• Swindon & Wiltshire Events
• Thursday February 26 2026

Business breakfast to support pavilion project

A Business Charity Breakfast taking place in March will be raising funds for Ainslie’s Pavilion Project, a community-led initiative centred around Purton Cricket Club.

The event, organised by PPS Chartered Accountants, will also feature a talk from local business owner Darren Earney, director of Trowbridge-based Elevate Online Marketing.

Ainslie’s Pavilion Project was launched in 2015 in memory of Ainslie Duffell, with the aim of building a new accessible pavilion at Purton Cricket Club after she was unable to access facilities during her illness.

The project focuses on making sure future players and supporters are not excluded from the sport and friendships they value because of illness or disability.

Sally Holland, partner at Swindon-based PPS Chartered Accountants, said the story behind the project immediately stood out to her. “When you hear why the project started, it really stays with you,” she said.

“The idea that someone could feel cut off from their community simply because facilities weren’t accessible is incredibly powerful, and it felt important for us to support something with such a strong local connection.”

Phil Duffell, Ainslie’s husband, has already worked with volunteers to raise well over £60,000 to seed fund a new pavilion – a project which was delayed due to the pandemic.

He said: “I’m so grateful to Sally and her team for thinking of Ainslie, of us and of our plan to provide a living legacy in her name. This is about sport being accessible to as many people as possible even if they are spectators.

“Purton Cricket Club is over 200 years old and is an important community asset and being able to take it forward into the modern era of sport is something Ainslie would have appreciated.”

Sally said the charity breakfasts are about bringing people together for a shared purpose as much as they are about networking. “These mornings are a chance for local businesses to come together, hear stories that matter, and support projects that are making a difference close to home,” she said.

The March event will also welcome Darren Earney as guest speaker. Darren is the owner of Elevate Online Marketing and works with businesses across the UK to help them improve their visibility online through practical, data-led strategies.

His talk, titled Stop Being the Internet’s Best Kept Secret, will focus on simple ways organisations can make it easier for customers to find and trust them online.

Sally said she was delighted Darren had agreed to speak. “I’ve known Darren through the local business community for some time and he has a really practical, down-to-earth approach,” she said. “I think people will take away ideas they can actually use, which is always what we want from these talks.”

Darren said, “I’m really pleased to be supporting this event and helping raise money for Ainslie’s Pavilion Project.

“Businesses often underestimate how hard they can be to find online, and small changes can make a big difference. I’m looking forward to sharing practical ideas people can take away and use straight away, while being part of an event that supports such an important local cause.”

Sally added that keeping the events relaxed and welcoming is key to their success. “People come along for a good breakfast, to see familiar faces, and to meet new ones,” she said. “If they leave having made a useful connection and helped raise money for a worthwhile local project, then we’ve done what we set out to do.”

The PPS Business Charity Breakfast will take place on Thursday, March 12 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Lydiard Fields, Great Western Way, Swindon, SN5 8UZ, from 7.30am to 9.30am.

For more information, or to book a place, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pps-business-charity-breakfast-tickets-1983362703236

Pictured: Alex and Phil Duffell