A popular sports-themed event is marking its return to Aberdeen by announcing its charitable trust status.
Sportschallenge will see businesses from across the north-east once again battle it out across four rounds of sports trivia in a Question of Sport-style quiz.
Previous events have raised more than £600,000 for local causes and as a result organisers have adopted a formal charitable status.
Sponsored by investment bank Piper Sandler, with support from CNR International, the event has boasted hosts including well-known sporting personalities Ally McCoist, Alan McInally, Jim White and Andy Nicol.
Host of north-east charities benefitted
Previous charities to be supported include Maggie’s, Children’s Aid (Scotland), Dyce-based Grampian MS Therapy Centre and Banchory dementia charity Forget-Me-Not.
This year’s supported charities will be announced at a later date.
The trustees appointed to the newly formed Sportschallenge Trust are Nick Dalgarno, managing director of Piper Sandler; Emma Anderson, event organiser; Barry Duncan, vice-president and finance director of CNR; Bob Bain, managing partner of Hall Morrice and Gillian Campbell, partner and head of the private wealth, tax and charities teams in the north of Scotland with Shepherd + Wedderburn.
Raise further funds
Mr Dalgarno said the new trust would now be able to raise funds for more local causes.
He said: “We’re delighted to have secured charitable status which means that we can now operate as a stand-alone charity and raise further funds outwith the event itself.
“We will continue to work with smaller, under-represented local charities, giving them a platform to tell their story to a new corporate audience.”
He added that the new charity would bolster support for charities that have struggled to raise funds during the pandemic.
“The past two years have been extremely challenging for the third sector, with many charities seeing their usual funding streams dry up at a time when their services are needed more than ever,” he said.
“We may be emerging from the consequences of the pandemic but the need for financial support against an increasingly difficult backdrop is becoming increasingly acute.
“Sportschallenge is about making a real difference for these groups by providing vital funding to help them continue to deliver the services which benefit so many local people.
“We’ve not been able to do that for the past two years, so this year’s event is more important than ever.”
Sportschallenge is about making a real difference for these groups by providing vital funding to help them continue to deliver the services which benefit so many local people.”
He said now was the time for businesses to sign up to take part in the event.
“That’s why we’re encouraging as many businesses as possible to sign up,” he said.
“It’s a way to financially support local causes, while letting your competitive spirit and sports knowledge loose in a highly entertaining way.”
This year’s event will take place at P&J Live on September 15 with the hosts to be announced at a later date.
For information on how to register for the event, contact Emma Anderson, Sportschallenge Trust, at emma@esme-ltd.com