Exeter charity gets back on its feet after office fire
Surf Life Saving GB, a charity of more than 6,000 volunteers helping to make the country’s beaches safer places, is celebrating moving into its new offices following a fire in Exeter’s Southernhay three weeks ago (2nd November).
A fire in the ground floor of its shared office building in Southernhay, meant Surf Life Saving GB’s national headquarters were deemed unsafe and the charity was effectively made immediately homeless.
As a charity, there is very little cash kept in reserve, with the majority being reinvested into projects to help educate and train volunteers and local communities.
Since the fire on 2nd November, many local businesses have kindly offered support to the charity. IT Champion – providers of IT support to Surf Life Saving GB, and Every’s Solicitors have generously housed two SLSGB staff members for nearly three weeks.
Local PR consultant Glen King provided her services free of charge to share the charity’s cause in the local media, resulting in considerable offers from other businesses. Members of The Business Network South West have also donated nearly £300.
Exeter based ATASS Group kindly donated office furniture including filing cabinets and meeting room chairs, and Bristol company TC Group gave a range of other furniture which will help furnish Surf Life Saving GB’s new office at 18 Southernhay West. Van Man Exeter donated their time to collect, deliver and assemble these donations.
Local printing company Peninsular Print have donated a sign and many other local businesses have made kind offers.
Esther Pearson, Chief Executive at Surf Life Saving GB said:
“We are so grateful for all the support we’ve received. It has been a tricky time for us and we’re now starting to get settled into our new offices, and sitting very comfortably on our wonderful new donated furniture! The donations of help and furniture are so welcome, and IT Champion and Every’s have been amazingly hospitable over the past few weeks, without which we would have struggled to operate. It just shows how much kindness there is in the Exeter business community.”
Van Man Exeter proprietor Mike Bradley said: “We helped the charity move offices earlier this year so were particularly sorry to hear about the fire. I immediately got in touch with Surf Life Saving GB to offer to relocate them for free.”
Vanessa Cobb, Chief Executive, ATASS Respect said: “The work of Surf Life Saving GB is paramount to keeping our beaches safe and when we heard about the fire naturally we wanted to help.
“Offering the charity some office furniture was a natural way for us to make a modest contribution, particularly as the idea fits perfectly with our interests in re-cycling and community partnership.”
