Freemen & Friends

The Master Cutler's Challenge, 2019

Nick Cragg’s report on the Master Cutler’s Challenge, 2019.

The history of the Challenge is  well known, and the total sum raised over a 12 year period is now approaching £1.75m. The Challenge this year was also to keep up a momentum of fundraising which is always a challenge in itself after so many years.  The model was kept the same; recruit as many fundraising teams as possible, give each £50 seed corn funding and challenge them to convert it into as much as possible, provided it is legal and ethical!

This year 90 teams encompassing companies, schools, clubs, societies, families and groups of friends participated in the Challenge and whilst some previous participants understandably chose to sit the year out, there were plenty of new ones who were willing to take their place. What was important was the energy, enthusiasm and fun the teams brought to their fundraising.

To help to maintain the profile of the Challenge when it was running throughout the period of February to September, a number of supporting events were held. These included concerts by the Rotherham Symphony Orchestra, an evening of snooker with Dennis Taylor in the Cutlers’ Hall and, for the first time ever, a fund raising dinner held in London.

These two hospices are now caring for record numbers of patients and between them require £44,000 every day to maintain their levels of care.  The agreement with both hospices was that a top slice of the funds raised would be added to the giving from the Company of Cutlers, and distributed to a number of smaller charities across the region, so they too can benefit.

A full report is in the Annual Review for 2018-2019.