Category Archives: Charity & CSR

Charity & CSR, News

Shropshire jobs fair to host inspirational speaker

A former drug addict and ex-prisoner who turned his life around after meeting Shropshire-based celebrity furniture restorer Jay Blades will give an inspirational talk to job seekers at an event at Shrewsbury prison later this month.

Steve Wyatt, who has overcome a 22-year addiction to drugs, to follow his dream of running his own furniture restoration shop, will attend the Building Shropshire Jobs Fair on Wednesday, July 20, to encourage individuals to follow their dreams and not give up.

The event at Shrewsbury Prison will take place from 10am to 3pm and is being hosted by Shropshire-based supported employment and training charity Landau, which works with a range of vulnerable unemployed individuals, including ex-offenders, to get them back into work.

Phil Taylor, chief operations officer for the charity, said: “Steve’s story is quite remarkable, and we think he will provide a lot of inspiration to people who are currently unemployed or at a crossroads in their life and don’t quite know what to do or where to turn.

“His story is a magnificent example of how no matter how complicated and challenging life might seem, by not giving up hope and seeking the right support, you can change direction and turn things around for the better and we know that this will resonate with many individuals.

“As well as hearing about Steve’s own personal journey to success, those attending the jobs fair will be able to speak to a range of different employers from across the region about current vacancies or seek advice from our own employment advisors on training and job support. We’re here to help as many people as possible transition back into work or find more meaningful and sustainable employment.”

Formerly from Birmingham, Steve’s journey started seven years ago when he admitted himself to rehab following a long addiction to drugs, which had seen him living rough on the streets and spending time in prison.

To help him recover, he began a 12-step treatment programme, and it was during this time that he learned the art of furniture restoration and his love for it. It was also around this time that he met Jay Blades, host of BBC TV’s The Repair Shop and owner of furniture restoration company Jay & Co which has workshops in Ironbridge and Wolverhampton.

“I distinctly remember Jay asking me ‘what could you do different?’ and it really stuck in my head,” explained Steve.

“Soon after that I started restoring bits of furniture in my garden and selling them online. I’d moved from Birmingham to Poole to be with my partner and things were going well.

“Just before the pandemic, an opportunity for a workshop came up locally and this gave me a much bigger space for my restoration work. It was a challenge working with all the restrictions, but I continued to source and resell furniture.

“In December 2020 things moved on again and I opened my first shop Restored Retro, and I would say I’ve sold in the region of 400 pieces of furniture in the last 14 months alone which is just incredible.

Throughout his journey, Steve has continued to receive support from Jay and within the last few months, the pair have struck up a new business partnership with Steve being one of only five UK stockists to sell Jay’s own collection of furniture.

Steve said: “It’s been a hard journey I’m not going to lie, and I’ll never forget where I’ve come from, but I’ve achieved a lot and I think the message to other people who find themselves in a situation is to never give up. I just held onto what I wanted to do but I would not be here without the support of those around me and a dream to follow. I started with absolutely nothing.”

The Building Shropshire project was launched by Landau earlier this year in partnership with Shropshire Council to support employers and job seekers across the county to build back stronger from the pandemic.

More than 450 vacancies across various job sectors will be showcased at the event by more than 30 different employers which include Nationwide Building Society, Barclays Bank, Pave Aways Ltd, Wenlock Spring, Grainger and Worrell, JCA Adventure Condover Hall, Culina Logistics and The Wrekin Housing Group to name but a few.

For more information about Landau visit https://www.landau.co.uk/.

Charity & CSR, International News, Logistics, News

Kinaxia Logistics collects 10 tonnes of aid for Ukrainian refugees

A logistics company has delivered 10 tonnes of aid to Ukrainian refugees in Poland after an appeal for clothing, baby supplies, toiletries and food received a bumper response from staff and customers.

Employees of Kinaxia Logistics, their families and friends rallied round along with clients of the nationwide group to donate thousands of items over a four-week period.

The goods were collected from the group’s sites across the country and taken to Kinaxia company Mark Thompson Transport in Warrington for wrapping and packing.

A Mark Thompson Transport warehouse team stacked the donated items on 26 pallets which were loaded on to a truck and driven to the town of Zamość, which is 40 miles from the Ukrainian border.

Kinaxia driver Tomasz Konarski, 42, who is from Poland and lives in Chester, volunteered to travel to his home country to deliver the much-needed aid.

His route took him via Dover, Calais, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany before he arrived in Poland after a four-day journey of 1,400 miles.

“I was happy to help. It was a good thing to do and greatly appreciated,” said Tomasz.

The mission was coordinated by Dave Cork, senior operations manager at Mark Thompson Transport.

He said: “It was a fantastic effort by our staff, their families and friends and our customers.

“The trailer was full of items generously donated from across the country, including clothing for men, women and children, nappies, baby medicines, rice and other foodstuffs, toiletries, sleeping bags and bottled water.

“The aid will make a tremendous difference to the lives of Ukrainians who have fled their homeland and sought refuge in neighbouring Poland.”

Kinaxia chief executive Simon Hobbs said: “The response to our appeal was truly heart-warming and inspiring. It was great to see our Kinaxia family and our customers coming together to offer support to the people of Ukraine in this way.”

Kinaxia Logistics has its headquarters in Macclesfield and comprises 13 freight and logistics businesses across the UK with over 1,800 staff and more than 800 vehicles which transport goods for the retail, leisure, food and drink and manufacturing sectors.

The group has 2.7 million sq ft of warehouse facilities nationwide, offering contract packing, e-fulfilment, returns management and storage services.

Charity & CSR, News

Insight: How Your Property Strategy Can Help Your Beneficiaries In The Longer-Term

Written by Jonathan Rhodes, partner and national head of valuation at Cluttons

The time you serve on a charity’s board of trustees or senior management team is limited relative to how long the charity has already been in existence and is likely to continue to exist for. So how can you make a difference during your tenure at a charity?

One of the fundamental principles of charity finance is the different funds a charity may hold on trust. A charity can only hold two types of fund: unrestricted and restricted. Unrestricted funds are freely available to spend on any of the charity’s purposes, whereas restricted funds can only be spent on specific purposes, usually specified by a donor or funder.

Understanding whether income and expenditure is coming from unrestricted and restricted funds is essential in understanding how to govern a charity. There should be a knowledge of the core income streams required to fund the costs of charitable activities being undertaken.

Furthermore, a dependency on one or the other, especially a restricted income, could result in reduced choice for trustees in developing new strategies and initiatives. A charity that generates good surpluses from unrestricted funds is well-placed to pursue new initiatives or invest more in existing, or indeed new, programmes for beneficiaries.

However, it’s not just the annual income and expenditure from a fund that is a measure of financial strength. Reserves, from the balance sheet, show the financial strength of your charity. Ultimately, it is up to trustees to work out how much your charity needs to keep in reserves. A good reserves strategy will establish a financial target, possibly a range, for the charity to achieve at a future date.

Trustees are also able to achieve a step-change increase in reserves for the good of the beneficiaries, which could be achieved by an unexpected bequest or sale of a property.

Rationalising a charity’s property portfolio or leveraging off its asset base is nothing new, however, with fundraising having become more difficult some charities may be faced with reducing reserves and or other demands for monies, which require action of some sort or another.

Property can generate an unrestricted source of income. Therefore, rather than selling an asset outright, charities should consider how their assets could increase their income by considering other options.

However, agreeing these strategies is not a one-off exercise. If you engage early, seek the right advice and ask the appropriate questions , this will help align your property strategy to the financial reserves plan. This should further enable the charity to achieve its objectives, but also help to avoid unforeseen circumstances, whilst optimising the opportunity to increase unrestricted income and not undermine the balance sheet for the future.

 

Charity & CSR, Energy, News, Sport

Solar developer and children’s charity power up schools sustainability

Specialist solar project development company, Ortus Energy, is partnering with leading UK charity, The Youth Sport Trust (YST), to deliver a nationwide schools programme that equips young people with the skills, confidence and opportunities to lead change.

The ‘Youth Leadership Project’, powered by Ortus Energy, will use the inspiration and expertise of YST’s established Athlete Mentors initiative to empower young leaders to harness the positive power of play and sport to help improve wellbeing, build friendships, and foster better understanding of one another.

Apart from being environmentally educational, it will also support personal development and consider how young people – as well as leading more active and healthier lives – can work together for a more sustainable planet and future.

This project partnership works because Ortus Energy shares YST’s commitment to educate, inspire and make a difference to the communities in which they work. It’s aimed at young leaders aged 14-16 years to help nurture and inspire younger pupils.

Five schools across the UK (in Croydon, Matlock, West Bromwich, Carmarthen and Dumfries) are participating in initial co-creation workshops, with 15 more schools to join them for a pilot programme running September to December 2022. The national roll out will run January to December 2023 for a further 230 schools.

Alistair Booth, CEO of Ortus Energy, says: “We’re all about powering change – and change for the better. Supporting Youth Sport Trust enables us to demonstrate that commitment. The power of sport is important, it builds self-esteem, it encourages healthy competition and, most importantly, respect for one another. These are all core values we hold very dear as well.

“Through this collaboration, we also want to help schools become more energy resilient and invest in more positive outcomes – not only for their young people and future leaders through the inclusive power of sport, but a clean, green energy source that will dramatically reduce both fuel costs and their carbon footprint. Together with Youth Sport Trust, we will power a future that is sustainable for the next generation.”

Ali Oliver MBE, CEO at the Youth Sport Trust, adds: “We are delighted to be partnering with Ortus Energy.  These are extraordinary times for our young people and things have become critical for their health and happiness.  We live in a world where we are moving less, where digital technology is having an increasing impact on young lives and where children feel lonely and disconnected.

“This exciting partnership with Ortus Energy will enable us, the Youth Sport Trust, to empower communities of young leaders who harness the positive power of play and sport to improve well-being, build friendships and foster understanding for their peers. We strive to be a globally responsible charity and through our partnership with Ortus Energy we are also committed to enabling schools across the UK to access solar power, increasing their awareness and positive contribution to our climate change crisis.”

To register your school’s interest in joining the national rollout of the programme in 2023, please contact:supporters@youthsporttrust.org.

About Ortus Energy: Ortus Energy is a leading renewable energy development and investment company, which specialises in building, financing and operating distributed energy projects such as rooftop solar PV and battery storage. They’re a major new player when it comes to guarding against energy uncertainty, having recently signed a landmark deal with international assets investment company Fiera Infrastructure to deploy £100m of investments into the UK market. Their Commercial & Industrial (C&I) roof-top PPAs ensure organisations benefits from low-cost, clean energy, without any capital expenditure, that’s independent from the grid and not exposed to the volatility of open-market forces and prices. Visit https://ortusenergy.co.uk/ .

About Youth Sport Trust: The Youth Sport Trust is the UK’s leading youth sport charity for improving wellbeing through sport and PE. It empowers young people and equips educators to transform lives through sport and play. Founded in 1995, it works with around 20,000 schools around the UK. Its vision is to create a future where every child enjoys the life-changing benefits of play and sport. Visit www.youthsporttrust.org.    

Charity & CSR, Hospice News, News

Moneypenny raise money for the Nightingale House Hospice on the midnight walk

A strong team from Moneypenny took part in the Nightingale Midnight Walk on Saturday 25th June to help raise money for the Nightingale House Hospice and to light up the streets of Wrexham with a community feel.

They not only raised hundreds of pounds for the important charity but also were joint sponsors of the event along wtih Hafren Dydrdwy, Hoya Lens UK Ltd & Village Bakery and attended beforehand to soak up the atmosphere and paint other entrants with stunning glitter face paints and hand out glow sticks.

At the event there was live entrainment and the fabulous motivational coach ‘Amanda Roberts’ helped to make sure everyone was warmed and ready for the walk ahead.

There were also local food vendors so people could purchase some pre walk treats and lots of legendary bunny ears and glow merchandise which the event has became famous for.

The walk started at midnight and this year there was a 10 mile and a 10Km option. At the end of the walk the hungry walkers received free tea and coffee and a sausage roll or Cheese slice.

Charlotte Ashdown, People Director at Moneypenny who also did the walk commented:

“We were delighted to be able to sponsor this hugely important event and the atmosphere was really electric. At Moneypenny we are passionate about our people and coming together to work as a team and it was wonderful to be able to see everyone supporting each other and most importantly having fun along the way.

The reality is that many of our employees have had a loved one directly needing the support of the hospice and this is why it is very close to our hearts. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to engage with fellow walkers and to share our journeys together along the night. “

Moneypenny Business Development Manager Tracy Gallagher comments:

“Supporting Nightingale House is so important to me, having witnessed first hand how wonderfully caring they were with my father in law and also more recently the support they gave to my step dad and also to my mum who was caring for him at the time. The compassion, dignity and respect shown by all the staff was incredible, words cannot express how grateful I am and just hope that by taking part to help raise funds will enable them to continue to help others too.”

Sarah Povey & Sam Amis – Event Fundraisers at Nightingale House added:

“The support from Moneypenny has been incredible, staff members have gone above and beyond to assist in the promotion and sponsorship of the event and we are thrilled to have shared this journey with them.  From announcing the comeback of the Midnight walk within the Moneypenny headquarters to the spectacular night itself. We are so grateful to have this amazing partnership.

“We cannot thank our community and all those involved enough for helping us to raise such a magnificent total towards patient care.”

Charity & CSR, Finance and Banking, News

Principality colleagues volunteer more than 500 hours for Children’s Hospice Week

Principality Building Society colleagues volunteered more than 500 hours to their charity partners Tŷ Hafan and Tŷ Gobaith during Children’s Hospice Week.

Children’s Hospice Week celebrates the incredible work that is done by children’s hospice and palliative care services across the UK, as well as the seriously ill children and young people they support.

The Principality team exchanged their work in offices and branches to help the charities in their shops, and also baked cakes to raise vital funds for these two important charities.

Shaun Middleton, Head of Distribution at Principality, said: “We are very proud to call both Tŷ Hafan and Hope House Tŷ Gobaith our charity partners and it’s been great to be able to support them during Children’s Hospice Week. There’s been loads going on in our branches across Wales and the Borders to raise funds for the charities. A huge thank you to our Members for their continued support.

“Colleagues have also taken on a charity shop challenge this week, swapping the branches and offices, for their local Tŷ Hafan or Tŷ Gobaith store. Friendships have been made and I know they’ve all learnt lots about the charities. It’s great to bring high street partners together and share experiences for the benefit of the local community.”

Jenna Lewis, Director of Income Generation at Tŷ Hafan, said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to welcome Principality Building Society volunteers into our Tŷ Hafan shops this week.

“They have all been amazing, they have worked incredibly hard and made a massive difference to what our dedicated retail teams have been able to achieve.

“Our partnership with Principality means a huge amount to us and to all the children and their families who we support and who will benefit from their generosity, not only during Children’s Hospice Week but over the next two years for the duration of this partnership. We could not be more grateful. ”

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Image: (C) HUW JOHN, Cardiff

Charity & CSR, Charity News, News

Opencast joins St Oswald’s Hospice 2023 Art Trail

The North East’s St Oswald’s Hospice art trail fundraiser is back for summer 2023 – and Newcastle-headquartered tech consultancy Opencast will be creating its very own Shaun the Sheep for people to find and locate along the way!

The art trail initiative is in support of North East charity St Oswald’s Hospice, which provides specialist care for adults, young people and children with incurable conditions, and support for family and loved ones.

At the centre of the 2023 art trail will be Aardman’s much-loved character Shaun the Sheep (pictured above, left). After first appearing in Nick Park’s 1995 Wallace & Gromit ‘A Close Shave’, Shaun went on to star in his own series, which launched on BBC One in 2007.

Next summer 50 unique Shaun the Sheep sculptures will be dotted around the Tyne region to attract people to the area – with each Shaun sculpture then being auctioned off to raise money for the hospice.

Welcoming the 2023 St Oswald’s art trail, Opencast co-founder Charlie Hoult (pictured with Shaun at the launch, above right), said: “It’s going to be baaa-rilliant! We’re delighted to be part of the flock and we’ll definitely be adding a bit of OC style to our own Shaun the Sheep. We can’t wait to get designing!”

Charlie added: “Opencast is pleased to be supporting St Oswald’s Hospice through this initiative. Our support is part of our wider commitment to supporting charities in the North East region, nationally and internationally. To date Opencast has donated close to £100,000 through its charity giving programme.”

The 2023 St Oswald’s Hospice art trail launched on Tuesday 28 June at Ouseburn City Farm in Newcastle.

Charity & CSR, News, South West

Creative agency staff will tackle ten peaks in a day for youth charity

CREATIVE agency staff have designs on conquering ten peaks in ten hours to raise money for a Wiltshire youth charity.

Five staff from Milk & Tweed in Chippenham are bidding to raise at least £1,500 for the Youth Adventure Trust, which is based in Swindon but works with young people on the margins of education all over Wiltshire.

They will be taking on the Ellis Brigham Ten Peaks Challenge in the Brecon Beacons National Park on July 18, where the agency’s team will be setting off at 6am to climb six peaks in the morning and four in the afternoon.

Creative director Jake Jeffries said the company jumped at the chance to take part after being approached by the trust. “Sam Jones, one of our designers, is a keen hiker and wild camper and he is young so he persuaded us all enter,” he said.

“I have wanted to do some more team building activities for a while and we have always been passionate about supporting charities so this seemed like a good fit. I certainly wouldn’t say we are all experienced walkers but we’ll be giving it our all, especially as it is for such a good cause.”

The Youth Adventure Trust works with young people aged between 11 and 16 who are struggling at school, including many who have been excluded, and also young carers looking after poorly relatives. Its three-year programme includes mentoring and a series of residential activity weeks to build confidence and self-esteem.

“It’s nice to get involved with the trust in this way because we are interested in supporting the younger generation,” said Mr Jeffries. “I’m sure we’ll be doing some training before the challenge, it’s a 34km hike and an ascent of 1,695 metres so it is going to be tough – but it is for a great cause.”

The company has set up a fundraising page at youthadventuretrust.enthuse.com/pf/milk-tweed to donate to the challenge.

Youth Adventure Trust corporate partnerships manager Philippa Cox said: “We are delighted to have Milk & Tweed joining us on the challenge and can guarantee the conversations the team will have on the side of the mountain will be very different to their creative brainstorms in the office.

“By taking part they will not only have a fantastic experience in the mountains but will also be supporting vulnerable young people in their local community to overcome some significant challenges in their daily lives.”

She said there are still places available for other companies to take part. “The Ten Peaks Challenge provides a unique opportunity to get to know your colleagues in a completely different way, enjoy some stunning scenery and really make an impact on vulnerable young lives,” she said.

“Any company interested can contact me on 07956 934 100 or at philippa@youthadventuretrust.org.uk to find out more.”

Find out more about the agency at milkandtweed.com and about the trust at youthadventuretrust.org.uk.

Pictured: Milk & Tweed Creative Director Jake Jeffries, right, with members of his team ready to take on the Ellis Brigham Ten Peaks Challenge in aid of the Youth Adventure Trust

Charity & CSR, Midlands News, News

Midlands refugee charity benefits from £1,000 Sigma donation

A Midlands-based business outsourcing firm has donated £1,000 to a charity which provides free guidance and advice on immigration, destitution and homelessness across Birmingham and the Black Country.

Sigma Connected, which provides contact centre services across the utilities, retail, telecommunications and financial services sectors, has donated the four-figure sum to The Refugee & Migrant Centre.

The donation gives the charity much needed access to non-directed funds which can make a difference in the lives of their often destitute clients by providing access to basic essentials that are not otherwise funded, including food, clothing, milk powder and other baby essentials.

The funds have been donated to the Refugee & Migrant Centre through Sigma’s Community Foundation – a foundation through which the company has pledged to donate £12,000 every year to good causes, charities and community projects nominated by employees.

Gary Gilburd, CEO of Sigma Connected, said: “Our Community Foundation is the most effective way to make a difference in the local communities where our employees live and work.

“The Refugee & Migrant Centre does a huge amount of work to support families across Birmingham and the Black Country. They are a brilliant charity for families to lean on when they need support to arrange a roof over their head, securing healthcare, and making sure their children are placed into the education system.

“It is work that often goes unseen by so many people so I hope our donation can go some way to helping as many people as possible.”

Peter Hopgood-Gravett, Director of Compliance, Risk and Audit at Sigma Connected said: “The Refugee and Migrant Centre is a charity which does so much for so many across the region. I really felt this organisation could reflect the amazing diversity we see in Sigma. Having met some of the team, I am genuinely inspired by their work and passion and so pleased to see our donation going to a truly great cause.”

Dr Heather Thomas, Senior Consultant at the charity, added: “I’d like to give a huge thank you to Sigma Connected for its donation.  Securing funding for the RMC is a full time job and non-directed donations, such as the one from Sigma, are often harder to find but can be among the most useful. These really make a difference.”

The charity was nominated by Sigma employee Peter Hopgood-Gravett, its Director of Compliance, Risk and Audit.

The Refugee & Migrant Centre offers a wide range of support to people across the West Midlands, including asylum seekers, refugees, EU migrants, undocumented people and those with uncertain immigration status often escaping war. The RMC provides casework, advice and guidance on immigration, housing/homelessness/destitution, welfare, education and health.

The charity is operated by 110 staff and over 50 volunteers who speak over 45 languages and many of whom were clients and became volunteers or employees having used the service themselves. They have supported tens of thousands of individuals and families since its creation in 1999. Beneficiaries have come from across 148 different nationalities. Their website is available through www.rmcentre.org.uk.

In March 2022 Sigma also donated £15,000 to Red Cross Ukraine Appeal.

For more information on the Sigma Connected Group and its services readers can visit www.sigmaconnected.com

Charity & CSR, News

Sayer Vincent announces free webinar programme for autumn and winter 2022

Sayer Vincent, the award-winning firm of charity auditors and advisers has published new dates and topics for its popular webinar series for the second half of 2022 and recommends charity finance professionals sign up early.

The webinars offer practical guidance on a range of finance topics and the autumn / winter schedule kicks off with Assessing the VAT treatment of activities on 7th October from 9.30am until 10.30am.

Charities have a wide range of different activities and income streams and assessing the VAT treatment of these can be a challenge. This session will look at the key issues around classifying income streams for VAT as well as exemptions and reduced rates of VAT that can apply to charities.

Other topics are: VAT recovery and charity reliefs; Trustee responsibilities and Code of Governance; Introduction to Theatre, Orchestra, Museums and Galleries tax relief; Introduction to SORP; Charity tax update; Restricted funds; Expenses, benefits and tax, and Charity reserves.

All sessions are informative, accessible via Zoom and give attendees practical advice and knowledge they can use in their roles. Each session will include a presentation with slides and handouts and the chance to ask questions through a live Q&A box. For those that can’t attend the live event each webinar is available on demand for a limited period afterwards.

Recent research by the Charities Aid Foundation[i] found that 71% of charity leaders are worried about managing an increase in demand on their services with families facing financial struggles due to the increased cost of living crisis.

Charities also need to manage their own increasing bills due to rising inflation. The research showed many charity leaders are concerned about the increased cost of utilities, including energy bills, rent and fuel, and managing demands for higher wages. At the same time, 59% of leaders are concerned about people having less money to donate to their cause, and a third are worried about their organisation struggling to survive.

Jonathan Orchard, Partner at Sayer Vincent said, “The cost of living crisis and rising inflation will affect the most vulnerable in society, which means charities that are just starting to recover from the pandemic are facing new financial challenges.

“Growing demand for their services, at the same time as people having less money in their pockets to donate is going to have a big impact. Finance teams will once again be working hard to ensure that charities can navigate the tough economic environment ahead.

“We work closely with our clients to help them better manage the charity finances and achieve the best outcomes for their beneficiaries. Our webinar series is free for both clients and non-clients. We encourage finance teams to make use of this resource to gain expert knowledge, tips and guidance that will benefit their charity going forwards.”

To see the full list of webinars and to sign up visit: www.sayervincent.co.uk/events.

[i] https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/media-office-news/increased-demand-and-falling-donations-create-perfect-storm-for-charities/