Door Industry Journal - Summer 2015

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 16 THE door industry journal summer 2015 industry news HÖRMANN ISSUES CHARITY CHALLENGE OVER MISSING UMLAUTS Hörmann is calling on its UK dealer network to adopt the umlaut in a bid to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society. The German brand is well recognised across Europe but in the UK its spelling and pronunciation are often anglicised. As a result Hörmann is asking its trade partners to take a stand for the oft-forgotten umlaut, and is offering to donate £1 to Alzheimer’s Society for every change made to website copy or marketing literature. All a dealer has to do to secure the donation is provide evidence that the two dots have been added above the o in Hörmann, whether in a product listing, brochure or anywhere on the customer’s website. This can be done by before and after screen-grabs or photography, and must simply show that the umlaut has been added to an existing mention of the company. Hörmann is aiming to raise over £500 through this fun initiative, which will be added to the grand total it secures for Alzheimer’s Society over the course of 2015. David Newcombe, managing director of Hörmann, commented: “We know that the umlaut doesn’t come naturally to many English speakers, so we wanted to help our customers get to grips with it and encourage them to use it more often when referring to Hörmann. The pronunciation is a little tricky but if you think of it as ‘oer’ rather than just ‘or’, it will soon come naturally.” Alzheimer’s Society has been chosen as Hörmann’s charity of the year, so seemed the perfect beneficiary of the brand’s umlaut challenge. To find out more about how to claim your donations, or how to make the o into an ö, contact the marketing team at Hörmann. And if you don’t know how to type an o with an umlaut like this ö – just visit http://goo.gl/bEV5WV . HÖRMANN BIDS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF DEMENTIA Fundraisers at garage and industrial door manufacturer Hörmann have been out in force, generating valuable funds for the company’s 2015 charity partner Alzheimer’s Society. Recently, 17 brave staff members took part in the gruelling Farmageddon Run in Melton Mowbray, covering a distance of either 5k or 10k, while overcoming obstacles such as hay bale towers, streams and mud crawls. Amy Fisher, estimating manager, commented: “I saw the event advertised on Facebook and thought it would be perfect for us as an Alzheimer’s Society fundraiser. Since we launched the charity partnership, everyone has been really keen to get involved, so it was fairly easy to get a good team together.” The challengers, who took part from across the whole business, ran together in teams of 3-4 based on their chosen distance and running experience. Their hard work certainly paid off, raising over £2000 for the deserving cause. Abigail Cooper, marketing assistant, said: “The atmosphere was amazing. It was incredibly tough in places, particularly the log-carrying section, but we all felt such a strong sense of achievement at the end. Having your colleagues cheer you across the finish line is a pretty good feeling too!” Currently incurable, dementia affects around 44 per cent of the population and is the single biggest killer of women in the UK. Hörmann is keen to emphasise the important work of the Alzheimer’s Society, which provides support and advice for families living with dementia as well as funding vital research into the condition. Employees have already taken part in a pub quiz and ‘bake-off’ style event and plans are in place for further fundraisers. Hörmann hopes to launch a 50/50 club, organise a company- wide barbeque and continue the physical challenges with the Twilight Run, which takes place in Market Harborough in September. For more information on Hörmann’s partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, visit www.hormann.co.uk, or to find out about the charity, visit www.alzheimers.org.uk.