Gloucester Quays celebrates three years of trading this year, and to mark the occasion the management team have agreed to support three local Cotswold charities with a mixture of fund raising, donating man hours and equipment as needed.
The first is Hop, Skip and Jump Cotswold offering sustained Day Care to children with life limiting, threatening illnesses or any special need offering support for their families. The centre was established in 1982 and this year celebrates its 30th Anniversary. It offers over 12000 placements a year to children and young adults across the whole of Gloucestershire, South Worcestershire, East Herefordshire and parts of Wiltshire.
Hop Skip and Jump receives no statutory funding and relies entirely on the donations from grant giving organisations and local fundraising to provide day care six days a week to children offering inside and outside play areas including soft play, light and dark sensory rooms, aerial runways, bike track and football pitches.
As part of Gloucester Quays commitment staff at the outlet centre have committed to taking part in its ‘Octagon’ challenge to help create a parents room and clinic from an existing free standing building in the grounds of the Hop Skip and Jump centre at Seven Springs.
Richard Rawlings, Centre Manager at Gloucester Quays confirmed: "We're delighted to offer our support to Hop Skip and Jump and the team are delighted to be working with their teams to help build the new parents room and clinic. This is a truly wonderful charity and we're excited about getting started."
The second charity that Gloucester Quays has agreed to support has a water theme in keeping with the company's commitment to regenerating the waterways and canal corridor in the region. The Stroud Water Festival (2nd-4th June 2012) is organised by the Cotswold Canals Trust and Gloucester Quays is supporting its ambitions to help raise funds for the restoration of the Canals.
And finally, Gloucester Quays is delighted to continue its support for the Cotswold Care Hospice by working with its retailers to create regular Amnesties to raise money. Villeroy Boch Factory Outlet were one of the first to get involved, and managed to collect close to 750lb of China which they shipped off to the Hospice to sell on with all proceeds going to the home. Osprey London has recently run a handbag Amnesty collecting unwanted handbags in return for a money off voucher.
Richard Rawlings, Centre Manager at Gloucester Quays confirmed: "We're a major investor in the Cotswolds and are committed to actively support individuals, companies and organisations that are helping to regenerate the area. We're delighted that in our 3rd birthday year, we're able to back three very worthwhile causes that have long term benefits and offer support to the people in Gloucester that most need it. We hope we can count on our customers as well as our staff and retailers to get behind these very special charities."