The challenge also delivered a significant impact for local charities. The Lewis Foundation had the highest number of fundraising teams supporting its cause and those teams collectively raised almost £20,000 to help fund the charity’s work supporting adult cancer patients undergoing treatment in hospital.

Commenting on the challenge, Emily Griffiths from The Lewis Foundation said:

“The Challenge offers a unique way to raise funds and get the community involved rather than traditional fundraising. It costs £3.60 to provide a gift pack so with the amount raised, there’s going to be lots of people we can support through a really dark time.”

A Challenge That Brings Everyone Together

Andrea Smith, Equity Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said:

“Every year we are amazed by the enthusiasm, creativity and commitment shown by our teams. The £50 Challenge starts with a simple idea – taking £50 and turning it into something bigger, but what participants achieve goes far beyond fundraising alone.

The challenge brings people together, develops entrepreneurial skills and, most importantly, creates a lasting impact for local charities and the communities they support. We are incredibly proud of every team that took part and grateful to all of our charity partners, sponsors, supporters and volunteers who helped make this year’s challenge such a success.”

The £50 Challenge was launched by Franklins Solicitors in 2018 and continues to encourage businesses and community groups to develop entrepreneurial skills while making a meaningful difference to local causes.

Franklins Solicitors LLP is excited to announce the 12 charities that will be supported in the Franklins £50 Challenge 2026, taking place from 23rd February to 29th May 2026.

Charities Selected for the £50 Challenge 2026

The selected charities include returning favourites: The Northampton Hope Centre, Cynthia Spencer Hospice, The Lewis Foundation, The Air Ambulance Service, Arthur Ellis Mental Health Foundation and Rainbows Hospice.

New charity partners joining the challenge for 2026 are: Action 4 Youth, FoodCycle, Spinal Injuries Association, MK Snap, Milton Keynes Community Foundation and Medical Detection Dogs.

How the Franklins £50 Challenge Works

The annual challenge sees local businesses and organisations form teams. Each team selects one of the participating charities they wish to support. Franklins provides each team with £50, which they must use creatively to raise as much money as possible for their chosen charity during the three month challenge. This year, the campaign raised nearly £60,000 and the firm hopes to surpass this total in 2026.

Words from Franklins Solicitors

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors and champion of the initiative said:

“The £50 Challenge is a brilliant way for local businesses and organisations to get involved in fundraising while supporting the charities that matter most to them. We can’t wait to see the creativity and energy that next year’s teams bring to the campaign.”

Charity Partners Share Their Thoughts

Charities from previous years are looking forward to seeing the results.

Nina Gandy, Corporate Partnerships Fundraiser Lead at Cynthia Spencer Hospice said:

“The challenge is a fun and inspiring way to engage local supporters. Watching the teams come up with creative ways to fundraise is always amazing. As a charity it is an honour to have been part of the challenge since the very beginning and we can’t wait to see what 2026 brings!”

Rebecca Starmer, Corporate Partnership Fundraiser at Rainbows Hospice said:

‘I love this campaign. Last year was the first year we’d taken part and we’re thrilled to have been chosen again. It means so much to the young people we support and it’s a great opportunity to raise awareness of the support services we offer.’

New charity partners are equally enthusiastic.

Sallie Stone-Bearne, Fundraiser for the Spinal Injuries Association said:

“Being chosen as a charity partner is an honour. We’re excited to see the innovative ideas teams come up with to raise funds for our cause.”

Charlotte Richardson, Corporate Partnerships Manager for Medical Detection Dogs said:

“We’re thrilled to have been chosen for the campaign – it’s a great platform to raise awareness of our work, develop relationships with local businesses and raise vital funds at the same time.”

Looking Ahead to the 2026 Challenge

The Franklins £50 Challenge, now in its ninth year, continues to support local charities while fostering collaboration and creativity. Businesses interested in forming a team can register their interest via www.franklins50.co.uk.

Record 60 Teams Sign Up for the 2025 Franklins £50 Challenge

A record number of 60 teams have signed up to take part in the Franklins £50 Challenge to raise money for 12 local charities across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes.

The Apprentice-style challenge sees each team receive £50 in seed funding from the organisers – leading legal firm Franklins Solicitors LLP. The 2025 challenge began on Monday 24 February and runs until Friday 23 May, giving participants three months to creatively turn their £50 into as much money as possible for their chosen charity.

This year’s teams come from a broad range of sectors and backgrounds – from sole traders like Mindy Robinson of SophistiCake Creations in Northampton, to large corporate teams from the likes of John Lewis & Partners. Participants represent industries such as accountancy, law, agriculture, recruitment, training, hospitality, catering, manufacturing, marketing, insurance and more.

A Tradition of Creativity and Impact

In previous years, fundraising efforts have included bake sales, raffles, retro movie nights, stone-baked pizza lunches, 12-hour bike rides, football tournaments, lawn mowing services and other inventive ideas – all geared toward making a meaningful difference in the community.

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors LLP, said:

“It is inspiring to see so many teams deciding to sign up and the variety of organisations they are from, all with the same aim of bringing help and hope to local communities within Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes. With a record 12 charities set to benefit from the 2025 challenge, we are looking forward to seeing the creative ways the teams turn £50 into substantial funds which can really make a difference.”

Charities Benefiting from the 2025 Challenge

• Cynthia Spencer Hospice
• Northampton Hope Centre
• The Lewis Foundation
• Willen Hospice
• YMCA
• Shay’s Smiles
• Milton Keynes Hospital Charity
• Age UK Milton Keynes
• The Air Ambulance Service
• Arthur Ellis Mental Health Foundation
• Al’s Pals
• Rainbows Hospice

To learn more about the challenge, visit the official website: www.franklins50.co.uk.

Follow the campaign’s journey and fundraising highlights on social media:

• Facebook: Franklins Solicitors LLP
• @franklinssols on Instagram

Franklins £50 Challenge 2025 Welcomes Record Number of Charity Partners

Milton Keynes and Northampton are poised to see a significant boost in charitable support thanks to the Franklins £50 Challenge, an innovative fundraising initiative inspired by the Apprentice. Franklins Solicitors LLP has selected a record 12 charities from over 40 applicants to benefit from the 2025 campaign, including seven new partners that are joining the initiative for the first time.

The participating charity partners for 2025 include:

• Northampton Hope Centre
• Cynthia Spencer Hospice
• The Lewis Foundation
• Willen Hospice
• YMCA

New additions to this year’s line-up are:

• Age UK Milton Keynes
• The Air Ambulance Service
• The Arthur Ellis Mental Health Foundation
• Headway
• Milton Keynes Hospital Charity
• Rainbows Hospice
• Shay’s Smiles

The Franklins £50 Challenge invites local businesses to form teams that each receive £50 seed funding from Franklins Solicitors. Over the course of three months, these teams are tasked with creatively transforming their initial investment into substantial funds for their chosen charities. Participants can employ a variety of fundraising methods, from bake sales to barbecues, auctions, car washes and more.

Since its inception in 2018, the Franklins £50 Challenge has successfully raised over £135,000 for local charities while shining a spotlight on their invaluable contributions to the community. The 2025 challenge will run from February 24th to May 23rd, under the tagline: “Local Help and Hope for Every Generation.”

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said:

“Each year, the £50 Challenge continues to grow and attract more participation. We received over 40 applications from charities who wanted to be part of the 2025 campaign. It was an extremely difficult decision to narrow this down. So much so, that we decided to select 12 charity partners, a 25% increase from last year.

We’re really excited to be working with local charities who do amazing work in our communities and rely on public support to help make this happen. We hope to see as many businesses as possible signing up to make a difference. As well as raising money to help make a positive impact in the local community, it’s a collaborative opportunity for teambuilding, networking, getting creative and having fun.”

Franklins is encouraging companies and organisations to sign up to take part in the 2025 £50 Challenge. To register as a team visit: www.franklins50.co.uk.

Franklins Solicitors Invites Charity Nominations for 2025 £50 Challenge

Franklins Solicitors, a leading legal firm with offices in Milton Keynes and Northampton, is inviting local charities to nominate themselves as beneficiaries of their annual fundraising campaign – the Franklins £50 Challenge. This year, Franklins has pledged to support a minimum of eight local charities through the initiative, with nominations open until 27th September 2024.

The Franklins £50 Challenge 2025 will run from 24th February to 23rd May 2025. Now in its sixth year, the campaign has become a significant platform for local charities to partner with businesses in raising essential funds for their services. The 2025 campaign theme, Local Help and Hope for Every Generation, underscores its commitment to making a positive and lasting impact across the community.

The challenge continues to grow in popularity, attracting an increasing number of businesses, large and small, to get involved each year. Participating teams receive £50 seed funding from Franklins Solicitors, which they are tasked with transforming into substantial contributions for their chosen charity over the course of three months. They can be as creative as they like with their fundraising ideas. Beyond financial support, the campaign helps raise awareness and encourages community engagement in driving meaningful change.

In 2024, 40 teams from businesses across Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire raised over £35,000 to support eight local charities, making it the most successful year to date. The firm is aiming to beat this record in 2025.

Andrea Smith, Equity Partner at Franklins Solicitors, commented on the decision to continue running the campaign for 2025:

“Following the success of this year’s challenge, we received wonderful feedback from the charities and teams involved and have seen so many inspiring fundraising ideas come to life.

We’ve received enquiries from several charities interested in participating next year. Our focus is on working specifically with local charities and we will be choosing a diverse range of charities who offer support to people through different stages of life.”

Charities based in Milton Keynes or Northamptonshire that align with the campaign’s theme of providing help and hope for every generation are encouraged to apply.

Interested charities can submit their applications by visiting www.franklins50.co.uk (where businesses can also register their interest in entering a team). The deadline for charity nominations is Friday, 27th September 2024.

Franklins £50 Challenge Breaks Fundraising Record with Over £35,000 Raised

We are delighted to announce that the annual Franklins £50 Challenge has set a new record, with more than £35,000 raised in this year’s Apprentice-style challenge.

Forty teams from across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes took part in the challenge and raised a total of £35,733 for eight local charities – smashing last year’s total of £20,000. The teams received £50 seed funding from Franklins in February and had three months to turn the £50 into as much money as possible for their chosen charity.

An awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 19 June to celebrate the achievements of the teams who used their entrepreneurial skills to come up with creative ways of fundraising, including retro movie nights, stone-baked pizza lunches, 12-hour bike rides, football tournaments, lawn-mowing, bake sales, raffles and much more.

Nick Hewer, Lord Sugar’s former right-hand man and Apprentice star, presented awards to the top five fundraising teams with a team from the John Lewis Partnership in first place, raising £2,922 before Gift Aid. The top five fundraising teams also included MIXXOS Group, Travis Perkins, Amazon BHX3 Daventry and Commsave Credit Union.

Nick Hewer said:

“I was intrigued by the challenge and excited by it because it’s clever and it works! From 40 teams, £50 each, that’s a £2,000 investment and the return was extraordinary – they raised £35,000 between them for local charities. I think it’s tremendous community spirited work and I’ve got nothing but admiration for the people that turned that £50 into thousands – and for Franklins for actually driving it forward and turning it into such a success.”

Andrea Smith, Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said:

“We are so delighted that this year’s challenge has been a record-breaking year and are incredibly proud that, since it began in 2018, the Franklins £50 Challenge has now raised more than £135,000 for local charities – and that’s including a break during lockdown. At the very heart of this year’s challenge was our desire to fight hunger, fuel wellness and change local lives and we hope that the money raised for the eight local charities will bring a positive impact to people throughout Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes.”

The eight charities benefitting from this year’s challenge are:

• Cynthia Spencer Hospice
• Northampton Hope Centre
• The Lewis Foundation
• Northamptonshire Community Foundation
• Willen Hospice
• MK Act
• Harry’s Rainbow
• YMCA – MK

Awards were also given for all teams raising more than £1,000 and the following categories:

• Small Business Superstar – Sophisticake Creations
• Best Community Initiative – LOL Theatre Company
• Most Creative Fundraising Idea – Aiimi
• Best Example of Teamwork – Soiltechnics
• Best Use of Social Media – Commsave Credit Union

More information about how the challenge can be found at: www.franklins50.co.uk