Pictured above: Peter McCormack serving tea

Staff from Derwent Living have raised over £1,700 for the charity Swap Tears for Smiles…by putting on a host of fun activities and raising some smiles in the process.

The charity celebrated its first annual 'Swap Tears for Smiles Day' earlier this month and the staff at the Derby-based housing provider went all out to make sure it was a runaway success by putting on a variety of different fund raising events and games. 

Swap Tears for Smiles is the charity attached to Derwent Living's women's refuge, which helps women and their families who are fleeing domestic violence.

During the day, all staff from Derwent Living's offices across the Midlands got involved, doing everything from holding raffles with amazing prizes, to running the distance from Lands End to John O'Groats in the gym.  

The money raised by Swap Tars for Smiles goes towards supporting women and children at a local women's refuge to fund play equipment, days out for the children and counselling sessions. 

Everyone got involved, including Derwent Living's chief executive Peter McCormack, who acted as a tea maid along with his fellow directors for the day and provided biscuits for staff at the head office in Derby.

Peter said: "It's fantastic to be a part of something like this, the buzz around the office bas been fantastic. There was a real sense of community as we all came together for a shared cause. 

"Even the smallest contribution counts and no-one's effort went un-noticed. Everyone enjoyed doing their bit and after the success of this, I'm sure we'll be holding more fundraising events for Swap Tears for Smiles and we're already looking forward to next year's annual day." 

In this instance, the money raised will go towards helping the families from the refuge to rebuild their lives. 

Mitchell Allseybrook, Chairman of Swap Tears for Smiles added: "The current economic times are difficult for everyone, and we have some particularly vulnerable customers that need the help and support of the charity. This is just one of the reasons we felt that it was appropriate to start the Swap Tears for Smiles annual days.

"We know the Derwent Living staff were delighted to be a part of such a fantastic event. It gave us all a great sense of team spirit knowing we were helping such a great charity and a worthwhile cause that is close to our hearts." 

For more information about Derwent Living, please visit their website here: www.derwentliving.com