4Com, the Bournemouth based telecommunications provider to UK SMEs, have announced plans to abseil from their 100 feet high new office at One Lansdowne Plaza, Bournemouth in order to raise up to £25,000 for Hope Housing and the Hope AOK Rucksack Appeal. The event, which will take place on Friday 29th March will see over 70 of 4Com’s team complete the descent, along with a number of beneficiaries from Hope’s work.
Commenting on choosing Hope as the beneficiary for their latest event, 4Com’s Chairman, Daron Hutt said, “Moving into central Bournemouth is a landmark moment for us, so we wanted to do something that would have an impact upon those in our neighbourhood. Hope Housing and the Hope AOK Rucksack Appeal team do amazing work supporting the homeless in Bournemouth; not only by providing essential items to rough sleepers, but in helping them to get off the streets, supporting them to overcome their often complex issues, then teaching them the life skills they need to begin re-building their lives. I’m delighted that we have this opportunity to support them with our abseil.”
The Hope AOK Rucksack Appeal was started in 2015 by Sally Harvey, who saw a growing need to supply warm, dry clothing and essentials to those on the streets of Bournemouth. The appeal quickly grew and in the last 12 months over 700 packs were given out to the homeless in Dorset. Last year Sally retired and chose Hope Housing to run the appeal as Hope already worked closely with the homeless, providing supported housing for up to 92 homeless people.
Julie Berti, their Chief Executive, explained the impact that 4Com’s support would have on the charity, “We’re delighted to be partnering with 4Com for their abseil event and these funds will make a huge difference to the work we do. Not only will it mean that we can afford to maintain our storage facility for the items needed for the Hope AOK Rucksack Appeal, but it will enable us to help more people affected by homelessness. The problem is growing; we’ve seen homelessness spread beyond the centre of Bournemouth and Boscombe so 4Com’s support will also help us to extend our reach and assist those outside of the town.
Julie continued, “2019 marks the 10th Anniversary of Hope Housing, so we’ve launched our “10 for 10” Campaign, where we aim to empower 10 of our residents to get back on their feet and into their own independent accommodation, which we estimate to cost £1,500 a person. We are inviting the local community and businesses to get behind these individuals through sponsorship. There will even be the opportunity for potential sponsors to meet them, so they can see first-hand the impact that they are making in their lives.”
Dean Cartledge, Head of the 4Com Foundation, added, “Hope do so much for the homeless, not just providing accommodation but supporting them through any health issues, particularly mental health issues and giving them practical skills to help them back into employment. They now run the AOK Rucksack Appeal, which have been finalists in our charity search on 3 occasions, so we’re especially pleased to finally have the chance to work with them.”
The 4Com Foundation was established in 2014 to help organise 4Com’s charitable activities. To date they have funded a holiday home for Amelia’s Rainbow, helped with Diverse Abilities Lilypad Appeal, provided funds for Ashley’s Birthday Bank’s “New Start” project and last year helped the Dorset Children’s Foundation purchase new equipment. These contributions along with several others has seen the foundation raise over £350,000 since its inception.