The money was raised through a fun-filled day at the rail freight terminal near Birmingham to mark the national Armed Forces Day 2014. The terminal opened its doors to its employees, their families, and its associates to celebrate the special day. Guests were invited to have a tour of Hams Hall, the UK’s biggest inland rail freight terminal, and join in the many fun activities on offer, including climbing walls, bouncy castles and face painting.
A grand raffle was held jam-packed with prizes, including a first-class Eurostar ticket to Paris, a digital camera, a Kindle, and a trip on board a 1940s Pullman Coach from London. The raffle alone raised over £500 for the charity.
A “golden ticket” competition took place, where one lucky driver could win, for one day only, a VIP fast-ticket through the terminal with their truck and beat the queues.
Staff were heavily involved in the fundraising efforts, baking biscuits and cakes which they sold with a tea or coffee to the drivers using the terminal for a small donation.
Mike Gibson, Terminal Manager at ABP Hams Hall, said: “The staff all felt this was a great charity to donate to as we all wanted to show our appreciation of what the Armed Forces personnel do for the nation.
“Although there was a lot of hard work involved, this celebration was a great experience for our staff. We are all vowing to do another event later on this year. It was thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding and we are thrilled to have raised over £1,100 for this great cause.”