DIY retailer raises three quarters of a million for Leukaemia Research in its first-ever national charity partnership.
The achievement coincided with the announcement that the partnership, which was due to end this year, would be extended to December 2010.

The £750,000 total was reached at the end of August and is a result of fundraising by Wickes colleagues, suppliers and customers since the partnership was first announced in October 2006. There have been collections outside stores twice a year for the past three years by a network of Leukaemia Research volunteers.

Wickes has produced fundraising merchandise, which was sold instore, including joke books, torch keyrings, air fresheners, chocolates and wristbands.

Employees in all 197 Wickes stores across the country have added to the total, with events, including family fun days, fancy dress days, head shaves and BBQs. Individual colleagues have thrown themselves into sponsored skydives, bikeathons, marathons, triathlons and even shark dives.

Wickes now hopes to raise over £1m during 2010 and managing director, Jeremy Bird, is leading the fundraising from the front. After raising over £15,000 for Leukaemia Research in 2006 by completing the 'Three Peaks Challenge', he and a group of Wickes colleagues are now planning to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in October this year.

He said: "To raise £750,000 is a brilliant achievement in our first ever charity partnership - we're delighted to extend it and look forward to working with Leukaemia Research to hit that one million pound mark."

Leukaemia Research director of fundraising Kate White said: "Wickes has shown an incredible commitment to fundraising for Leukaemia Research over the past three years. The fantastic total of £750,000 reached is down to the hard work and dedication of Wickes colleagues and the generosity of their customers and suppliers. All the money raised will go towards vital research into better treatments and cures for leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma."

For further information please contact Henry Winter at Leukaemia Research press office on 020 7269 9019, 07824 375880 or hwinter@lrf.org.uk