GRAF raises the game year after year

How did this partnership grow and how have they raised over £83,000 for the hospice?

GRAF UK started off small, with a few fundraising activities and donations before deciding to take part in the 2019/20 Accumulator Challenge. It was their first time taking part in the challenge, raising over £7,000 for the hospice and winning the Creativity Award; but it was only just the start of bigger things to come.

When Covid-19 hit the UK in 2020, fundraising and the Accumulator Challenge took a break and it wasn’t until 2022 that GRAF re-kindled their relationship with the hospice. The Moonlight Walk was back that summer and GRAF were keen to be involved, after one of their colleagues passed away at the hospice.

They sponsored Mile 1 at the Moonlight Walk in memory of Gavin and turned up on the night in their 80s’ gear, with water pistols and sweets, giving the walkers a soaking and a sweet treat as they set off on the 10-mile walk. The following year, GRAF continued to support the event as the official T-shirt sponsors.

Over the years, GRAF have continued to support our events through sponsorship, including our annual Open Gardens campaign, the Tractor Run and this year’s Accumulator Challenge.  

The team have also held four very successful golf days over the years, bringing together clients, suppliers and local businesses for a great day of golf, entertainment, friendly competition and networking. The events have been a great way for the business to show their support to the hospice and raise over £27,000!

The Accumulator Challenge steals the show

However, it’s the Accumulator Challenge where the team have shone and come into their own. The 2019/20 challenge was just a warmup and when they took part in the challenge in 2023/24 they were determined to steal the crown from Dematic and win the title of the Ultimate Accumulator. And they did just that. GRAF raised £15,305 and won the Ultimate Accumulator Award, plus the Most Money Raised Award after taking part in a 24-hour virtual rowing challenge, where the team rowed 344 miles from the Banbury to Glasgow offices.  

Not content with raising over £15,000, the following year they wanted to go bigger and set themselves the momentous challenge of completing a triathlon between Glasgow and Banbury in January 2025, as part of the 2024/25 Accumulator Challenge. A team of 12 took on the cold winter weather and the gruelling terrain of over 400 miles, passing iconic landmarks, such as the Kingston Bridge and historic dockyards. 

They completed the challenge over five days and ended the trek at Lock29 in Banbury, where they were joined by family, friends and colleagues for celebrations. That year, GRAF UK raised £25,416 and took home three awards: Most Money Raised by a Business, the Ultimate Accumulator and the inaugural GRAF UK Extreme Challenge Award, making them the most successful team in Accumulator Challenge history.  

Gifts in kind and pro bono work

It’s not just about the fundraising; the generosity from GRAF through gifts in kind and pro-bono work has been overwhelming. As the fastest-growing supplier of sustainable water management systems in the UK and home garden suppliers, they have donated some fantastic prizes for our raffles and supported the Open Gardens campaign.

More recently, they have supported the hospice through creating professional video content for our community united since 1985 campaign, the 2025/26 Accumulator Challenge and are booked in to film a promotional video for the 2025 Tractor Run and The Big Give too. By supporting us this way, the business is helping us to reduce costs, all while providing a fantastic fundraising experience for our supporters, which means more money that we raise goes back to supporting our patients and their loved ones.  

Callum Vallance-Poole from the team said: “We’ve chosen Katharine House Hospice to be our charity partner because of their work for our community. Despite being a national business, we always support our local hospice with every charity event we do.”

“Every member of our team has indirectly received support from the hospice. Many of us have had friends and family receive excellent care from the hospice, and it was only a few years ago that one of our own received care at Katharine House. We saw first-hand the care and support the hospice provided for his loved ones, and by consistently supporting the hospice, we know that other families that are going through tough times will receive the same level of care.” Callum Vallance-Poole

Thank you GRAF UK

Thank you to the whole team at GRAF UK for their endless support and dedication. They always go the extra mile, or 344 miles, to support their local hospice and we look forward to continuing our partnership for many years to come.  

GRAF are a great example of how your business can support their local hospice through various activities. Find out more how you can get involved.   

Read move about GRAF and their full Accumulator Challenge story.