Love is in the air at Marriott Motor Group

East Anglian Daily Times: Marriott Motor Group - love local for charityMarriott Motor Group - love local for charity (Image: Archant)

Staff at one of East Anglia’s leading motor groups helped to spread the love this Valentine’s after raising funds for Suffolk and Norfolk community groups.

Employees at Marriott Motor Group helped raise more than £1,000 for the Suffolk Community Foundation and Norfolk Community Foundation, as part of its ‘Love Local’ event.

Love could be found on the forecourt at Bury St Edmunds Volkswagen, which was packed full with red cars while Wolsey Van Centre filled a Caddy van with red balloons, offering customers the chance to guess how many there were with the closest guess securing a prize.

To help boost the funds raised the Marriott Motor Group’s 15 sites, across Suffolk and Norfolk, hosted charity bake-off’s and supported the event with a dress down day as well as offering a car washing service and raffles, to win various prizes.

Community foundations are the fastest growing UK-wide funders of local charities and voluntary organisations, helping local charities such as Suffolk Accident Rescue Centre and The Shelley Centre for Therapeutic Riding.

Paul Barnard, managing director at Marriott Motor Group, said: “I am thrilled that so many staff at our Volkswagen, Audi, Renault, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Dacia, Skoda and Trade Part Services sites got involved and showed great enthusiasm towards the fundraising activities.

“We, as a company, wanted to support as many local charities as we could so the Community Foundations seemed an obvious choice.

“Everyone was so generous with their donation. We are grateful to both staff and customers for their support.”

Tim Holder, development director at Suffolk Community Foundation, said: “We were delighted that the Marriott Motor Group chose to support us. The ‘Love Local’ event is the latest way their businesses have come together to help raise funds for causes that matter right across the county.

He added: “We very grateful to their contribution, which will be passed on to groups in our local communities, at a time when there is such a great need for help.”

Anna Douglas, marketing and development manager at the Norfolk Community Foundation, said: “We are delighted that the Marriott Motor Group and its customers supported us.

“The money raised will be placed in our Love Norfolk Fund which provides grants to support local community projects and plays an important role in helping to meet pressing local need.”