Property Industry is on song to make Crypt Factor 2015 biggest ever
THE REGION’S property industry raised a record £64,000 for charities St George’s Crypt and LionHeart at Crypt Factor 2015, to make this year’s event the biggest ever in the annual singing competition’s nine-year history.
The event saw 10 budding singers and groups leave their day jobs behind as they stepped out on stage to entertain an audience of 700 property professionals at Elland Road.
Lakeisha King, a Real Estate Paralegal at Addleshaw Goddard, won the competition along with colleagues and backing dancers Sean Meehan and Alice Carr, for a stunning performance of Tina Turner’s Proud Mary.
The group known as ‘LaKeisha and the Keishettes’ wowed the judging panel, which consisted of Jonathan Morgan from Morgans, Paula Dillon from Bond Dickinson and Richard Lewis from Town Centre Securities, before winning an audience vote.
The event’s headline sponsors include Bond Dickinson, Bruntwood, Morgans City Living and Town Centre Securities Plc and The Yorkshire Post is the event’s media partner. The First Direct Arena, Radisson Blu Hotel and Gaucho also donated a unique Dynamo auction prize, which sold for £2,500. Other supporters include Saville Audio Visual, Tiger Tiger’s Lucky Voice, Candid PR and Vector Photography.
Lakeisha says: “This was the first Crypt Factor that Alice, Sean and myself had been to so we were completely taken aback by the size of the event and how many people were in the audience, but it was all so exciting that we didn’t have chance to feel nervous. The whole experience was amazing and to win the event, as well as the response we’ve had since, is unbelievable.”
Richard Lewis says: “Crypt Factor is one of the region’s biggest, best and most successful charity events and it’s growing and improving each year. The level of support we receive from the region’s property community is heartening and it continually enables us to deliver an immensely entertaining evening whilst raising huge sums of money for two very deserving charities.
“Lakeisha and her dancers put on a superb performance and had obviously put a lot of thought into their act, as well as plenty of rehearsal time, which certainly paid off because they were definitely worthy winners. Garry Howes from Gent Visick also did a great job as the show’s new compère. Following in Alex Duckett’s footsteps is no mean feat but Garry did fantastically well and the audience gave him their full support which was brilliant to see.
“We’re already planning next year’s Crypt Factor, which will be the event’s tenth anniversary, and we have a number of exciting new developments planned so it promises to be a very special year.”
This year’s event takes the total amount raised by Crypt Factor over the last nine years to more than £420,000 for the two charities. St George’s Crypt is based within the thriving church of St George’s in Leeds and has been at the frontline of support for homeless, disadvantaged and vulnerable people in Leeds and its surrounding areas since 1930.
LionHeart offers all types of help and support to RICS members and their families who face problems in their lives that are often completely unexpected. These can include ill health, disability, unemployment, family separation and debt related issues.