BCMS director celebrates milestone birthday with £50k charity fundraising pledge

A mum-of-two is preparing to take on a roller-skating challenge, after setting herself a fundraising target of £50,000 to celebrate her 50th birthday.

Liz Jackson, a director at Kingsclere-based corporate finance advisor BCMS, will be taking on the first of her challenges tomorrow (Friday), when she attempts to complete a half marathon on roller-skates in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

However, it will be made all the more difficult for Mrs Jackson as she lost her sight at the age of 26.

She will be supported by colleagues Stuart Collins and Niamh Carpenter for the event in Borden, which will see them complete more than 200 laps of the roller-skating rink.

“At BCMS we focus on three things – clients, colleagues and community,” she explained. “So you cannot work here and not get inspired to make an impact in the community; it occupies a third of our conversations.

“A lot of people mark the occasion [50th birthday] with big parties but I wanted to mark it by raising as much money as I could for charities.

“I just want to make life count for people who are not as blessed as I am.

“It’s nice to have a positive impact in some small way.”

Mrs Jackson, who will celebrate her 50th birthday on May 11, began planning her year of fundraising in January and now has three further events in the pipeline.

Later in the year she will be joined by a group of colleagues for a company abseil down the 80-metre high ArcelorMittal Orbit in London’s Olympic Park, while a corporate golf day is also due to take place.

She is hoping to be able to release further details about “an exciting driving experience at a famous racetrack” shortly.

The other charities to benefit from her efforts this year will be the Epilepsy Society, after her brother was diagnosed with the condition in his 30s, and the Snowdrop Foundation – the BCMS charity that supports three projects; a school in India, The Safe in Basingstoke, and Hope for Carers.

You can help Mrs Jackson reach her fundraising target here – www.justgiving.com/fundraising/liz-jackson2023

Mrs Jackson, who lives in Baughurst with her husband and two children, was appointed an MBE for her contribution to the world of business.

“Thank you to all of BCMS’s partners and all the people who surround us and have all sponsored and supported us so far,” she added. “It is a great thing BCMS do and it really creates a culture of giving. There is always someone worse off and it is all about wanting to make an impact personally as well as corporately.”