CRASH announced the final figure raised for its Hard Hat Appeal at a sponsored 'bash' in London yesterday. Thanks to the strong support from the building industry, the charity for the homeless exceeded its £200,000 target and raised a grand total £275,000 during its 15th anniversary last year.

The 'CRASH Bash' was well attended by familiar faces from both the construction and property sectors, the charity's core supporters. Tom Biddlecombe, CRASH Director, thanked the guests for their generosity:

"2006 was our 15th anniversary. We marked this by creating the Hard Hat Appeal which set a target of £200,000. This was far more than we normally raise, so it was quite a challenge. The result was an amazing £275,000 raised, for which we thank you."

Throughout 2006, the industry embraced the Appeal wholeheartedly and signed up for a variety of challenges and actively fundraised. From dressing down to work in red, trekking Mount Kilimanjaro, running a half marathon, cycling from London to Paris, splashing about in a Chinese dragon boat race, to the more traditional method of making a direct cash donation!

Several well known industry events such as the CoreNet Global Corporate Real Estate Awards and the annual Construction Product Association luncheon also fundraised for the Appeal by organising a raffle in aid of CRASH. Some companies went a step further by supporting the Contract Journal initiative and donated funds for a percentage of its annual turnover, total number of employees or site safety records; and raised in access of £18,000 for the Appeal! The charity's annual No Christmas Card campaign also reached a milestone last year when 86 companies generously donated their Christmas cards budget and raised a record figure of £90,000!

Biddlecombe explained:
"You have enabled us to fulfil our aim of the Appeal which is to help more voluntary agencies to fund the refurbishment costs of the buildings where they provide crucial services to help the homeless. The Appeal money is already allocated to four projects in Wigan, Edinburgh, Okehampton and London. These projects are helping their clients to rediscover their selfÐworth to get them back on their feet. Creating a well designed, high quality environment is important in helping these agencies do this. We will donate more of the funds in the coming months."

A similar sponsored gathering was also held in the North West to thank the charity's supporters in the region. A huge number of construction and property firms in Manchester signed up to support the Appeal, notably the launch of the first, and very successful, Building Dragon Boat Challenge in the city.

Biddlecombe concluded by sharing with guests CRASH's award as Britain's eighth most admired charity in 2006 by Third Sector - a leading voluntary sector magazine with 20,000 strong readership. The judges were impressed by the charity's unique partnership with the building industry in helping the homeless. He dedicated the nomination to the industry for being part of that success and enabling CRASH to help alleviate homelessness in our society today.