Category Archives: Charity & CSR

Charity & CSR, Midlands News, News

Worcestershire family business donations exceed £7,000 for charity

Droitwich-based marketing firm, PSE Offline Marketing, has raised over £7,000 as part of its ongoing support for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, a charity working towards a brighter future for everyone with cystic fibrosis (CF), by funding cutting-edge research, driving up standards of care and supporting people with the condition and their loved ones every step of the way.

The family-run business has been supporting the charity since 2020, raising vital funds through a number of initiatives including prize draws, team mountain climbs and walking challenges to help aid its work to fund research, improve care and raise awareness to ensure everyone with cystic fibrosis can live without limits.

The PSE Offline Marketing team has already exceeded its annual goal and has recently upped the fundraising target to £10,000.

Phil Newton, Chairman, PSE Offline Marketing said: “This cause is one that’s extremely close to our hearts as one of our directors’ daughters is living with cystic fibrosis so we’re determined to raise as much as we can to help drive awareness and support for the charity.

“We truly admire the brilliant work that the Cystic Fibrosis Trust does to support families, which is why we’ve smashed our initial target and have decided to raise it and continue to support in any way that we can.

“We’d also like to say a massive thank-you to our customers who have been kind enough to donate some incredibly generous prizes for us to create two fantastic prize pools for the prize draw we’re currently running. As well as the team at PSE for getting 100% behind our fundraising efforts.”

A representative from Cystic Fibrosis Trust said: “We want every person with cystic fibrosis (CF) to live a long and full life, and as Cystic Fibrosis Trust receives no government funding, we can’t achieve this without the support of incredible fundraisers like PSE Offline Marketing.

“These crucial donations will fund research into treatments that tackle the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis, as well help further our understanding of how to treat harmful lung infections and other aspects of CF like cystic fibrosis related diabetes and gut issues. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the amazing fundraising so far, we are truly very grateful.”

Business & Property News, Charity & CSR, News, South East

Dorset Community Foundation grants boost business dreams for disadvantaged entrepreneurs

GRANTS of up to £2,000 to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds start their own business are available through Dorset Community Foundation’s South West Enterprise Fund.

The foundation has partnered with businessman Nick Robinson and Giles Smallwood to launch the fund, which offers young entrepreneurs aged 18 to 30 the grants to help with buying stock or equipment or pay business-related rent or bills. Applicants, who must live in Dorset and either be about to start a business within six months or have been trading for less than two years, have to present a business plan and answer questions about their ambitions at an interview.

Mr Robinson approached the community foundation with the idea after he realised that although there is a lot of support and advice for young people trying to launch their first venture, there is virtually nowhere to get the cash injection they often need.

“We’ve both set up businesses and I set up a business when I was almost 30 and had saved up to prepare for that,” he said. “That gave us the confidence to start the business and enabled us to buy the kit we needed. We are not looking to support the next genius healthcare app, we just want to support young people who are setting up straight forward businesses or to help them buy a piece of equipment.”

The founders, who met while working in finance, say they have been impressed by the breadth and variety of the applications received so far. “It’s really inspiring to see all of the different businesses being proposed and hearing their plans is a really fun part of the process,” said Mr Robinson.

The fund has already supported a number of businesses, including artist Lucy Burns who received a grant to boost her sustainable ceramics business.

The 24-year-old sells kitchen and homeware with a sustainable theme, which she sells at Bridport Market every Saturday. “I like to promote ceramic sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics, such as coffee cups and keep bowls with silicone lids and loose leaf tea strainers,” she said.

She set up her tiny studio, called The Pot Place, at Uplyme near Lyme Regis a year ago. Her first year of trading was encouraging but the rising price of raw materials put a cloud over the venture.

She heard about the Dorset Community Foundation grants from a friend an applied. “The application process for me was really easy and it was quite good to reflect on what I’ve done over the last few years,” she said. “There’s a lot of questions about the financial side that have been really useful and writing down a plan for how I’d spend the money really made me think differently about improving the business.”

After submitting her business plan and having an interview with Mr Robinson and Mr Smallwood she was delighted to hear she had been awarded the £1,500.

“It is really nice that someone has shown belief in me,” she said. “I was actually wondering about stopping selling pottery for a while and getting a full time job because it was so hard to be able to afford the raw materials.

“I started to wonder if I was good enough but having the meeting with Nick and Giles and hearing them say they love my ideas was really nice and refreshing. It definitely gave me a big boost.”

She is using the grant to buy a new stock of silicone lids and raw materials and is investing in a new website so I she sell online. She has also started selling her wares at festivals.

“Having the grant definitely gave me breathing space and some belief that I am doing the right thing and that I’m good at it,” she says. “I want to travel some more to get some new inspiration but I really love what I am doing and I am so grateful for the help and belief I’ve had shown in me.”

Dorset Community Foundation director Grant Robson said the fund demonstrates the foundation’s ability to come up with a grant programme that matches a donor’s goals. “Nick had a very specific ambition and we were able to help him translate that into something that is really paying dividends. We’ve awarded xx grants so far and there have been some lovely stories that show Dorset has a wealth of business talent just waiting for the right nudge and injection of belief.

“We’re very proud that Nick and Giles have entrusted us with this fund.”

The South West Enterprise Fund is open for applications. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply at dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/apply-for-a-grant/grants-for-individuals.

Pictured: Lucy Burns with her sustainable products at Bridport Market in Dorset

Charity & CSR, News, Property, Property News

Vistry Mercia staff skydive for mental health charity

Vistry Group employees swapped housebuilding for freefalling as they jumped out of a plane at 10,000 feet to support a suicide prevention charity.

A group of 8 team members from the company’s Mercia region joined Housebuilding chief executive Keith Carnegie to take part in a charity skydive at Tilstock Airfield in Shropshire on Friday 5 August.

The team took the plunge in a bid to raise donations for Vistry’s chosen charity Papyrus, which provides support to young people struggling with mental health and suicidal thoughts.

Keith Carnegie, chief executive of Vistry Housebuilding, said: “An amazing day was had by everyone who took part and it was an experience I for one will never forget. It’s fair to say that nerves were running high ahead of the big jump but once we had landed you could not wipe the smiles off our faces.

“The sense of satisfaction that we all felt upon completing the skydive was all the greater for knowing that we had done it for such a deserving cause. Everyone at Vistry is aware of the incredibly important work that Papyrus does to support young people facing extremely difficult times in their lives and the charity means so much to us.

“We are immensely grateful to everybody who has sponsored us and helped us to raise £5,400 so far. We are still hoping to reach our target of £8,000 and anyone else who would like to donate can do so by visiting our JustGiving page. Any contribution will be greatly appreciated and will help Papyrus to continue saving the lives of young people across the UK.”

To make a donation, go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Vistry-Housebuilding-Mercia-region?utm_source=Sharethis&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=Vistry-Housebuilding-Mercia-region&utm_campaign=pfp-email&utm_term=855d2b1690184f1ab5e895e5493e817d.

Anyone who donates £15 or more will be entered into a prize draw to win a one-night stay in London, including a three-course dinner for two at the Royal Exchange in its Fortnum and Mason Bar and Restaurant, donated by Ibstock Brick.

Vistry Group is building homes at locations across the country under its Linden Homes and Bovis Homes brands.

For more information, visit vistrygroup.co.uk.

 

IMAGE CAPTION:

 Vistry Mercia group sharing laughter after all successfully completing the 10,000-foot fall

 —

Vistry Group is uniquely positioned to lead the way in the UK housing market with a countercyclical business model featuring Vistry Housebuilding and Vistry Partnerships.

We have an unmatched portfolio of brands – including Bovis Homes and Linden Homes – with rich histories and strong reputations. We are proud of our 5-Star HBF customer satisfaction rating as we deliver on our purpose of developing sustainable homes and communities across all sectors of the UK housing market. Our key asset is our people – around 3,000 of them across the country – who are committed to doing the right thing and living our values of integrity, caring and quality, ensuring we put our customers and clients at the centre of everything we do. Vistry is delighted to have won ‘Large Housebuilder of the Year’ and ‘Housebuilder Star Award’ at the Housebuilder Awards 2021, run in partnership with the NHBC and HBF. For more information, visit www.vistrygroup.co.uk.

Charity & CSR, Mental Health, News

Suicide prevention charity hopes to set new World record

Wellingborough based suicide prevention and mental health charity, We Mind and Kelly Matters have announced the launch of their ‘Stamp Out Stigma’ campaign, where they are hoping to set a new World Record by obtaining 20,000 signatures in order to change perceptions and reduce the stigma around suicide and mental illness.

Through direct outreach, their website and active social media platforms, the campaign aims to get people together and support each other, so that everyone can play a part in helping to stamp out the stigma that creates the barrier to people getting the right support at the right time.

“Mental illness affects one in four of us, yet much of the public is ashamed to talk about their disorder or seek treatment,” said Sherry Adams, CEO. “Does a loved one need support? Can you be their hero by starting the conversation, removing the stigma and helping them on their way to a healthier life? By participating in the Stamp Out Stigma initiative, we hope to open up the conversation.”

By signing the pledge, you are committing to:

  • Speak up if you need support
  • #Ask Twice, if your gut tells you someone needs help, ask them, Are you Ok? ….. Are you really, OK?
  • Be aware of warning signs, risk factors and protective factors
  • If someone expresses suicidal thoughts, ask if they have made plans to act on them, or if they have made previous suicide attempts
  • Don’t be afraid to ask direct questions, asking about suicide IS the best option.
  • Promote openness and non-judgement in talking about suicide
  • Let other know that they are #Not Alone

While attention and support for mental health and mental illness continue to grow, the stigma around suicide continues. The unfortunate impact of stigma around suicide is people not seeking help when they need it, while those who have lived experience of suicidal distress and suicide internalise their feelings of shame because of this perception of how their peers and society view them. If a person has experienced stigma in the past, they may be reluctant to reach out for help again, and stigma around suicide can also prevent others from offering support.

“One in four adults will face a mental illness in a given year. Even if you are not living with a mental illness, you can make a lasting impact by speaking up for those who do. That is what the Stamp Out Stigma campaign is all about” explains Sherry.

The campaign runs from 10th September to 10th October. To make your pledge and for more information about the campaign, visit: https://bit.ly/3DhGEAE

Charity & CSR, Logistics, News

Evri Celebrates New Gatwick Depot Opening with Local Charity Donation

Evri (formerly Hermes UK), the UK’s largest dedicated parcel company has celebrated the opening of its new depot at Gatwick by donating £2k to St Catherine’s Hospice.

The ‘cheque’ was delivered by Stephen Byrnes, Depot Manager to Emma Peadon from the charity at the new 81,671sq ft distribution depot at Manor Royal which will increase parcel handling capacity in the area to support local demand. The money was raised following an approach by a company who offered a fee to use the new site as a back drop for some photography on behalf of Vodaphone.

Emma Peadon at St Catherine’s Hospice, said: “The pandemic has meant many of our fundraising events and activities haven’t gone ahead in the last two years, so we’re facing a severe shortfall in our funding. We are extremely grateful to business like Evri whose support helps ensure that we can continue to provide expert hospice care and ensure we’re there for local people when life comes full circle.”

Stephen Byrnes at Evri, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be opening our new facility, where we’ll be able to handle 200k parcels each day, double our previous capacity. We take our ESG responsibilities very seriously and the depot comes complete with EV charging to support our electric vehicle ParcelShop fleet, LED lighting on sensors throughout, rainwater harvesting, low carbon heating, solar panels and is built to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certified specifications.  We have also been able to show our support for the local community from day one and make a donation to this fantastic charity.”

Charity & CSR, Charity News, News

Life-saving inventor salutes firefighting heroes

Britannia Fire donates £10K to The Fire Fighters Charity

Roger Carr, managing director of British patent-holding manufacturer, Britannia Fire – and the inventor of the world-leading P50 fire extinguisher – presented a £10,000 cheque to Emyr Gough of the Fire Fighter’s Charity on 16th August 2022.

“Every day, firefighters put their lives at risk to save others,” says Roger Carr. “We wanted to salute their heroics and – due to the success of Britannia Fire and the P50 – we’re able to do that with a sizeable donation.”

The Fire Fighters Charity provides specialist lifetime support for the members of the UK fire services community, including former fire personnel with five years’ service, the Fire Services Youth Scheme and volunteers. The charity empowers its members and their spouses/dependants to maintain their mental, physical and social wellbeing throughout their lives. This support is delivered at their centres, remotely, online, as well as within UK communities.

Emyr Gough said, “I can assure you, these funds will be well spent. The Fire Fighters Charity doesn’t get any government money, but it does much of the work you would associate with being publicly funded – so it’s sweet that this comes from the company that invented the P50, which is a game-changer of a fire extinguisher.”

Britannia Fire’s P50 is a very low maintenance fire extinguisher – it’s greener, lighter, safer and stronger than traditional metal fire extinguishers.

The P50 can be used on different types of fires ie solids (eg wood, paper, etc), flammable liquids and electrical. This removes the need for multiple fire extinguishers on-site, eliminating the risk of the wrong type of extinguisher being used for any given application.

Each fire extinguisher carries a ten-year guarantee. At the end of its 20-year life, every part of a P50 can be reused or recycled, apart from its foam contents. However, the P50 is also greener – it doesn’t require a fire engineer to check it every year, thereby saving all the carbon footprint involved in that routine.

Since 1970, Britannia Fire has continuously used invention and innovation to deliver safer and more sustainable products for its customers, helping to save lives and the environment.

The cheque was presented on 16th August at Diamond Jubilee Fire & Rescue Station, Carrow, Norfolk where Britannia is based.

 

For more details visit Britannia Fire.

Charity & CSR, Housing, News

SASC invests £2.75m in Bromley and Croydon Women’s Aid for them to buy homes to support women escaping domestic violence

Bromley and Croydon Women’s Aid (BCWA), a domestic abuse charity and a registered supported housing provider, has received a social investment loan of £2.75 million from Social and Sustainable Capital (SASC).

The loan from SASC’s Social and Sustainable Housing fund (SASH) will allow BCWA to purchase 11 residential properties for use as supported housing. These properties will range from one to three bedrooms and can accommodate 11 women and their children moving on from refuge.

Founded as Bromley Women’s Aid in 1974, the charity merged with Croydon Women’s Aid in 2011 and became BCWA. They provide safe accommodation for any woman and her children (boys under the age of 12) who is experiencing domestic abuse, or who is at risk of abuse.

The charity receives referrals from a wide range of services including social services, police, probation services, GPs and other domestic abuse charities. In the year to March 2021

BCWA received 2,395 referrals and supported 2,171 women across the boroughs. A woman typical stays in a refuge 6 months.

The new properties will add to BCWA’s existing supported housing operation which covers nine refuge properties across both boroughs (54 bed spaces in total) and provide essential housing and support services for women and their children fleeing from domestic abuse.

Domestic abuse will affect 1 in 4 women in their lifetime. It leads to, on average, two women being murdered each week[i].  The number of households being made homeless because they were fleeing domestic abuse has risen by more than a third in England since the start of the pandemic, according to Government figures in January 2022[ii].

In addition to accommodation and support services, the charity also provides a One Stop Shop service where people experiencing domestic abuse can get free advice from police, BCWA outreach, solicitors, housing options and victim support; plus they offer complimentary services in the community in partnership with other agencies, for young people, LGBTQ+ people and those without recourse to public funds.

Constanze Sen, CEO at BCWA said, “In an ideal world we would like to see the need for refuges diminish completely, but sadly they are essential safe havens for many women. Women often arrive traumatised, with many having suffered physical violence or emotional torture for years. We provide housing, safety and support services to help them get back on their feet. Taking on the loan from SASC will enable us to help many more women and children to recover from trauma and we will be able to build a more sustainable financial future for the charity through property ownership.”

Ben Rick, Co-Founder and CEO of SASC said, “BCWA is a well-established charity with close links with the two local borough councils and other agencies working with people experiencing domestic violence. They have built a strong portfolio of support contracts from various funding sources in recent years, which have been regularly renewed.

“We’ve invested in other charities working with domestic abuse victims including Hull Women’s Network and Valley House to enable them to buy properties. Having a safe place to go is vital in helping people escape and hope that this loan will enable BCWA to build on its work and provide accommodation and support to more women and children in need.”

For more information on Bromley and Croydon Women’s Aid visit: www.bcwa.org.uk

For more information on SASC visit: www.socialandsustainable.com

[i] https://lwa.org.uk/understanding-abuse/statistics/

[ii] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jan/27/homelessness-statistics-england-domestic-abuse

Charity & CSR, Marketing, PR and SEO, News, South West

Agency gets creative with sporty fundraising marathon in memory of loved ones

STAFF at Wiltshire creative agency Milk & Tweed are embarking on a marathon month of fundraising – inspired by the loss of loved ones and causes close to team members’ hearts.

Creative Director Jake Jeffries said the month, which will see staff at the Chippenham agency challenging each other at darts, spoof, bingo and other games every week with the winner choosing the cause to receive a donation from the agency.

The idea came when Mr Jeffries was looking for a way to mark the anniversary of his sister Laura’s death from cancer in November 2020, aged just 41. “She had a long battle with cancer, throughout which she tried lots of different treatments and even some new experimental ones that the NHS were testing,” he said.

“She tried anything and everything during the battle, and did it with a smile on her face, astonishing positivity and bravery. She was an incredible woman, sister, mother, auntie and daughter and is incredibly missed by her family and friends every day.”

Mrs Jeffries, who lived in Chippenham, before moving back to Colerne with her two sons, was treated on the William Budd Ward at the Royal United Hospital in Bath. “The care, love and attention they provide not only for the patients, but their family members, really is astonishing – and something that will never be forgotten,” said Mr Jeffries.

Every year since her death the business has donated to the hospital but this year Mr Jeffries wanted to expand the fundraising to causes that mean a lot to other members of staff as well.

Among the beneficiaries will be The Samaritans, Helen and Douglas House children’s hospice in Oxford, Blood Cancer UK, Parkinson’s UK and MIND.

“We really wanted to make it a month long effort and to include everyone in the team,” said Mr Jeffries. “We all love playing games and we are all very competitive so it will be closely fought every week. It’s just a way of having a bit of fun as well as helping some fantastic causes that mean something to everyone here. We want to make it an annual event so we can really support these amazing causes.

“Laura’s birthday is on September 28 so Milk & Tweed will be donating every year in September specifically to the William Budd Ward in remembrance to the amazing woman that Laura was and to say thank you to the NHS staff for the amazing treatment that she received.

“It will also support future patients and families so they also get amazing help, support and care during an incredibly tough time.”

Find out more about the Milk & Tweed Charity Marathon Month at milkandtweed.com.

Pictured: Milk & Tweed Creative Director Jake Jeffries with his sister Laura, who died in 2020

Charity & CSR, HRTech, News, Wellbeing

HealthTech 50 Ranked Wellbeing Platform Uncovers Major Challenges Faced by CSR Leaders

WellGiving, a platform designed to improve the health and wellbeing of employees through fitness and fundraising, has uncovered several major challenges faced by CSR leaders according to its recent report.

The research, which included extensive interviews with CSR leaders and teams across multiple corporations, found a common sentiment amongst interviewees – they did not want their roles to be regarded as simply a tick-box exercise, but wanted to see their companies actively living by their brand and corporate values.

Given their responsibility to understand the needs of their communities and demonstrate a positive impact through initiatives such as employee volunteering and community support, WellGiving identified a number of key issues facing CSR leaders in achieving these aims in an initial summary of the report, including:

  • Management and reporting of global CSR initiatives was found to be among one of the top concerns, being both admin-intensive and time-consuming, while failing to produce detailed impact data.
  • Many CSR leaders were faced with apathy and scepticism from employees, with a lack of buy-in from managers, making setting wellbeing goals and maintaining charity partnerships a challenge across departments.
  • Employee engagement as a whole was identified as another major barrier, with a difficulty in aligning staff with new and existing CSR strategies.

These findings follow WellGiving’s HealthTech 50 ranking, highlighting the most innovative start-ups, scale-ups and established technology firms with a focus on original tech for personal and preventative healthcare.

Developers of the WellGiving platform have worked closely with Chief Executives, HR leaders and CSR teams from corporations both large and small to create the platform, and their recent report sheds light on several issues exacerbated by new models of remote and hybrid working across disparate and global teams.

Discussing the research, Paul Rhodes, founder of WellGiving, said: “One of the most telling things about our latest research was, despite the lack of buy-in and the barriers faced by many CSR leaders, they remain extremely passionate about the work they do and the impact they have on employees and their communities. The ultimate goal for CSR leaders is creating social value, and being able to measure the positive impacts their companies create for the economy, society and community.

“With many remote workers being onboarded virtually, and thus not used to office environments, it poses a huge challenge for CSR leaders to create those water-cooler moments and keep staff engaged with CSR initiatives.

“At WellGiving, we understand the need for a hyper-localised approach that allows employees to fundraise for causes that are close to their hearts, thereby driving engagement and boosting the social value and impact of these initiatives, and we are constantly developing new and innovative ways to allow CSR leaders to do just this.”

Following a successful beta stage in 2021, WellGiving launched in January 2022 with the aim of creating a platform that would allow companies to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of their staff through the gamification of physical activity, while also giving businesses the chance to raise funds for charities that were hit hard during the pandemic. The platform is now on track to raise in excess of £1 million for charities across the UK and beyond, while helping corporations meet and exceed their CSR and wellbeing initiatives.

 

For more information, visit: https://wellgiving.co.uk/

Charity & CSR, Food & Drink, News

Squeezy cheese donates six-figure sum to regional charities

Primula Cheese, which donates all its profits to good causes, has given £341,000 through Kavli Trust to help support people feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

As the squeezy cheese brand is owned by the Kavli Trust, a charitable foundation, all profits from the sale of Primula products are shared with charities and good causes in the UK and around the world. The donation follows the rise in the number of consumers being impacted by the cost-of-living crisis as the brand continues to fund communities most in need and who may be feeling the biggest pinch.

With research* suggesting that more consumers are now favouring brands who seem to be giving a larger share of their profits to charities, Primula believes it’s more important than ever for retailers to back brands who are doing their bit to support local communities. Giving profits away to good causes is not new to Primula however, who have been doing it for the last 60 years.

Commenting on the recent donations, Gareth Watson, Brand Communications Manager at Primula Cheese, said: “This year has seen Primula launch new flavours to the market to engage new and existing customers, but we have also continued to donate all profits to good causes, which is something we’ve been doing for the last 60 years.

“Sharing is at the heart of everything we do here at Primula, and we focus on donating our profits to charities who are truly helping to make a difference.

“As part of the broader food industry, we have a responsibility and a potential to contribute to solutions that support responsible consumption and production of food.” These are central pillars to Primula’s success, longevity and continued growth. An approach supported by a unique business mission of sustainably sharing all profits generated by the group’s operation with good causes through its owner the Kavli Trust.

In 2021 £7.8 million was awarded to communities and good causes by Primula’s owner, Kavli Trust, through the sale of its products. Kavli Trust is the sole owner of the Kavli Group, which employs 840 people in four countries and has contributed a total of £62.7 million to good causes around the world since 2012.