Double your money’ challenges Brighton’s Mayor as Inkfish takes the calls

Mayor of Brighton and Hove David Smith takes to the phones in aid of Sport Relief.

Mayor of Brighton and Hove, David Smith, took the first call on 15th July when Inkfish’s volunteers manned 60 lines and collected Sport Relief pledges which, by the end of the evening, totalled a massive £47,822. And the Mayor challenged the first caller to double his money, offering to match the pledge if he did. So it was that £10 became £20, which became £40 when the Mayor added his gift.

Fully coached in agent skills by organiser and Head of Operations, Matt Stevens, and with the guiding hand of agent Holly Schofield sitting alongside, the Mayor took the call ten minutes after the lines opened. Brighton MP, David Lepper, assisted by Diane Livesey, sat next to the Mayor to take calls.

But the Mayor didn’t take the prize for taking the most donations. That fell to Inkfish's Jamie Stevens, who notched up £3,865 in pledges, including one of three £1,000 gifts made on the night, to win the competition for receiving the highest amount.

Earlier in the day, six team members ran the Brighton Mile alongside Jo Brand, Henry Cooper and Big Brother’s Chantelle Houghton and Jade Goodey. Matt Stevens, (with three and a half year old daughter Rebecca on his shoulders), Charity Khalil, Justine Smith, Antony Arcan, and Emma Hamilton all completed the mile in good times and barely had time to catch their breath before talking to the BBC about the race and the fantastic response from the Inkfish team to the call for volunteers in the evening.

Matt was pleased with the results: “We had several big donations of £1,000 as well as hundreds of smaller ones. As midnight approached, when the lines were all about to close, we were desperately excited to cross our £50,000 target - but we fell just agonizingly short. But thanks to all for giving up their time to take part especially to the Mayor and David Lepper for their support. “

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