What do you get when you merge five-a-side football and business? You get Business Fives.
The five-a-side event for footie-loving firms, which runs through January and February with events throughout the country in Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen and the home of the tournament, Edinburgh.
The tournament, which encourages firms across Scotland to enter a five-a-side team in both a winter and summer event, is entering its fourth season.
Entries are now being taken for the forthcoming winter season and so far more than 300 companies have taken part in the events which offer a mix teambuilding and networking whilst raising money for charity.
The Edinburgh Professional Services event on 1st February is supported by the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce who have been actively involved in the football and golf events throughout the year.
It’s even has some famous ex-players and sporting celebrities taking part as ambassadors including ex-Hearts star Gary MacKay and Hibs legend Pat Stanton, BBC Pundit, Tam McManus along with TV presenter David Tanner.
Tournament founder and Business Fives managing director John McClarey – who also organised a highly-successful inaugural Business Fours golf tournament – says it’s a great opportunity for professionals to make new connections and for businesses to bond with colleagues outside of the office, get fit and raise money for charity.
This winter Business Fives is continuing to allow companies to play for their chosen charity over with the winning company taking its company commitment to donate 10 per cent of everything to their cause this winter.
Previously it elected a sole charity partner, but now firms who take part can elect their own chosen charity with the destination of the final donation being decided by the overall champions.
John said: “By allowing companies to play for their chosen charity we have made a much bigger overall impact to charity.
“The summer season saw us almost double our original target of £10,000 and raise £19,600 which was a brilliant achievement from everyone involved.”
The tournament is now open for entries and to register a team go to businessfives.co.uk/winter-2018
Business Fives Dates for your Diary
Edinburgh Events
Construction, Housing & Property Heat Tuesday 23rd January – World of Football, Corn Exchange, Edinburgh
Professional Services Heat Thursday 1st February – World of Football, Corn Exchange, Edinburgh
Food, Drink & Hospitality Heat Thursday 8th February – World of Football, Corn Exchange, Edinburgh
The Summer season of Business Fives came to a climax on Thursday as 20 companies took part to win the prize of £3,120 for their chosen charity.
£19,600 has been raised for charities throughout Scotland over the course of the national business 5 aside tournament.
Supported by sponsors White Tree Chiropractic, health and wellbeing partners for the season and Dr Gary Blackwood advised the players of the benefits of using a dynamic warm up as part of the preparations against the traditional school of thought on static stretching. On the pitch the action was intense with the standard high in the business end of the tournament.
Companies from across 8 industry sectors of the Scottish economy have been raising money for their chosen charity in a model that has proven very successful in enabling Business Fives to make a much greater impact on charities throughout Scotland.
The tournament was supported by a host of ambassadors from the football world who finished off the season with a well-received Q & A session hosted by TV presenter, David Tanner with Scotland hall of famer Rhonda Jones, Hibs hero Pat Stanton, Aberdeen and St Mirren star Lee Mair, former Partick Thistle and Celtic goal scorer Jim Melrose.
Business Fives founder, John McClarey said “We’re blown away by the efforts of all the companies involved in our summer season and we’re absolutely delighted almost double our initial £10,000 charity target.
CSR is hugely important to us as our company has a commitment to donating 10% of all proceeds to charity. We’re delighted to see our charity donation going to such a wonderful cause in Glasgow Children’s Hospital and offer our congratulations to A.C. Whyte & Co.”
The tournament, now in its third season, has been supported by health and wellbeing sponsors White Tree Chiropractic and 98 teams have taken part with the top 20 qualifying for the National final taking place in Edinburgh with companies such as BT, Scottish Gas, Scottish Water, Standard Life, Anderson Strathern, Sir Robert McAlpine to name just a few involved.
On the pitch it was Glasgow Construction, Housing & Property champions, A.C. Whyte & Co. who have been playing for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital committing to a £1,000 donation to the Hospital who continued their 100% win record for the season. The company who narrowly missed out on a final place in the winter season went one better in the summer to take home the £3,120 prize for Glasgow Children’s Hospital.
It was the Edinburgh Construction, Housing & Property champions who ran them close in the final, recruitment firm Hudson who were playing for MacMillan but they were unable to find a way to stop tournament top scorer Mate Lacsi as the EWI installers ran out 3 nil winners. It was Hudson goalkeeper Greg McDermott who was chosen by the ambassadors as Man of the Match in the final, a testament to how much pressure Hudson withstood.
David Melhuish, director of the Scottish Property Federation who have supported the tournament, said: “We are delighted to support Business Fives again after such a success last year. Backing this unique event, whilst promoting healthy lifestyles, is something we are thrilled to be involved with. To hear that nearly £20,000 has been raised for good causes is fantastic news and we look forward to continuing to support this fun and competitive event.”
Chartered accountants, Geoghegans qualified by winning the financial services industry heat look to be in great form ahead of the final as they raised £201 for Medic1 Trust. They suffered their first defeat of the summer season in the semi-finals as Hudson won 4-1. In the other Semi-final Standard Life were unlucky to lose 2-1 after overcoming Sir Robert McAlpine on penalties in the Quarter final.
Professional Services champions Anderson Strathern beat Aviva in the champions league last 16 stages but couldn’t find a way passed Geoghegans in the quarter finals. Scottish Water and Turner & Townsend also walked away with a respectable quarter final showing.
You can find out more information and get involved in Business Fives via their website www.businessfives.co.uk
Business Fives summer season kicked off in Edinburgh where the Professional Services sector bid for the chance to qualify for our national final this September.
Supported by the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and sponsors White Tree Chiropractic, the event was a goal fest with 209 goals scored across the 31 matches as teams. The companies that took part were all playing with one goal in mind, to win for their chosen charity with organisations such as Princes Trust, Macmillan, Cash for Kids to name just a few of the charities hoping to benefit.
A commendable fundraising effort from eventual champions league finalists, BT who raised £224 for their chosen charity, Macmillan. Pinsent Masons raised £125 for Starfish on their way to the Europa League final.
The event finished with a Q & A session with Business Fives ambassador Pat Stanton. A legend amongst Hibs fan having made almost 400 appearances for them in a glittering career that saw him play against greats of the game like Eusebio, Johan Cruyff and George Best who he singled out as the best of his generation, he shared stories of memorable moments throughout his career.
Tournament sponsor, Dr Gary Blackwood said “We here at WTC are delighted to have the opportunity to work alongside Business Fives, as we see sport and exercise as an integral part of healthy working offices. We all know that exercise is one of the best ways to prevent ill-health, lowering blood pressure, raising energy levels and improving productivity and focus.”
The tournament initially saw 3 groups playing to qualify for the Champions League, Europa League and Intertoto Cup group stages. BT looked in superb form as they topped their group scoring 9 goals in 3 matches, it was however second place in the same group, Anderson Strathern who set the early scoring standards with 17 group stage goals, notching up big wins against KPMG and Spence & Spence. In group B a thrilling encounter between Gilson Gray and Addleshaw Goddard who played out a 3 all draw was the pick of the ties.
City Cabs and Bruce Stevenson topped their respective groups to book their place alongside BT in the Champions’ League group stages where BT maintained their 100% record to book their semi-final place against Bruce Stevenson.
The Europa League saw no less than 3 law firms play for bragging rights but it was defending champions Anderson Strathern who rose to the top of the group scoring freely in the process. Addleshaw Goddard and Pinsent Masons did enough to book their place in the Europa League semi final.
They were joined by Intertoto group winners, Edinburgh Airport who were beginning to find form after some earlier defeats, along with KPMG who beat Gilson Gray 2-1 in a very close encounter.
In the Champions League semi-finals, 2 goals from City Cabs wasn’t enough to see them overcome Anderson Strathern who were beginning to find the net with increasing regularity. BT put 3 passed Bruce Stevenson to end the insurance brokers journey in the competition. The final was a similarly one-sided affair with tournament top scorer Gary Burton, singled out by Pat Stanton as the man of the match in the final helping Anderson Strathern to lift back to back Professional Services titles in Edinburgh.
Over in the Europa League, Pinsent Masons, who were second in the overall goal scoring charts for the day, overcame KPMG in a 7-4 thriller to book their place in the final against Edinburgh Airport after their victory against Addleshaw Goddard. The Europa league final proved a game to far for Pinsent Masons as Edinburgh Airport ran out 8-3 winners to book their place in their second national final in a row.
The action continues this month with 6 more industry sector qualifiers across Glasgow and Edinburgh as the tournament aims to reach £10,000 for charitable causes throughout Scotland. Follow all the action online on the Business Fives social media channels and website.
More and more companies are joining in with Scotland’s national business five-a-side tournament as it enters its third full season through the continued support of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.
Sponsored by Edinburgh Chamber member White Tree Chiropractic, the tournament has received constant support from the Edinburgh Chamber since inception. In one of my first acts of business I joined the Chamber and it’s been a brilliant decision. Their support has ranged from industry partnership, providing networking opportunities, opening conversations, mentoring support, social media support and being a constant friendly face to much more.
Through our Edinburgh Chamber journey we’ve made lots of valuable business connections, found suppliers & accountants, partnered up to support local charity The Yard through our golf events after meeting at a speed networking event and been connected to an invaluable business mentor in Andy Moorhouse. My Chamber journey has been thoroughly worthwhile having built lasting relationships with peers and I’m looking forward to remaining an active member and growing my business with their support.
Reigning champions and fellow chamber members, Anderson Strathern will be back to defend their Professional Services title this summer and we have three more sector specific events in Edinburgh throughout August.
Our event is once again in conjunction with the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce as we return to the fantastic Powerleague venue.
This summer, Business Fives will be bringing a twist to the events to provide more networking opportunities and further integrate businesses through our events. We’ll also be sticking to our core values through our 10% company commitment to charity and this season the destination of this donation will be decided by the overall champions from our national final, with over 80 local and national charities benefiting from the fundraising efforts of our players along the way.
The events give you the chance to bond with colleagues outside of the office environment and get fit and active in the process, our Health and Wellbeing partners, White Tree Chiropractic, will be on hand to provide some help and guidance as to how your workplace can benefit and will even be giving players a free massage.
You can find additional info on our events on our website and by registering your interest. With teams involved in our Professional Services Edinburgh heat from Anderson Strathern, BT, KPMG, Bruce Stevenson, Addleshaw Goodard, Edinburgh Airport, Gilson Gray, Village Hotel Club, Spence & Spence, Pinsent Masons and still room for a couple more its sure to be a great event.
Come along to Business Fives and get the Chamber buzzing with chat and some friendly rivalry before Scotland’s business football tournament of the year.
This month, we’re inviting Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce members to share their #MyEdinChamber stories.
We pride ourselves on providing a platform for businesses to create high-quality connections – through our member database, or face to face at one of our many networking events. We love to see our members connect and collaborate.
One such example is the partnership formed between Business Fours and The Yard. We invited John McClarey of Business Fours, and Anna Robinson of The Yard to share their experience and their story.
1. Why did you both join the Chamber?
John: I joined the chamber having been a member at a previous job and found the events very beneficial. I rejoined to meet new local companies and connect with the Edinburgh business scene as well as avail of the mentoring service the Chamber provides. I try to get along to the events regularly and enjoy meeting and engaging with like-minded members seeking to grow their business.
Anna: The Yard joined the chamber so we could meet new people across the business sector within Edinburgh to raise awareness of our work as well as build links with new people to support our work. The events and the training courses that the chamber offer was also a good incentive to join.
2. How did this partnership begin?
John: I attended a speed networking event and met the Celine from the Yard at the event, we had a great chat over breakfast before the networking began and I was really impressed by the fantastic work the Yard are involved in. Celine suggested I came down to see the facilities, which I did and also invited me down to their fantastic Boundaries Edge course which I would highly recommend. I was hugely impressed by their work and the passion they have for enhancing the lives of not just the children who use their services but also providing a support network for parents to share experiences with other families with children with complex needs. We were delighted to support their work through Business Fours and hope we did a small bit to raise the profile of a wonderful organisation.
Anna: As John has already mentioned, Celine Sinclair, Chief Executive at The Yard, met John at a speed networking event hosted by the chamber. It was fantastic that John came to visit The Yard and also attend the ‘Competitive Edge’ course which is a course run by Boundaries Edge at The Yard and is a free course offered to people across the business sector. After John attended the course we were delighted to be chosen as one of the beneficiaries for the inaugural Business Fours tournament, which enabled us to raise funds and awareness about our work.
3. What role has the Chamber played in this collaboration?
John: The Chamber provided the platform which facilitated the initial meeting and it’s a testament to the variation in delegates of their events. From their the chamber has supported the partnership through their promotional channels something our business finds very important.
Anna: As John has said the Chamber facilitated the initial meeting and it’s great to be able to meet a wide variety of delegates at your events. It has also been great to get additional PR from the Chamber who promoted the Business Fours tournament and the partnership with The Yard.
4. What value have you received as a result of this collaboration?
John: We hope we have added value to the work of the Yard and will continue to support them moving forward. We benefited from having mutual clients and hopefully the Yard have made some worthwhile contacts from our events as well as the money raised through our fundraising efforts.
Anna: The Yard has receive financial support from the event, which will go to supporting our wide range of services for disabled children and young people. The Business Fours event was a great platform for us as it enabled us to meet new contacts who we hope will support us in the future. We have already had some sign ups to our next Boundaries Edge course in September as a result!
5. What do you love most about your membership?
John: It’s a toss up between the networking events and access to such a wide variety of clients and the mentoring scheme, both have been hugely beneficial to our business since we launched.
Anna: The opportunities that the Chamber membership gives The Yard to raise our profile as a charity in Edinburgh is what we love most about the membership. This includes the networking events, talks as well as the opportunity to speak at the Women in Business event earlier this year. The wide variety of businesses and events that the Chamber run makes it beneficial to be a member.
Over the month of July, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce are exploring stories of success that our members have had through their membership with us. We’re inviting all members of the Edinburgh Chamber, small and large, to share their news of partnerships, business wins, and collaborations.
Share your story on social media using the hashtag #MyEdinChamber, or email our Marketing team to be in to win fantastic prizes from fellow members Ten Hill Place courtesy of Surgeon’s Hall, and G&V Hotel.
For more details, get in touch with Emma Reid or Daniel Tipping in the Marketing & Communications team.
