As lifelong local residents, the Surbiton community has always been with us: from childhood, to adulthood and parenthood. Being part of local life means a lot to both of us and we love contributing to what goes on, as well as enjoying the fun. So it's a pleasure to sponsor events like Surbiton Festival, the annual Surbiton Lights Switch On at Christmas, and Long Ditton Alive.
Since 2015 Humphrey & Brand has been supporting Long Ditton St Marys School, where one of our landlords worked as a teacher. Our involvement started small with things like helping in kitchens and chopping oranges, progressing to running the bar at the school's productions, quiz nights and fetes. In fact, we once entered a Humphrey & Brand team into a quiz night, but our results suggested we should stick to estate agency!
More recently we've begun organising our own community events together with Rainbow Trust, a charity supporting families with a seriously ill child. In September 2017 we raised £8,000 (£4,000 each for Rainbow Trust and Long Ditton St Mary's School) by taking part in the 100km Ditton Yer Bike cycle ride from Surbiton to Windsor and back.
In summer 2019 we held a cake sale outside our office. Our families, friends and members of the Humphrey & Brand team helped out with the baking and selling, raising another £500 for Rainbow Trust. It was such huge fun that we plan to make it a regular thing.
This year Humphrey & Brand is organising its biggest charity event so far, repeating the cycle ride from Surbiton to Windsor and back to raise money for three beneficiaries: Long Ditton St Marys School, Long Ditton Infants School and the Royal Marsden Hospital. More than 65 people have already registered to participate and we're hoping to beat our previous fundraising total.
Bringing people together and getting to know our neighbours from all the different parts of Surbiton has become something very special to us and our team. And it's made even better by so many of our clients and customers having also gotten involved.
From a little feeling 10 years ago that we'd like to do something - but not knowing what or how - to serving drinks, rowing down the Thames in a dragon boat, being ashamed of our general knowledge and now the big cycle ride, it's been fantastic to see just what's possible when people come together for a purpose.
We have no idea what's coming next, but we feel really lucky to part of a community as enthusiastic as Surbiton: who knows what excitement, fun and further embarrassment the future might hold!
