Icon Solutions Donates £100K to Polka Theatre
Icon Solutions have generously donated £100K to Polka’s redevelopment of their building. The theatre’s FUTURE POLKA campaign will ensure the theatre will be able to inspire children for years to come.
Icon Solutions, a fintech consultancy headquartered in Wimbledon, are supporting the urgently needed redevelopment which will offer children across London, the south east and beyond, new state-of-the-art theatre facilities and the UK’s first purpose-built early years theatre for under 6s.
The team at Icon Solutions have a long history with Polka. Two of the Directors, Ben Hallifax and Tom Kelleher, grew up in the local area and have fond memories of seeing shows at Polka as children. In fact, Ben Hallifax’s mother used to run the café back in the 1980s!
Tom Kelleher, Icon’s Commercial Director, said: “Polka is an important centre of creativity and support for the community of Wimbledon and surrounding areas. As Icon Solutions originates in Wimbledon, it is incredibly important to us to support initiatives which benefit our local community.
We have supported Polka’s Freefalling Programme for a number of years and we have seen the difference this programme has made to children’s social confidence, creative thinking and academic achievement. It is an honour to be associated with Polka Theatre and we will continue to support their valuable work and the joy they bring to so many.”
Icon Solutions were invited to the theatre and thanked personally by Polka’s well known Patron Amanda Holden, who is a judge on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent. Amanda made a special visit to kick start the public fundraising campaign for Polka, which still needs £1 million to reach its £7.5 million target.
Polka’s Executive Director Lynette Shanbury is thrilled with the donation “We are very grateful to Icon Solutions for their incredible support of Polka.
Icon Solutions have been valued supporters of Polka and their recent and significant contribution to our Capital re-development has demonstrated a real commitment to our community and the children and families that will benefit most from this project, many of whom are from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The financial support and good will from the local community, from both individuals and businesses alike, is pivotal in making our ambitious redevelopment plans a reality. We still have £1 million left to raise of our £7.5million appeal to ensure we can secure Polka Theatre for future generations of children.”
Ben Hallifax, Icon’s Operations Director, commented “At Icon we believe that we’re not only measured by the success of our projects but also by the contributions we make to society. We feel strongly in supporting charities where we have a personal connection and where we feel we can make a difference, especially to our local community. I would encourage other local businesses to see if they can also support this worthy cause and help continue the Polka legacy.”
For further information about FUTURE POLKA and Polka Theatre visit www.polkatheatre.com or call Sarah Ruff, Head of Development on 020 8545 8327.
Image Credit – Oscar May
Pictured left to right: Tom Kelleher (Commercial Director), Saara Day (Head of Marketing), Amanda Holden (Polka Patron) Darren Capehorn (Director of Services) and Ben Hallifax (Operations Director). Picture taken at Polka Theatre, February 2019
