Lord Mayor says a 'really big' thank you to Simpkins Edwards

The Lord Mayor of Exeter, Councillor Mrs Olwen Foggin, along with Past Lord Mayors, hosted a thank you reception at the Guildhall in Exeter in honour of chartered accountancy firm Simpkins Edwards on 4th August 2015.

For the past 12 years, Simpkins Edwards has organised and hosted the Really Big Quiz, which pits teams from businesses around the city against each other to discover Exeter’s brainiest business – raising thousands for the Lord Mayor’s charity in the process. The reception was held to extend a thank you for all the work the team from Simpkins Edwards has put into the event, which continues to grow year-on-year both in terms of number of teams entering and money raised.

The Really Big Quiz, held at the Corn Exchange in May each year, features several challenging rounds of themed questions, as well as a raffle and auction, with prizes donated by local businesses. In total Simpkins Edwards has raised £53,981 for the Lord Mayor of Exeter’s chosen charities since 2003, including an impressive £8,141 this year for Exeter Leukaemia Fund (ELF).

The Lord Mayor of Exeter, Councillor Mrs Olwen Foggin said: “I was approached by one of our Past Lord Mayors, Councillor Rachel Lyons, who suggested that we hold a reception at the Guildhall to thank those at Simpkins Edwards, particularly Sharon Roberts and John Coombs, for all their hard work. I think it was an excellent idea and I am honoured to be the one to host the event along with my predecessors.”

“We’re touched by this lovely gesture from the Lord Mayor’s office,” added John Coombs, partner at Simpkins Edwards. “The whole team here at Simpkins Edwards looks forward to the Really Big Quiz every year and although it’s a lot of hard work, it’s also a great deal of fun – we hope the participating teams agree! We must add our thanks to all the businesses that have donated raffle and auction prizes over the years, as well as the Sea Cadets who assist with collecting the answers and James Morrish of Kivells whose entertaining auction slot has become a real highlight of the evening in recent years.”