Harbro Smashes Goal In 40th Birthday Year
Leading UK feed manufacturer, Harbro, has raised more than treble its original target in a year of fundraising to mark its 40th year in business. The directors of Harbro Ltd, which provides innovative nutritional advice and solutions, and has 19 country stores, set the staff a challenge to raise £40,000 over the year. Through a diverse range of initiatives, the total raised is £131,128, which will be divided between four main charities – Kidney Kids Scotland, the type 1 diabetes charity JDRF, British Heart Foundation and CLAN Cancer Support – and 18 other charities put forward by the regional offices and country stores.
The presentations were made to the charities by Harbro Chairman Peter Kenyon and Managing Director Graham Baxter on Thursday, 24th August at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie. Mr Baxter, first involved in the business when it started in 1977 to provide feed and advice to pig farmers in the North-East, said:
“Hundreds of miles have been run, walked and cycled, acres of tablet made and sold, a sheep weighed, management staff ‘gunged’, three mens’ legs shaved, a fashion show staged and a ball held, in a truly magnificent effort from all the staff. We are so proud of their efforts and to have raised such a phenomenal sum and to be able to help so many worthwhile causes. It’s a very rewarding and memorable way to mark our 40th year.”
Two of the charities, JDRF and Kidney Kids Scotland have close personal links with Graham Baxter and Harbro Chairman, Peter Kenyon. Two years ago, Graham Baxter’s six-year-old grandson was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a life-long autoimmune condition that requires 24-hour care and it has been a big adjustment for Sam and his family.
Peter Kenyon’s daughter Kate, now 24, suffered from kidney failure as a young girl as result of E. coli 0157 infection. She received her first kidney transplant aged seven and a second kidney last year with a period of four years of dialysis in between.
Zoe Barbour, CLAN Cancer Support’s Planned Giving Manager, said: “We are delighted that Harbro and its staff chose to support CLAN Cancer Support. This generous donation will support our new caner wellbeing centre in Inverurie in its first year – supporting those from the town, and surrounding areas, who are living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis.”
Staff at the regional offices and Harbro Country Stores have also nominated their own charities to support, and 50% of their individual fundraising efforts - £17,998 - will go to their chosen charities. The other 50% will be added to the main fundraising pot to be divided between the main four charities.
Harbro started with just 10 employees in 1977 to provide nutritional advice and feed supplements to pig farmers in the north-east of Scotland, and now has 427 employees and a turnover of £100m. Forty years on, Harbro trades throughout the UK and has a growing export business, manufacturing feed for farm livestock and poultry, innovative nutritional solutions and mobile mixing on-farm. In recent years, it has also established 19 country stores across Scotland providing both the farming and wider rural community with animal health products, farming supplies, equestrian and pet food, and accessories.
