Surveyors plan to make a splash for charity

13 September 2018

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Novice rowers they may be, but that hasn’t deterred them. Eight surveyors from Cooke & Arkwright are currently undergoing intensive training at Llandaff Rowing Club in preparation for the Splash & Dash charity rowing regatta on 29th September 2018. The annual event is organised by the club to raise money for two local charities, Velindre Cancer Centre - which is also Cooke & Arkwright’s chosen charity of the year - and Keep Wales Tidy.

The firm is entering two crews of four and the surveyors taking part are Ben Bolton (Director), Tim Lawley (Associate Director) and Mark Siddons (Senior Surveyor), all from the Business Space team. From Retail & Leisure are Ben Davies (Associate), Ian Newbury (Senior Surveyor) and Dominic Garner (Surveyor), and from Investment agency are Nick Lawley (Director) and Caryl Howell (Surveyor). Training takes place four times a week at Llandaff Rowing Club, where a coach is teaching them basic rowing skills, both in the training tank and in boats on the river. They are also working hard to improve their fitness levels generally!

They will compete against other teams in a knock out competition on Saturday 29th September with prizes awarded to the winners and special prizes for the best dressed crew.

The team are working very hard and are keen to raise as much money as possible for two very worthy charities.  All donations will be very much appreciated, and can be made at their charity page which is here.

Cooke & Arkwright have been providing rating valuation advice to The Welsh Rugby Union Limited (“WRU”) and Millennium Stadium plc for many years. They were recently successful in achieving substantial reductions in the assessments of the Millennium Stadium, covering both the 2005 and 2010 rating list. These negotiated reductions yielded savings of c.£3.5m which, crucially, allows the WRU to re-invest in rugby throughout Wales. They advise the WRU across the group portfolio including the National Centre of Excellence in the Vale of Glamorgan. The valuation issues across the WRU portfolio are complex requiring a high level of understanding of the funding and finances of professional sport in Wales. Cooke & Arkwright’s experience and understanding of these issues and application to the rating valuation have yielded these substantial negotiated reductions. The WRU and the Millennium Stadium entrust our work to organisations with the required levels in experience and expertise in dealing with these complex issues. I am glad to say we have this expertise in Wales. I would have no hesitation in recommending ratepayers making use of this Welsh based expertise.

The Welsh Rugby Union Limited, Welsh Rugby Union Group