Ardonagh goes global this Give Back for Médecins Sans Frontières

13 September, 2024 |Ardonagh Group | Ardonagh Community Trust

On Thursday 5 September, we united across The Ardonagh Group and right around the world, in the spirit of community action to rally behind our global partner, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Since 2017, our annual charity event, Give Back, has acted as an opportunity to connect across our group of businesses to do good bigger and better. To date, through Give Back, alongside our Group charity ACT (Ardonagh Community Trust), we have raised over £900,000 and supported over 350 causes.

Like Ardonagh, Give Back has evolved and this year we went truly global in support of MSF and their incredibly work supporting communities no matter where and no matter what.

Day in, day out MSF's network of 50,000 people made up of doctors, logisticians, climate specialists, and more, help communities in 70+ countries. With no government support, they can reach places where other organisations simply cannot go to provide vital medial aid both in times of crisis and long-term projects, ranging from maternity wards to vaccinations programmes.

Having launched our partnership with MSF in January, we set the ambitious goal of raising £100,000 in our first year of partnership. Now, thanks to the action of our Ardonagh people, we have reached and surpassed that figure through Give Back.

All the action in our Give Back Showcase

Hundreds of colleagues took on our Miles for MSF challenge, completing one mile in any way they chose, with ACT making a £5 donation on their behalf for taking part. We saw our people take team lunchtime walks in Leicester, cycle in Portugal, run on the beach in Brazil, stroll around the sights in Sydney, take in the historic monuments in Athens, and get on a rowing machine in London.

As ever, there was plenty of fundraising action on top, from bake sales to 'director dunkings', and even a Jump to Group News group special charity performance by the MDS band, 'The Apolice', in Lisbon, Portugal.

All this alongside a live radio show, hosted by ACT, and which we were delighted to broadcast from the MSF office in central London. The show saw live crossovers to colleagues, interviews with MSF guests and news from all corners of the Group on their Give Back activities.

Watch the video to get a glimpse of the action from the day.

Grand totals revealed!

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that as a result of our colleague's collective efforts this Give Back, we have surpassed our £100,000 fundraising target for MSF.

£70,000 raised, including colleague efforts and match funding from ACT through concerts, games, bake sales and more.
7,000 miles completed in our Miles for MSF challenge, and enough to travel from London to New York and back again!

Meaning overall, this year we have raised a spectacular £117,000 for MSF, far surpassing our goal of £100,000.

This equates to building and kitting out two inflatable hospitals, including the building structure, surgery kits, wound dressing supplies, antibiotics and oxygen.

The impact of the money goes far beyond the medical aid it enables, but also the lives, families and communities it touches.

We at MSF are incredibly grateful to have been the beneficiaries of Ardonagh’s amazing fundraising efforts over Give Back. When I think of that child we can treat for malaria, the mothers we can safely deliver, the small newborns we can provide special care to, and the children we can vaccinate to protect them from outbreaks, because of your generosity, it is very difficult for me to imagine that my thanks to you could begin to do justice to the difference that your help will make to people's lives. But I will try my best. On behalf of our patients, thank you.

Without supporters like you we would have no medicine in those syringes, no drugs in that cupboard, no oxygen to give. I am in the very fortunate position of being able to witness the impact of gifts like yours on our patients we are treating, and often wish I could find a way to communicate how important your generosity has been, so that you can see what I see. To give a concrete example, the £70,000 you raised could construct five hospital maternity delivery rooms, with capacity to perform up to 50 safe deliveries per day, and provide special care to five small or sick newborns at a time. Amazing private support like yours means together we can really make a positive impact on the lives of so many. Neal Russell, Paediatrics Advisor at MSF UK

Give Back Gallery

With so many teams and offices taking part in the day, we had to share just some of the fantastic photos from right around The Ardonagh Group.

Aviso Broking in Australia took on their Miles for MSF challenge with true team spirit.

Whilst the Envest team took in a recognisable sight, the Sydney Opera House.

In Amsterdam, Klap donned orange and went on a 'Dutch Mile', or 1.6km, for their Mile for MSF.

Eventually reaching the Rainbow Bridge in the city.

In Germany, Junge & Co got dressed up in true Give Back spirit.

And had a couple of four-legged friends join them on their walk around Lake Aster in Hamburg.

Arachas in Ireland were also marking their 20th anniversary, combining Give Back fundraising with their celebrations.

The RiskSTOP team joined together for MSF and a team photo.

Towergate in Portsmouth made sure to be on brand as they went for their mile.

In London, Ardonagh Specialty set up a whole suite of rowing machines, bikes and pull up bars to get as many miles completed as possible.

Team spirit was high at Finch, where colleagues pedalled their way through their Miles for MSF.

Taking action year round to Give Back bigger

Give Back is an annual event, but ACT is here to support our Ardonagh people around the world year-round through our funding programmes, including match funding, grants and volunteering.

Visit the ACT website ardonaghtrust.org

Follow ACT on Instagram @ardonaghCT

Get in touch with the ACT team using info@ardonaghtrust.org