Suffolk Day
Suffolk Day, held on 21 June is an annual celebration which is led by the East Anglian Daily Times, Ipswich Star, BBC Radio Suffolk and the County Council. The event has the support of a wide range of Suffolk organisations and encourages people to come together and celebrate the county’s heritage, art, culture and wildlife.
Here at Ipswich Building Society (soon to be known as Suffolk Building Society), we want to shout about Suffolk. As our usual member events programme and celebratory activity around Suffolk Day hasn’t taken place in its usual shape this year due to social distancing restrictions, we’ve explored different ways on how to put the spotlight on Suffolk.
Supporting local causes – The Suffolk Punch Trust
The Suffolk Punch Trust are a registered charity (No. 1100596) based in Hollesley, Suffolk, founded to help protect the critically endangered Suffolk Punch horse. Through its established breeding programme, raising public awareness and training a new generation of professionals to work with these iconic heavy horses, the charity aims to preserve a historic representation of Suffolk.
As seen with many charities, the coronavirus pandemic has provided tough conditions for fundraising due to attractions closing and the lack of events. In May 2020, Volunteer Fundraiser, Barry Bloomfield, set a £10,000 fundraising target with support from Stud Manager, Tracey Pettitt, to ensure the Suffolk Punch Trust could continue the next stage of their breeding programme by purchasing vital new equipment.
Following a donation by Ipswich Building Society to showcase our support of local causes, the Suffolk Punch Trust have now met their £10,000 target. Having spoken with BBC Radio Suffolk’s Mark Murphy on air about why we have chosen to support the Suffolk Punch Trust, the Society’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Norrington said: “Tracey and her team do incredible work to protect the critically endangered Suffolk Punch horse. Having toured the facilities and learnt more about the Trust, what better way to celebrate Suffolk Day than by donating funds to raise awareness and preserve these iconic horses.”
More information about the Suffolk Punch Trust can be found on their website here.
