Roke Directors Get Covered in Gunge for their Charity of the Year – The Romsey Opportunity Group

Roke employees have voted with their cash to see two directors from the board of management covered in gunge for charity. This has been organised as part of Roke’s Caring Hands activities to raise funds for their local children's charity, The Romsey Opportunity Group.

Roke's eight directors unanimously volunteered to sit in a gunging machine at the annual staff party and risk getting covered in coloured custard – if staff voted with money against their photo. The two directors who were awarded with the most money would be publicly gunged at the Roke Party for the children's charity.

Dave Smith and Andrew Baynes getting gunged.

Dave Smith, MD at Roke and Andrew Baynes, finance director were the directors who got the opportunity to sit in the infamous Romsey Gunging Machine.

The gunge was made of coloured custard, and was released from a height over the directors' heads after a crowd count down.

Dave attracted 161 votes; Andrew attracted 59 votes. Russell Taylor, projects director was unable to be gunged but pledged to match the donations made against his name.

Additionally, Colin Quinney, Sales and Marketing Director agreed to be gunged if a threshold of £100 was raised for him.

Voting by the staff raised £784, including a raffle for the opportunity to pull the chain on the machine. The gunging took place on 6th June 2009 at the annual Roke summer party, attended by staff and their families along with guests of disadvantaged children and their carers from the Opportunity Group.

The funds raised are matched by the company, resulting in £1,568 raised for the charity. Roke Manor Research has raised £2,535 from staff fundraising activities since January 2009.

Caring Hands Programme

Each year Roke selects a local charity to become our charity of the year. Our Caring Hands programme of fundraising activities is led by direct staff involvement and Roke aims to build the relationship with the charity such that we make a real difference in our local community.

About Roke

Roke Manor Research Ltd, a Siemens company, provides leading edge technology based solutions and products for defence, national security, mobile communications and transport. Roke is situated just outside of Romsey, in Hampshire and has pioneered developments in electronic sensors, networks and communications technology since 1956. It is one of the most innovative companies in the world, with over 380 world class engineers specialising in solving first, fast and difficult technology challenges.