The Hive Network’s journey to 50k
Macmillan have been with us right from the start. From fundraising at the sumptuous grounds of Luton Hoo for our many Exchange meetings to Westminster Abbey and Bateaux along the River Thames… Most recently, the Macmillan team joined us onsite at Oakley Court—home to the infamous Rocky Horror Picture Show castle and acting as the perfect setting for RetailJam—to raise awareness for this invaluable cause.
With the wonderful help of our members and partners over the years, we were able to raise just short of £50,000 (including secured gift aid) for Macmillan, so we decided to step up to the mark (hint, hint) and do everything we could to smash our target.
And here at The Hive, we like to get creative. Introducing…
Operation: Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis is 1,345 metres tall. So, we thought to ourselves: wouldn’t it be amazing if between us, we climbed the equivalent of Ben Nevis for Macmillan?
The Hive team spent some time calculating just how many steps we’d need to take on our sturdy office staircase to conquer Ben Nevis. Setting aside 4 hours to complete the mission, we worked out that we’d need to do 112 laps (4 floors up and 4 floors down per lap). Each floor is equal to roughly 3 metres, so for each lap, we needed to travel 12 metres up and down.
With luminous green pom-poms and Macmillan banners at the ready, the team took on the challenge one by one—encouraged to keep going by the gentle rattle of maracas and roaring applause from passersby. Much like a high-speed Formula One race, each team member had a 5-minute slot to rev up their engines and hit the pedal, with brief intervals to refuel themselves. Ready, set, go…
We’re so pleased to share that after lots of legwork (quite literally!) and the extreme generosity of our members and partners, we’ve raised a whopping £50,490.84 for Macmillan. That’s 1,530 nursing hours funded. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 💚
It wouldn’t be a Hive fundraiser without competitive spirit. The team awoke bright and early, dusted off their running shoes, and strategically practised their steps before the climb. It was a close call at times, but after some tough competition, The Finance Hive team came out on top.
Without further ado, here’s the winners…
A Tale of Two Bens
Ben Nash soared to first place, completing one lap in just 48 seconds. A worthy winner!
Give it some Ellie
Ellie Roston flew the flag for the marketing team, creating a buzz online and coming in second
The Name’s Bond, Alex Bond
Far from shaken, Alex Bond raced to the finish line and secured third place overall
Feel the Byrne
And a special mention for Nathan Byrne, who climbed the highest out of everyone (11 laps!)
On a personal basis and on behalf of Macmillan, THANK YOU for everything each and everyone one of you has done for us. All the calls, all the media, all the meetings, briefings, collaboration and just downright gritty fundraising ethic has helped you to reach a LANDMARK fundraising total of £50,490.84.
What an incredible achievement. You really are green-tastic, Hive-tastic and just so amazing, THANK YOU!”
Paul Lyons, Relationship Fundraising Manager, Macmillan
It’s fair to say that there were some sore legs the following day, but we’d do it all over again for Macmillan.
And the story doesn’t end there! Shortly after completing the challenge, our Co-Founder and Editorial Director, Sally Green and Marketing Director, Kate Rowney dressed up to the nines and made their way to the V&A for a magical evening with CHANEL and Macmillan. You can expect a blog post to land in your inbox very soon, so keep an eye out…
We’re so proud to be named as an official partner of Macmillan, and we look forward to continuing our support for the amazing work of the Macmillan nurses in the years to come.
For now, here’s some of our favourite onsite moments with the brilliant fundraising managers…. Be sure to say hello to them at our upcoming meetings!
