Paula Christie, holding manager of the Abbey Inn on Barrhead Road in Paisley, has raised over £1,135 for Radio Clyde Cash for Kids with the help of her team.
Paula organised several events to take her over her target amount of £1,000 for Cash for Kids, a charity which supports children who are disabled, disadvantaged or suffering from abuse or neglect. That included an evening of live music, with local band The Dangerous Brothers performing, and a ‘Psychic Night’ with a fortune teller on hand to look into the Abbey Inn customers’ futures. Paula also put on a Halloween themed family party back in October and she and three colleagues took part in Linlithgow’s Annual Santa Dash to help bolster funds.
The initiative came as part of Paula’s participation in Stonegate Pub Company’s ‘Accelerator Programme’. She is one of only 22 talented employees to be selected from the pub company’s 724 sites, to take part in the course, developed as a fast track to managerial positions.
The Accelerator Programme is designed to give employees the tools to bridge the gap between Deputy Manager and General Manager, through education and dynamic group learning. The course aims to build the participant’s confidence, encourage continued independent learning and help them to work together effectively as team.
“I can’t believe we’ve managed to raise so much money for Radio Clyde’s Cash for Kids!” said Paula. “It’s an amazing charity that does incredible work for the vulnerable children of our community and the team and I are proud to be a part of that.
“I want to thank my colleagues for all of their help throughout the fundraising effort – especially Theresa Reagan, Paul Holsworth and Craig Burns, who ran the 5k Santa Dash with me, when all they really wanted to be doing was enjoying the festive season!
“I’m really happy to be doing the Accelerator Programme, particularly because I’ve just taken over the management of the Abbey Inn. It has been an invaluable part of my ability to successfully run the pub for our community and our customers.”
The Accelerator Programme in now in its 21st graduation cycle and has seen over 200 graduates promoted to General Manager across the company since it’s inception – together the participants have raised over £300,000 for UK charities between them.