Staff at Argos on The Headrow in Leeds used a £20 voucher from their employer to buy a Christmas hamper to raffle for 5 WAYS.
The raffle ran in the run up to Christmas and raised £205.18. Sainsbury’s Argos, who donated the initial voucher, then matched the money the staff raised to give a total donation of £410.36.
This was as part of the Sainsbury’s Argos ‘Help Brighten a Million Christmases’ campaign.
5 WAYS Manager Jo Byrden said: “We are really grateful to the team at Argos for all their hard work in raising this money. The donation will go directly to support the members here at 5 WAYS. It will allow us to put on additional activities for those who rely on our hub.”
Sue Abbott, who works at Argos on The Headrow, made the initial suggestion to raise funds for 5 WAYS after she visited the centre and saw the work that takes place there.
Sue said: “The reason for choosing 5 WAYS as our charity partner was to raise awareness of this fantastic service. I was completely blown away by this hidden gem that is 5 WAYS and left in awe of the admiration for the work that Jo, Helen and the team are doing.
“The facilities & services on offer to help people abstain from addiction are outstanding and the input and contributions from the members are amazing and inspiring.”
Following Sue’s visit a number of the Argos staff visited 5 WAYS and had a tour before deciding to raise funds for the service in 2021.
Sue added: “The whole team got involved in setting up our display in-store. We were all able to confidently speak to customers about 5 WAYS, explaining to them why we were fundraising, but more importantly who we were fundraising for.”
In addition to the money raised by the raffle the staff at Argos also decided to buy a gift each for 5 WAYS to distribute to members who may not otherwise have received a Christmas gift.
5 WAYS is the Leeds centre for those in recovery from an alcohol or drug misuse issue. It offers a range of courses, activities, groups and support to people who have become abstinent so they can sustain their recovery and rebuild their lives.