Business Fives sporting fundraisers pass £1 million mark

The latest Edinburgh leg of “Business Fives”, a corporate charity football event, proved a spectacular success with £8,926 raised for various local and national good causes and came after organisers announced they had now passed the £1 million mark in overall donations.

In the latest instalment Steedman & Co. were top fundraisers, raising £2,040 for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.

They beat totals of £1,510 and £1,840 for Dales Marine Services and Multrees Investor Services who were fundraising for Andys Man Club and the Rock Trust respectively.

In the Champions League section the Incentive Games team regained their Edinburgh Summer title and a £350 donation, which is being put towards a GoFundMe campaign for a Molli suit for their colleague’s son.

A Molli suit is a jacket and trousers that uses electrical stimulation to help people with movement disorders and other disabilities.

Incentive Games’ victory came after a 1-0 final victory against Multrees Investor Services.

 Both teams, alongside semi-finalists Dales Marine Services and Dickson Minto,  qualified for the national final on Friday, 18 October in Glasgow.

Europa League winners, Principal & Prosper, not only claimed victory but also earned a £150 donation for Held in our Hearts, adding to the £650 they had already raised overcoming Blue Float Energy Nadara Partnership who made an impressive debut.

Principal & Prosper also secured a spot at the national final as Johnston Carmichael rounded out the qualifying teams by winning the ECL, adding £100 to their total of £160 for Alzheimer Scotland after overcoming Turner & Townsend in the final.

 Jamie MacLennan (Johnston Carmichael) was the tournament’s top goal-scorer, while Craig Rutherford (Incentive Games) claimed both the Golden Glove and Player of the Match awards for his standout performance in the final.

Kira Sutter from Edinburgh Trams earned the Ladies Player of the Tournament award for her “fantastic” play helping the team to the Quarter finals.

A special shoutout to ex-pro Marvin Bartley, who added an extra layer of excitement to the day by sharing stories from his career and presenting the awards.

On breaking the £1 million barrier in charitable donations John McClarey, founder and Managing Director, said: “When I set up Business Fives we made a company commitment to donate 10 per cent of our revenue to charity, and I’m really proud to still honour to that commitment.”

Initially a one-person operation, the company now employs a strong team travelling the country delivering innovative sports events annually through a unique business model. 

With most major cities in the UK serviced by the football, golf, touch rugby and esports events, the company now delivers around 100 events a year culminating in National Finals in Ireland, Scotland and England with further events in Wales and Holland.

The football events have involved 4,896 teams engaging in 14,133 matches scoring an astounding 68,492 goals. Each event has contributed to the remarkable £1,000,000 milestone, highlighting the synergy between business sports and charitable giving.

The feedback from supported charities has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the significant impact of the funds raised. The biggest event had 46 companies involved, and the most recent National Final was the highest fundraising event delivered by Business Fives with delivered with £27,844 distributed to various causes on the day.  

Other memorable milestones have included the first National Final at Lesser Hampden back in 2016 won by Doosan Babcock, an amazing golfing season finale in St Andrews, and reaching the £100,000 mark raised for charity in 2019.

John McClarey added: “It was just over a year ago we surpassed the £500k milestone in May 2023 and to now have reached £1 million is something myself and the team are hugely proud of.  Our clients continue to go above and beyond with new and innovative fundraising ideas and our clients have demonstrated their commitment to making a difference in their communities.

“Our future goals are being re-evaluated and we truly hope to one day reach the £10 million milestone. We have global ambitions to expand the reach and impact of our brand beyond the borders of the UK and have already started to do this in Ireland, Amsterdam, and further into Europe.”