Tees Businesswomen Awards events.

This latest effort takes their total fundraising from their last three events to more than £7,000.

Resolution director Martin Walker added: “We love organising events, but it’s even better when we can generate funds for local causes like this.
“The Tees Tech Awards was a huge celebration of our region’s digital and tech sector, but to see everyone pull together and raise all this money is just fantastic.”

Resolution were able to reach their target thanks to a £200 donation from Mike Racz of our patrons Racz Group, who is pictured with Martin and Dave.
Mike said: “This is was a fantastic fundraising effort by everyone involved in what was my first experience of virtual awards.

“Well done to Tees Business for organising this in aid of some of the most disadvantaged Teesside families.”

As well as Mike’s donation, Visualsoft CEO Dean Benson made a substantial contribution which helped the JustGiving page reach its original £2,000 target.

Other donations came from Tascomp, Mabo, Malcolm Knott of ITS, Wander Films, Bev Goodall of AbacusBean, Emily Bentley, Dave Hawkins, Chris Bricknell, Jane Armitage, Ian Cornwell, Helen Stewart and Ben Doherty.