The question is how can a charity quiz night raise over £8,500? When there has been a lot of hard work and dedication by Potters Bar-based entrepreneurial family company and a valued client of Complete I.T., RO Group, the answer is easy.
For starters a dedicated team of employees work tirelessly to ensure the quiz runs successfully. A huge and varied raffle is a big bonus and a quick-fire auction, featuring fantastic holidays, added to the coffers.
The quiz is now in its 17th year and is well supported by business people who come from near and far to outwit each other. Over the years the RO quiz event has firmly established itself by raising an astonishing £65,000 to the benefit of numerous local charities based in Hertfordshire. This year’s event held in March saw twenty-two teams gather at the local Wyllyotts Theatre to take part and raise much-needed funds for Welwyn Garden City charity and also a client of Complete I.T., HAD (Hertfordshire Action on Disability). The money will mean HAD’s free weekly benefits advice service will continue for another year.
Quiz Master and MC Bernard O’Neill set and asked the questions and RO Group Chairman Richard Rowlandson’s team, ‘Chairman’s Chums’ answered most of them to finish in first place. HAD’s “We’ve HAD It” team came a respectable 11th and Complete IT received the wooden spoons. RO Group staff including Alynne Phillips, Kelly Dyson, Lucy Zekayi, Paul Threadingham and Joan Clark, worked tirelessly before and during the quiz. “I’ve been involved with organising events like this for many years and know how much work is involved,” HAD Fundraiser Paul Bishop explained. To witness at first hand how smoothly and successfully this event panned out was an education.
“It was awfully sad that our Chief Executive Annabelle Waterfield passed away just two weeks before the quiz,” Paul said. “She was an inspirational leader of the charity for 30 years and also a regular member of our quiz team, she would have loved this event.”
The final total should be nudging towards £9,000 thanks to the generosity of Jim Allman. Jim, from Boulter Mossman, won the luxury chocolate hamper in the raffle, and has decided to donate it to HAD to re-raffle.
HAD enable older and disabled people to lead an independent life. Their main services are:
An equipment centre providing a huge range of mobility products and advice;
A 24-hour accessible transport service;
A driving centre providing assessments and lessons and information and advice, including a free
weekly benefits advice service every Wednesday.
For more information on HAD visit www.hadnet.org.uk or call 01707 324581