Background
The Hive, Wirral Youth Zone relies heavily on funding from its patrons and sponsors, whose generous contributions combine to cover 50% of the facility’s annual running costs. This funding ensures The Hive can continue to deliver its first-class offer to young people in Wirral, providing them with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.
As The Hive entered its third year in existence, the need to nurture and maintain a broad network of supporters by building relationships with philanthropic organisations and individuals was as pressing as ever.
Artemis was retained to provide fundraising consultancy to The Hive and created two event concepts for The Hive – the Hive Ladies Christmas Lunch and The Hive Pub Quiz Challenge.
The purpose of The Hive Ladies Christmas Lunch was to promote The Hive’s vision and objectives to existing and potential supporters in a meaningful and enjoyable way.
Artemis wanted to create an event which would become a national fundraising initaitive for The Hive and which would result in a Ladies Fundraising Committee being established. By founding The Hive’s inaugural Ladies’ Lunch event, Artemis achieved these objectives.
Our Role
Providing an end-to-end events management service, Artemis’ events professionals applied their many years of experience to:
- Create the concept of the event as a festive themed lunch, exclusively for influential females in Wirral and create an opportunity to launch The Hive's Ladies Fundraising Committe
- Research and book the prestigious Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa
- Approach sponsors for the event
- Suggest, approach and brief event speakers
- Secure a variety of retailers for the pop-up Christmas market at the event
- Sell tickets to 190 individuals, with leading businesses including Grant Thornton and Hill Dickinson represented along with Wirral Chamber of Commerce
- Manage the catering, dress the room and liaise with hotel events staff
- Oversee the design of all related marketing materials; invites, menus, programme
What We Delivered
Drawing upon their extensive network of contacts, Artemis secured almost 200 people to attend The Hive’s inaugural Ladies’ Lunch event, giving the Youth Zone access to a large pool of prospective supporters and offering the ideal platform to tell its story to a host of new faces.
Artemis secured £11,000 of sponsorship to support the event and raised more than £8000 on the day through ticket sales. The funds raised to help launch a special Hive project aimed at building confidence and positive body image for young women.
Artemis helped to secure an excellent range of speakers. Sandra Kirkham, Chair of the Wirral Chamber of Commerce Board and Managing Director of the Progress to Excellence Group sponsored and hosted the event. Other speakers included hair and beauty industry legends Andrew and Liz Collinge, who spoke passionately about why they support The Hive, along with Warrington-based community reform campaigner and UK Victims' Commissioner Baroness Newlove who shared her experiences and spoke about her own involvement with the Onside Youth Zone Network.
Emma and her team brought almost 200 guests together to celebrate the life and work of The Hive. Event sponsor, Sandra Kirkham (Group Managing Director of Progress to Excellence Limited) and a passionate advocate of The Hive, urged everyone to join in support of The Hive’s new Bee Yourself initiative - a programme aimed at providing young people with the confidence and skills needed to overcome life’s challenges and forge happier, healthier, more aspirational lives.
Guest speakers Baroness Newlove and Andrew and Liz Collinge each gave a very personal and warm endorsement of The Hive, having seen its transformational impact upon children and young people, the benefits of which are resonating right across Wirral. The event was a moving and inspiring start to the Christmas season, proving that in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of seasonal joy!