Midas are quick on the draw to build up funds

CITY businesses have rallied round to help Midas Group with its Dragon's Challenge fundraising effort.

Staff at the construction and property services firm based on Pynes Hill are organising a grand prize draw, which they hope will raise thousands of pounds for the NSPCC's South West Child's Voice appeal.

The company has put up a top prize of £1,000, along with the third prize of a Samsung netbook and fourth prize of a Samsung Vodafone mobile phone.

Sony UK have donated the second prize of a 40-inch, full HD LCD television.

Shirley-Anne Fison, executive PA to Midas chairman Steve Hindley CBE, is organising the draw with help from colleagues Elaine Johnson and David Beaton.

She said they had received invaluable help from other Exeter businesses free of charge.

Marcus Bennett, of AB Design, designed the tickets and emails to publicise the draw.

"Then we spoke to Michelmores, who were amazing, and Andrew Maynard checked all the legal aspects of us doing a draw," said Shirley-Anne.

"The next problem was nearly a show-stopper — I needed to find a printer who could do a colour, double-sided ticket. Andrew put me onto Henry Luce, at Kall Kwik, who printed us 20,000 tickets.

"It's been absolutely marvellous, and none of them have asked for anything in return."

The draw will take place on Friday, March 19. And because all the prizes have been donated, 100 per cent of the money raised through ticket sales will go to the appeal.

"What we are trying to do is persuade people not just to buy tickets for themselves but to distribute them at their Christmas parties or sell them to their family and friends and at any clubs or societies they are involved in," said Shirley-Anne.

Midas signed up to the Dragon's Challenge after Mr Hindley, the Deputy Lieutenant of Devon, attended NSPCC fundraising events and learned about the charity from Deborah Meaden.

Deborah, who chairs the South West Child's Voice appeal, has pledged to spend a day with the company which raises the most money during the Dragon's Challenge.

Shirley-Anne added: "I visited the Child Line call centre in Exeter with Andrea Tripp, development manager for the NSPCC in the South West.

"When we went into the room where the calls were being answered I could see the volunteers were all busy with calls and others were dropping off the switchboard. That really worried me because I could imagine the children who had found the courage to phone in but there just weren't enough volunteers to take their calls.

"Andrea said they have to get more volunteers and need money to train them, so that's what incentivised me to get involved and my colleagues feel the same."

In addition to organising the grand draw, Shirley-Anne has secured around £3,500 in donations for the appeal from Midas' clients and contractors, including Jewsons, Lloyds TSB Autolease and Coutts.

"It's amazing — if you just ask people nicely, very often the answer is yes," she said.

Meanwhile, staff at Foot Anstey are organising a carol concert at Southernhay United Reformed Church, Dix's Field, at 8pm on Friday, December 11.

The audience will be invited to join in as the Plymouth Gilbert and Sullivan Fellowship perform a selection of comic and more traditional opera numbers, as well as seasonal carols.

Tickets for the carol concert cost £5, with some concessions available, and are available from Nicola Eagles on 01392 685251, by emailing ne@footanstey.com, and on the door.

Tickets for the prize draw cost £1 each and are available in books of five from Elaine Johnson on 01392 356218. Anyone willing to help sell tickets is also encouraged to get in touch.