The Softcat News Team
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The bidding paddles are being dusted off and guests are picking out their finest outfits, getting ready for arguably the IT sector charity event of the year.
Yes, the Softcat Love2Give Ball is back for 2024 on Wednesday 15 May at the beautiful Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.
Previously named the Softcat Charity Ball, the event is hosted by our Love2Give Network which encompasses all the volunteering and fundraising carried out by Softcat staff. The team works with representatives across all our offices to raise money and awareness for not only our chosen charity partners, but local charities too.
Love2Give Ball guests include most major vendors, Softcat staff and customers, and it has raised more than £2.3million since it started over a decade ago.
Charles Harman, Sales Manager and Love2Give Network lead, said: “This year is about raising awareness of Love2Give among our wider industry and communities, inviting them to join forces with us to deliver change through charity and volunteering efforts. Through Love2Give, we live and breathe our Softcat values, and we really appreciate the partnerships and contributions we receive from all those that support us.
“The Love2Give Ball is our opportunity to bring people together from across the industry for an evening of entertainment and fun, while raising awareness and funds for our fantastic charities to help them continue the fantastic work they do.”
Softcat’s chosen charities Young Lives vs Cancer and Lyra in Africa were the two main causes which benefited last year, and will again in 2024. Here is what some of that money has achieved:
Young Lives vs Cancer helps children and young people and their families find strength to face whatever cancer throws at them, and the money from the Ball and other Softcat events funded:
- 1,923 hours of brilliant Social Workers’ time, so children, young people and families facing cancer have someone there who understands when it matters most.
- 2,632 overnight stays in our Homes from Homes, providing comfortable, clean and homely accommodation close to principal treatment centres, reducing exhausting and expensive travel and allowing families to be together during the toughest of times.
- It will also help provide financial grants to 60 families, so no one has to choose between paying the bills, heating the house or eating.
“Since the start of the partnership, the wonderful Softcat members have raised an incredible £163,000 to support our work. Thanks to the kindness of supporters like Softcat, our specialist social workers are able to provide tailored support to all the children, young people and families we meet, ensuring they aren’t facing cancer alone.”
Lyra in Africa is on a mission to help educate young girls in rural Tanzania, to provide them with not only financial independence but safety. Only 1% of girls in rural Africa finish their secondary education. Lyra in Africa is dedicated to harnessing the power of education to help end poverty, and the charity builds hostels so secondary school girls from rural areas can attend school safely and complete their education. It also works to provide safe, healthy educational spaces.
Funds raised by Softcat for Lyra so far have built a new hostel in Mseke and it has also supported with:
- Connecting to Greensafe on a new collaboration called TechConnects, which delivered a container full of refurbished IT equipment to schools in Iringa, Tanzania.
- Delivering a new platform to process donations via its website in a secure way, driving down its costs on external solutions.
- Developing the Finland area of their website enabling them to launch the charity in the country.
- Activating a full volunteer team to build a program of work for 2024, which will utilise Softcat employee skills and connect Lyra to other partners in our network.
Guests at the Ball next month will enjoy a three-course dinner, our fabulous live and silent auction and a glittering evening of great entertainment including live music and DJ afterparty.
Here’s to raising even more money this year!