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Suffolk SportsAid Foundation Appoints The Time Finder Agency to Run Events in West Suffolk
 The Time Finder Agency has been appointed by Suffolk SportsAid Foundation to manage a programme of fundraising lunches in West Suffolk.
The national charity SportsAid was set up in 1976 to give financial support and recognition to talented young sportsmen and women when they need it the most – at the start of their journey to international success.
SportsAid is the first organisation to recognise their talent, often when their parents are their only sponsors. Many of Britain’s most successful athletes have been supported by SportsAid including Sir Chris Hoy, Rebecca Adlington OBE, Bradley Wiggins CBE, Christine Ohuruogu MBE, Sir Steve Redgrave, Paula Radcliffe MBE, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and Dame Kelly Holmes.
Suffolk SportsAid Foundation has been established to support local athletes that have been inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In partnership with SportsAid the purpose of the Foundation is to raise money to support Suffolk’s talented sportsmen and women to achieve their sporting goals. The Foundation has so far made 81 grants to young athletes from across Suffolk with £67,500 of financial support. Suffolk SportsAid Foundation’s patrons are Professor Bill Tancred MBE who represented GB at the Olympics in 1968 and 1972 and Goldie Sayers, who represented GB at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The fundraising lunches at which well know sports stars are guest speakers are aimed at businesses and have been run successfully Ipswich for a number of years, previous guests include Olympic skier Eddie The Eagle, Olympic gold medallist Derek Redmond, Paralympic gold medallist Danny Crates, and Olympic gymnast Craig Heap. The first West Suffolk SportsAid Fundraising Lunch will take place at Ickworth West Wing on Wednesday May 11 with guest speaker Karen Pickering MBE.
Adam Baker, speaking on behalf of the Suffolk SportsAid Foundation, said: “The Foundation is all about helping tomorrow’s stars today. It is reliant on the support, involvement and goodwill of local businesses. We are excited that The Time Finder Agency will be working with us to continue our efforts to help the next generation of Olympians, Paralympians and international sportsmen and women from Suffolk to achieve their goals.”
The Time Finder Agency, based in Castle Camps in Cambridgeshire, provides a Virtual PA service which includes event and project management, office management and secretarial services.
Kate Anstee, Owner of The Time Finder Agency, said: “The fundraising events we are organising offer great opportunities for local businesses of all shapes and sizes to support local up and coming sports people in the lead up to 2012. They will also provide those who attend excellent networking opportunities to grow business relationships with like-minded business people.”
The Suffolk SportsAid Foundation Lunch, entitled ‘How to Make Your Business Fitter and Stronger - Learn from the Discipline of a World Class Athlete’, with Karen Pickering MBE takes place on Wednesday 11 May from 12noon to 2pm. Tickets, priced at £35, are available from the Suffolk SportsAid website at http://suffolksportsaidfoundationlunch.eventbrite.com
The Time Finder Agency Praised As University Pilot Project Comes to An End
 A pilot project run by The Time Finder Agency to find work experience placements for students at the University of Essex has been hailed a success.
The University commissioned The Time Finder Agency, based in Castle Camps, near Haverhill, a year ago to set up a pilot scheme to match businesses in and around Colchester looking for additional expertise to work on company projects with students needing short term work experience.
The scheme has been a huge success with 87 companies registered, 60 places currently being offered and 329 students signed up.
Set up as part of the University of Essex’s Economic Challenge Investment Fund (ECIF) skills project, some placements have been fully funded by the scheme and others are match funded by the scheme and the company.
Kate Anstee, Founder of The Time Finder Agency, said: “The Time Finder Agency is extremely proud of its work on this pilot project. We helped enlist more than 80 public and private sector companies for the scheme, ranging from sole traders to large national companies. The organisations include the NHS, local councils, marketing and PR companies, established solicitors and accountancy firms.
“The students were enthusiastic about finding work placements and the companies were keen to borrow a fresh pair of young eyes for projects that they had been putting off because of a lack of manpower. The Time finder Agency will now be offering this service to other universities, colleges and schools in the area.”
The year-long pilot came to a close at the end of September but the University of Essex and has provided a sound base for the university to develop a permanent placements scheme.
Emma Hewett, the University of Essex’s ECIF Project Manager, said: “We were inundated with requests for placements from our students; without efficient administrative support from The Time Finder Agency we simply would not have had the time to match them up with suitable employers. Each placement requires a huge amount of chasing up to make it work from both the employer’s and the student’s perspective.”
Friday Network Celebrates First Birthday
 The popular networking group the Friday Network has celebrated its first birthday.
Run by The Time Finder Agency Founder Kate Anstee, Jenny Bradnam from Travel Counsellors and Denise Lindsell from Hardcastle Burton LLP, the networking group brings together 20 business people a month at the Old Red Lion pub in Horseheath.
The group, which sets itself apart from other regular networking groups by not charging a membership fee, has welcomed over 40 different businesses from Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex over the past year.
Kate Anstee said: “We started the Friday Network because business people in the area were coming to us looking for a regular informal networking group that did not charge a membership fee.
“They wanted to have some lunch and hear from a speaker but not necessarily a business speaker and then informally network with other companies in the area. People seem to love the format.”
To find out more about the Friday Network and book your place for the next event visit www.thefridaynetwork.com |
