Beresfords and Friends Brave the Chill for Charity

29th March 2019

Beresfords and friends volunteered to sleep out in Chelmsford to raise awareness for those sleeping rough and raise funds for homeless charity CHESS.

In total there were 25 people from Beresfords, East of England Co-op, Woodlands Group and Essex Life.

Beresfords CEO Paul Beresford showed his support by camping out and seeing the whole night through with the others in the grounds of Chelmsford Cathedral.

He said "It's events like this that really make you think about how fortunate we each are to have our own home to retreat to. We were lucky to have quite mild conditions, however, this time last year we were faced with ice and snow, and those that are homeless have no choice but to brave the elements and hope to make it through the night. CHESS provides much needed shelter and support to those that are looking to get off of the streets and into work and accommodation."

The event would not have been possible without the support of many local businesses. Special thanks go to East of England Co-op, Chelmsford Star Co-op, My Coffee Station, Woodlands Group, Essex Life and Laser Electrical.

Nicki Treffers, Beresfords Senior Group Marketing Manager said "Without the generosity of our partners, we wouldn't have been able to raise such a fantastic sum, and create such a worthwhile event, whether it came in the form of hot beverages from My Coffee Station or food items from Chelmsford Star Co-op, each and every business contributed something to get us through the night including Laser Electrical who donated sleeping bags to CHESS to distribute amongst the homeless."

Donations are still being made, with the total so far reaching in excess of £3500, this has been largely helped by Essex Life pledging to double the funds they raised as a team. All proceeds will be donated to CHESS Chelmsford, a local charity who aim to relieve homelessness and related hardship across the county through the provision of support services and temporary accommodation.