A tree planting ceremony was held in London to commemorate the successful completion of an IBC Buying Group & C3 Alliance charity fundraising initiative.
Members of the IBC team, along with representatives from sister company C3 Alliance, gathered at the Unitas Youth Zone site in Barnet, north London, to celebrate the opening of an impressive new outdoor space for young people to enjoy, built thanks to the hard work and fundraising efforts of both businesses.
The ‘Great Strides for Youth’ project saw a plain concrete area outside the Unitas building transformed into a fantastic space complete with plants and raised beds where children can learn about gardening and how to grow vegetables. There is also a seating and stage area where they can hold performances and open mike nights as they enjoy socialising together.
IBC Joint Managing Director Dave Robertson, along with Allneeds Group CEO Vick Patel, and Tony Ball, former Managing Director of C3 Alliance, attended the event on 8th October and together planted a tree to mark the occasion.
The build was funded thanks to a series of epic charity challenges. The IBC Buying Group team roused industry support thanks to a virtual bike ride which saw Dave Robertson cycle 1,000 miles virtually from his living room, with many of his colleagues also setting their own sponsored goals. Development management services company C3 Alliance also raised money for the cause with a series of charity challenges, as well as helping to project manage the build itself. In total more than £18,500 was raised to fund the build.
Many IBC Suppliers and Members kindly donated to support the initiative, with a number of industry friends also getting on their bikes to join in the challenge and offer encouragement to Dave across 10 days of cycling.
Robin Moss, Chief Executive of Unitas, said: “This space will be used by hundreds of young people every day of the year. We could not be prouder of this project and of the support we’ve had from IBC Buying Group and the C3 Alliance.”
Dave Robertson said: “Young people today will be the people who join our industry tomorrow, and it’s important that we give them as much support as we can. The cycle ride was incredibly challenging, but when you get to see a project like this being completed, it makes everything worthwhile. I’m incredibly grateful to all the IBC Supplier Partners and Members who supported our fundraising goals.”
To find out more about the benefits IBC Buying Group can offer to independent merchants across the UK, visit www.ibcbuyinggroup.com or call 01327 317602.
