The company, which also has offices in Manchester and Kent, raised no less than £90,000 from a year-long campaign for Challenge Cancer UK which included a 300-mile cycle ride through South East Asia.

The charity presented Coolair with its first-ever Outstanding Contribution Award in appreciation of the biggest donation from any business that it had ever worked with.
Regional Director Neil Gibbard, who organised the campaign, received the glass star trophy from Challenge Cancer UK Founder Mark Roberts on behalf of the company. He was also made a Corporate Ambassador for the charity.

The 45-year-old from Sutton Coldfield worked with Coolair supplier and business partner Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning Systems in recruiting and leading a team of 18 staff and customers on an epic six-day bike ride from Saigon in Vietnam to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Neil also organised a summer ball at Aston Wood Golf Club with Mark Roberts as a speaker and a sporting dinner at Moxhull Hall Hotel with former England footballer Paul Merson, along with other activities ranging from cake sales to golf days.

Coolair staff adopted Challenge Cancer UK as the charity for their 35th anniversary year after they were moved to learn that it distributes its funds to cancer charities throughout the journey of cancer from awareness and prevention to research and respite.

Neil Gibbard said: “It was an honour to receive this prestigious award on behalf of Coolair and to have been appointed a corporate ambassador for Challenge Cancer UK and I look forward to continuing to represent, support and raise funds for such a deserving charity.”

He added: “We are very proud of our staff who in only 12 months achieved this amazing sum which was way beyond our expectations.”

Mark Roberts commented: “Neil and his team at Coolair, along with their staff and customers, have been fantastic throughout our year of association and the huge amount of money they raised will go a long way to making a real difference to the lives of others.”