Category Archives: Charity & CSR

Charity & CSR, News

Neäl & Wølf and Salon Promotions Ltd make Christmas donation to Lancashire Mind Charity

Luxury hair care brand, Neäl & Wølf and salon hair care product distributor, Salon Promotions Ltd, have made a Christmas donation of £2,000 to Lancashire Mind charity.

The donation total would have traditionally been spent on Christmas celebrations across the Neäl & Wølf and Salon Promotions team, but due to current circumstances, the businesses have decided to donate it to its local Mind charity.

Lancashire Mind is more than a mental health charity and is a passionate movement leading the mental wellbeing revolution in Lancashire. Their vision is Mental Wellbeing for All and their work enables people in Lancashire to value and take care of their mental health.

The dedicated Lancashire Mind team work with people of all ages and help to develop resilience and wellbeing in people and communities throughout the county, to build a happier Lancashire.

Neil Capstick, Owner and Founder of Neäl & Wølf and Salon Promotions, says “This year has been overwhelmingly tough for everyone, both professionally and personally. Businesses around the world have been impacted by COVID-19 and the personal care and hair industry has faced its most challenging period to date.

The pandemic has been extremely tough for hair stylists and has left many isolated with financial stress and worries for the future, which is why we decided to make this donation to our local charity, Lancashire Mind. They are leading a wellbeing revolution to get people talking about mental health, and this is something we fully support at Neal and Wolf and Salon Promotions. I hope this small gesture helps to make a big difference.”

Tommy McIIravey, CEO of Lancashire Mind Charity, says “On behalf of everyone at Lancashire Mind, and those who access our services, I would like to thank Neäl & Wølf and Salon Promotions for this kind and generous donation. In these current times, donations such as this mean more than ever to Lancashire Mind and enable us to continue to work with individuals and communities across the county. At Lancashire Mind, we’re leading a wellbeing revolution, to get people talking about mental health, to help ourselves and each other but we can’t do this alone. Support from Neäl & Wølf and Salon Promotions helps us continue to work towards our vision of Mental Wellbeing for All.”

Charity & CSR, Finance and Banking

HSBC UK funds Dorset marine charity amid Covid-19 challenges

A Dorset charity that runs a first-of-its-kind sanctuary for beluga whales has secured a seven-figure finance package from HSBC UK to continue its vital work, despite the challenges posed by Covid-19.

SEA LIFE Trust, which works globally to protect the world’s oceans and marine life, has used the funding to support cash flow and allow it to continue running its seal and beluga whale sanctuaries whilst having to close its doors to visitors during the pandemic.

The charity operates two sanctuaries: a seal sanctuary in Cornwall which rescues and rehabilitates sick seal pups that have been found in the ocean and another in Klettsvik Bay, Iceland for rescued beluga whales that have been performing in water parks and aquariums their whole life. The Trust provides a wild space for the rescued whales, netted off from the open sea in the Westman Islands.

The funding was secured as part of the government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

Andy Bool, Head of SEA LIFE Trust, said: “As a charity, we mainly rely on funding from individuals and organisations who wish to donate, but a significant part of our income also comes from welcoming visitors to our beautiful sanctuaries. Sadly, when Covid took hold, we had to close our sanctuaries to visitors for a few months, which meant our income was significantly impacted. HSBC UK’s support, led by our relationship director Graham Smith has been instrumental in helping us prepare for the future, as well as allowing us to carry on the vital work we are doing for these animals.”

Leo Jones, Head of Charities, HSBC UK, said: “SEA LIFE Trust carries out hugely important preservation work and like other organisations has had to overcome the challenges posed by a very unpredictable year. I am proud that HSBC UK was able to provide support at a time where the pandemic continues to have a significant impact on visitor numbers and donations.”

Mike Miller, South Region Head of Leveraged Corporates at HSBC UK, added:

“We’re delighted we’ve been able to help SEA LIFE Trust continue operating during the pandemic, which has been a huge blow to many charities which rely on visitors and donations to keep them going. The work it does to support and protect our oceans and marine life is absolutely critical to the future of our planet so it was important to us that we could give something back. We’re confident that the Trust will continue making a huge difference despite these incredibly challenging times.”

The beluga whale sanctuary is home to Little White and Little Grey, two well-known whales that were captured when they were calves, taken to a Russian research centre and then moved to a Chinese aquarium where they spent a decade as entertainment for visitors. The sanctuary in the Westman Islands was created to ensure they could live in a natural habitat.

The story of Little White and Little Grey’s journey, which began in spring 2019 as they travelled 6,000 miles from the aquarium in China, has been told in a two-part documentary on ITV and features comedian and animal lover, John Bishop.

To find out more about what SEA LIFE Trust does, visit the website: https://www.sealifetrust.org/en/.

Charity & CSR, IT Support, News

Stone Group invests in the National Forest to encourage more businesses to recycle ageing IT

Leading UK ICT solutions provider, Stone Group, has announced its partnership with the National Forest, to help it fulfil its commitment to support tree planting on behalf of its customers when they recycle their old IT equipment through the new Stone 360 app.

Launched last month, the app allows organisations to arrange collection of their ageing or redundant IT equipment to be taken to Stone’s dedicated IT asset disposal (ITAD) facility, where they are securely recycled or refurbished. Users can either cash in the value of their recycled goods or collect points to purchase refurbished or new IT from Stone.

Staffordshire-based Stone Group elected the National Forest as its partner to support positive local environmental change, assisting the charity in its mission to prove that nature, society and the economy can work in harmony so that we all have a positive future. The three-year agreement will simultaneously support Stone in its core value of sustainability and its aim to encourage customers to recycle e-waste and generate donations in support of the National Forest.

Covering 200 square miles of the Midlands, the National Forest spans parts of Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Users of Stone 360 are able to track their contribution to the National Forest through the app. For every 1000 points earned, a tree will be added to their ‘virtual woodland’ and a donation made to the National Forest. The partnership will result in a minimum of 400 trees planted in the National Forest on behalf of customers per annum, with funds donated through collections also put towards its woodland management, education, and community programmes.

Tim Westbrook, director at Stone Group, commented, “With 53.6 million metric tonnes of global e-waste generated just last year alone, the IT industry faces an enormous challenge in tackling the responsible disposal of IT hardware such as laptops, desktops, monitors and printers.

“It’s crucial that the IT industry does more to minimise its negative impact on the environment and we think it’s time resellers stepped up to the challenge. At the end of the day it’s the resellers who have the customer relationships and sell them new hardware.
“While we’re confident that the ease, convenience, and benefits, of the Stone 360 app will be enough to get UK businesses and organisations on board with our mission and making simple changes that will have a big impact, we’re delighted to be able to offer our customers the opportunity to also support the creation and management of new woodlands in the National Forest. Not only should this further encourage responsible disposal of e-waste and reduce the harm it causes to the environment, but by supporting the Forest, we’re also proactively making a positive contribution.”

David Bourque, director of development at the National Forest, commented, “The National Forest is a nationally inspiring place working on sustainability, in partnership with business, delivering positive change. Like Stone Group, we are solutions focused and by working with business partners who adopt sustainable solutions we can achieve a positive future together.”

The Stone 360 app is available on both iOS and Android devices.

Charity & CSR, News

Aegon donates £20,000 to Aegon Breakfast Clubs in Edinburgh

Aegon has donated a total of £20,000 to the Aegon Breakfast Club schools in Edinburgh to replace the annual Christmas children’s party.

In recent year’s Aegon has hosted Christmas parties for the school children at a marquee at its Edinburgh Park office. But due to the ongoing pandemic this will not take place this year, instead each school has received a donation to create their own Christmas festivities or use as they choose.

The five Aegon Breakfast Clubs in Edinburgh – Clovenstone Primary School; Colinton Primary School, Granton Primary School, Sighthill Primary School and Balgreen Primary School – will each receive £4,000 to make Christmas special for the children.

The partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council was established in 2007 to give children a free, healthy and nutritional start to their day.

The breakfast clubs are more than just healthy eating. They help to improve attendance and concentration, as well as social skills and it helps the children to develop good eating habits early on in life. It also helps parents to juggle different work patterns – allowing them to drop their children off earlier and safely at school, knowing that they’ll have eaten something before their lessons begin.

Mike Holliday-Williams, CEO at Aegon comments:

“While understandable, it’s disappointing for everyone involved that the much-loved school Christmas parties we’ve hosted for many years have had to be cancelled this year. But we didn’t want the children to miss out on the festivities, especially during what has been such a tough year for so many.

“We hope our donation to the local schools will ensure the children can celebrate the end of term before the Christmas holidays and get stocked up on much needed resources to support ongoing learning in the new year.”

Plans are already in motion for how the schools want to spend the money, with one school hoping to have a Santa greenhouse and a snow machine so that Santa can visit safely outdoors to give the children their presents and another stocking up on reading books to help children develop a love of reading from a young age.

Jennifer Cairns, Headteacher, Clovenstone Primary School comments:

“We’ve used the very kind Christmas gift from our friends at Aegon to ensure, despite current circumstances, Christmas is still magical for our fantastic children. Funding has gone to develop a Winter Wonderland in our Courtyard, which each class is visiting for a special treat – like a hot chocolate and a Christmas story – in the three weeks leading up to Christmas. Funding has also meant that each child will receive a Christmas present, and get to enjoy a virtual Christmas show. We’ve also allocated some of the funding to making up festive food parcels for our families who need support at this time.”

Shelagh Dow, Granton Primary School comments:

“Christmas this year was always going to be a challenge but the generous donation from Aegon has helped us make it a special time for the children. We’ve used the money for a variety of things so that every child benefits. Our courtyard has been transformed into a Winter Wonderland, with the greenhouse lit as Granton’s Grotto so Santa can be safe and socially distanced. We also bought a snow machine so it will be snowing when every class visits. We always give every child the gift of a book at Christmas but with Aegon’s help this year we’ve extended this to a gift bag which includes cosy socks and a satsuma. We’ve also booked an ice cream van to visit the playground next Tuesday and Tricky Ricky’s online magic shows.”

Marie Dunn, Headteacher, Sighthill Primary School comments:

“We are so grateful to Aegon for the generous funding donation. We’ve purchased festive Christmas resources, snacks and the Tricky Ricky Magic Show for all pupils to enjoy. We’ve also used the funds to buy new reading books for our P1-2s. These reading books will allow our children to develop a stronger understanding and awareness of their phonics and develop a love of reading, which will support other aspects of their learning.

“We also plan to purchase play-based learning resources for our P3-4 classes. Due to the children being off for five months, they missed the vital transition work we normally do and the final term of play-based learning they would have had in P2/3. These resources will make a huge difference to ensure we are truly meeting the needs of all our learners and allow them the opportunity to learn through curiosity and creativity to develop a love of lifelong learning.”

Christine McKechnie, Strategic Development Officer City of Edinburgh Council comments: “Aegon’s valuable sponsorship of CEC primary school breakfast clubs has helped ensure sustainability and consistency of this valuable provision, particularly in parts of the city where levels of need are higher.’’

“Our Aegon sponsored schools are enormously grateful for the support that Aegon and their staff provide to the whole school community. We are all a little overwhelmed by Aegon’s most recent gesture and would like to thank them for their generosity.”

Charity & CSR, News

Property developer delivers Christmas cheer to children in hospital

Leading property development, investment and lettings company, ALB Group, is marking the festive season by donating thousands of pounds worth of Christmas presents to children in five hospitals across the country.

The Nottingham-headquartered privately owned group, which has multiple companies specialising in the conversion, redevelopment and letting of residential and commercial properties throughout the UK, is gifting £15,000 worth of presents to children who will be receiving hospital treatment over the Christmas period.

This is the fourth year running that ALB has donated gifts to children in hospital – and donations this year will reach communities in which the developer has been particularly active; including Kings Mill in Mansfield, Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax, Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham, Derbyshire Children’s Hospital and Arrowe Park Hospital in Birkenhead, Merseyside.

This is the second consecutive year that the company has donated gifts to Arrowe Park Hospital in Birkenhead, following its work on the transformation of a local retail unit into 59 residential apartments in the town.

As well as gifts, ALB is also donating a new television and Xbox to a local homeless shelter in Nottinghamshire.

Arran Bailey, managing director at ALB Group, said: “As a company, we work to improve local areas through the regeneration, redevelopment and conversion of underutilised sites and properties, and we feel a responsibility to give something extra special back to these communities for Christmas.

“The festive season is usually such a joyful time, but given the uncertain year we’ve all experienced, it’s going to feel very different for many this year – especially for those who have been and are separated from their loved ones.
“We are so pleased and proud to be able to give some joy to children who are in hospital over the Christmas season, and we look forward to seeing the smiles on their faces once the gifts are delivered to the wards.

“Our work takes us all over the country, but we are honoured to be so involved in the property industry throughout the East Midlands, where the company first began, providing quality residential and commercial spaces for people to enjoy.”

Charity & CSR, News, Property, Sport

Wavendon housebuilder supports young footballers at a local club

Two junior teams at Woburn and Wavendon Football Club have netted sponsorship from a housebuilder providing new homes in Wavendon.

The U9 Whirlwinds team has been given a donation of £500 towards club kit by Bellway Northern Homes Counties, which is currently building 168 new homes at Wavendon Chase off Newport Road.

Meanwhile, the U8 Lionesses have been given a matching £500 contribution.

Woburn and Wavendon Football Club is one of the area’s largest and oldest grassroot clubs and provides training and hosts games for nearly 50 teams, ranging from five-year-olds to adults.
The club’s teams play matches across nine different venues in the south and east of Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire.

The kit donations provided by the developer will be sported by the two teams in all future games this season and next.

Chairman of Woburn and Wavendon Football Club, Robert Hill, said: “We’d like to thank Bellway for their generous contributions, which have been a huge help towards funding for our new kits. As a club run entirely by volunteers, we rely on support from local businesses.

“We’re really looking forward to training and playing competitively again, and our Whirlwind and Lioness teams are very excited to kick off the new season in their brand-new kits. As an FA Charter Standard Community Club, we value this opportunity to work closely with Bellway and help integrate new Wavendon residents into our friendly community.”

Bellway Northern Home Counties Sales Director, Luke Southgate, said: “We’re very pleased to be supporting such a wonderful club, and we hope our donation will help to put smiles on the faces of those who have been keen to start training for the new season.”

For more information on the new homes being built by Bellway in Wavendon, visit bellway.co.uk.

Charity & CSR, News

Cleanology’s Christmas Appeal collects a tonne of donations for The Hygiene Bank

Staff at leading commercial cleaning and FM company Cleanology – as well as customers and suppliers – have bagged up a whopping tonne of hygiene products to go to families around the UK this Christmas. And there is more to come!

The donations campaign aims to make the Christmas period less stressful for people struggling with poverty across the UK. The products collected have been distributed by Cleanology to The Hygiene Bank’s local community projects.

Cleanology’s CEO, Dominic Ponniah, said: “A fifth of the population is living in poverty and Christmas places even more pressure on those families struggling to make ends meet. Figures show one in three people living in the UK has had to go without hygiene essentials – up and down the country, people are faced with having to make a choice between buying presents for the children or stocking up on toiletries or cleaning products. We hope that, with our help, they won’t have to make those choices.”

So far, Cleanology has collected over a tonne of products, ranging from hand sanitiser and cleaning spray to toilet roll and tissues. Cleanology’s own donation of hand sanitiser amounts to over £13,000 in value.

Edgar Penollar, CEO at The Hygiene Bank, said: “Many people were experiencing hygiene poverty before the Coronavirus hit and the number is expected to rise due to the knock-on effects of the pandemic. As we move into winter, there are many who simply cannot afford the products and amenities they need in order to stay clean, safe and well. We are very grateful Cleanology is supporting The Hygiene Bank this Christmas. Their donations will help alleviate some of the pressure individuals and families face when unable to afford the basics, which is especially stressful during Christmas.”

Ponniah added: “We have been overwhelmed by the response. Christmas is meant to be a time of peace but, for those juggling tiny budgets, it is stressful trying to make ends meet while meeting extra demands. Research shows that people stop buying toiletries long before they approach a food bank. We want to fill that gap.”

Cleanology’s Christmas Appeal runs until the end of January 2021 and is:

• Donating all profits from December sales of hand sanitiser to The Hygiene Bank.
• Collecting donations of unwanted Christmas presents such as soap and perfume.

Cleanology teamed up with The Hygiene Bank in September 2020 to help promote the first ever National Hygiene Week, to raise awareness of UK hygiene poverty.

All the products donated will be distributed by The Hygiene Bank, which was launched to tackle the shocking reality of hygiene poverty. The Hygiene Bank operates 789 drop-off points including all Boots stores and Cleanology HQ in Clapham, South West London. It uses the products to support 1,398 organisations around the UK.

Charity & CSR, News, North of England

Bellway makes festive donation to North West food banks

As part of its ongoing commitment to charitable giving and supporting the communities in which it develops, housebuilder Bellway has made a series of donations to Trussell Trust food banks across the North West.

After a difficult year and with the festive holiday fast approaching, four Trussell Trust food banks across the region have shared a donation of £600 that will be used to help local individuals and families most in need in the coming weeks.

Working to stop hunger and poverty, the Trussell Trust is a national network of food banks that is run by volunteers and provides emergency food and additional support to people in crisis all year round.

The Trussell Trust’s Skelmersdale Food Bank, Nantwich Food Bank, Mid Cheshire Food Bank and Middlewich & District Food Bank have all received donations of £150 from Bellway and the money will be used to purchase much needed food and personal items for those most in need within each local community in the run-up to Christmas.

Rachel Pendleton, Middlewich & District food bank manager, comments: “I have been involved with the food bank for seven years. We rely on donations from individuals and businesses and very much welcome Bellway’s cheque. It’s great see to a local housebuilder supporting the community, and I know the managers at the other food banks are delighted with their donations too.”

Sales director at Bellway, Jenny Bell, added: “Bellway is committed to giving back to the communities in which it develops, and despite the pandemic, we have continued with most of our fundraising initiatives this year. With food banks experiencing unprecedented demand, members of our team wanted to do something to help with a series of very local donations that can hopefully help make a difference right at the heart of each local community.”

Bellway has also donated to independent food banks, and has recently make a significant donation of more than £1,000 of food items to a new Liverpool food bank known as the Festive Food Bank which has been set up by Andrew Murphy from Litherland and covers areas including Bootle, Maghull, Fazakerley, Old Swan, Litherland, Aintree and Kirkby. The generous team at Bellway has also donated coats and warm clothing.

Renowned for its high quality beautiful new build homes, Bellway is currently developing in many different locations across the North West including Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire.

Charity & CSR, News

Axela donates over 100 Christmas gifts to children in refuge South East care group joins in with The Giving Tree

Axela, the group of care companies based in the South East of England, will be trying to sprinkle some festive joy by donating over a hundred toys to children living in refuge this Christmas. The company is joining in with The Giving Tree, the event set up by charity Kids Out, to ensure that some of the country’s most vulnerable children are guaranteed a present to open on Christmas Day.

The Giving Tree is simple and a fun alternative to the traditional ‘Secret Santa’, but is focused on those children who may not receive a gift otherwise. Capturing the true spirit of the season, over 23,000 toys were delivered to children across the country in 2019.

Whereas normally people are encouraged to ‘Take a tag from the Giving Tree, buy a gift and make a smile’ by leaving a present under the tree, due to COVID-19, this year is a little different. An online shop has been created where gifts can be chosen and donated. Axela has committed to buying at least 100.

There are over 7000 children living in refuge in the UK alone, many of whom have been forced to flee their homes with only the clothes on their backs. Kids Out is a charity with a mission of making a difference to the lives of disadvantaged children through positive experiences to support them becoming future members of our society and workforce. It aims to help be children and have fun.

Axela is a family-run business built on more than thirty years of experience within the care industry. The company is keen to support the community throughout the year, and particularly during the festive season.

HR and Operations Director of Axela, Sinead George, comments: “Kids Out are fantastic. They go far beyond Christmas, doing a variety of work for children and families fleeing from domestic violence as well as those in day-to-day poverty. They help around 25,000 children a year.

“We’re so pleased to be able to contribute to the Giving Tree and really hope we can make some of the most vulnerable children smile this Christmas Day.”

With a background working in some of the world’s largest tech companies, Nicholas Kelly Axela alongside his mother in 2006, after seeing the difference dedicated and experienced care can make to the wellbeing of individuals. Axela is organised across three solution hubs: Axela Care, Respect Care, and Axela Innovations, operating in the UK and across the world with a staff count of 1,200.

To find out more about how you can personally make a difference to children living in refuge this Christmas, visit https://www.kidsout.org.uk/.

To learn more about Avela visit their website: http://axela.co.uk

Charity & CSR, Marketing, PR and SEO

Kendall Knight: How employers can promote their CSR activities more effectively

Kendall Knight, Employer PR Consultant at PR in HR considers the best ways for employers to leverage their CSR activity

“Creating a strong business and building a better world are not conflicting goals – they are both essential ingredients for long term success”.

– Bill Ford, Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company

Of course, it’s true, good corporate social responsibility (CSR) can do a great deal for positively evolving workplace practices whilst also supporting the wider community – and in turn these actions can improve your company’s reputation.

But when it comes to publicising your activity, finding a careful balance between promoting company image and supporting community goals is key. If activities aren’t communicated the right way, CSR promotion can come across as:

  1. Self-indulgent (it can appear as boasting about a company’s good deeds, which inherently undermines the idea that it’s for a worthy cause and suggests it may only be about boosting company image).

  2. A sales pitch (you don’t want your good deeds to feel as though they’re done purely for publicity and part of a sales process).

So, though the balancing act is delicate, there certainly is balance to be had. If you want to successfully promote your CSR programme without feeling like it’s falling flat, it all comes down to a few key factors…

  • The foundations of your CSR

  • Where does your promotion come from?

  • Perfecting the angle of your CSR story

1. The Foundations of your CSR

Demonstrating the real reasons behind your CSR activity is key to promotional activity that shows your work off in a brilliant light. There are several reasons why your company might have embarked on its CSR programmes; these include:

  • Seeing a real need for change in a social/environmental/charitable issue that your organisation can support

  • Wanting to change the way the organisation runs (e.g by switching to eco-friendly suppliers, promoting certain values amongst employees, supporting profits for listed company status, for example.)

  • A mixture of the previous two motivations, PLUS the desire to improve your company’s reputation.

Whilst the latter is often a common cause behind CSR activities, what’s crucial is that a bid to improve a company’s reputation doesn’t outweigh strong, positive intent.

After all, compassion and authenticity can be key to good CSR stories. Those that bandwagon onto trending problems in the hopes of scoring some good publicity may be identified for their hollow support. Think companies that have been championing diversity and inclusion for years, and then those who jumped to support Black Lives Matter but didn’t demonstrate any real effort for change.

That’s why promoting proactive rather than reactive CSR is often helpful. Why? Because studies show that proactive CSR is more likely to be viewed as inherently value-driven and altruistic rather than reactive CSR which can be perceived as jumping on a current trend.

So, to summarise, good CSR promotion always starts with authenticity, sincerity, and substance. And with these foundations, you’ll be far more likely to present a genuine and important CSR campaign that benefits more than your company.

2. Where does your Promotion come from?

The source of your CSR promotion can do a great deal for the reach and perception of your organisation’s efforts. So who promotes your CSR can really impact the outcomes of your campaign.

If this is the case, who should promote it?

A journalist/media source

Largely, people trust information about companies that comes from the media. In fact, having a journalist mention your organisation is the second biggest factor that leads to consumer trust in a brand (second only to having a personal experience with a brand).

So why is media coverage so important? Because journalists are not paid to write about your CSR activity which means if they feature your story, they are motivated by genuine opinions or beliefs surrounding your organisation and CSR. This helps readers to be more likely to believe the goodwill and efforts of your campaign – more so than if your organisation is promoting it as there will always be some bias at play here.

A company employee

When an employee promotes your CSR activity (say, for example, by posting about it on social media) it demonstrates your workforce’s real commitment to a cause and suggests the campaign is having positive impacts on employee ethos, company culture and workforce values. Evidently, it perfectly demonstrates your company’s genuine support for a cause.

Plus, with social media, even if only a few employees promote the actions, it can reach a whole heap of new people – so employee promotion has both sincere and far reaching effects – hence why social media strategies should play a large part of CSR promotion.

Industry influencers

57% of marketers state that influencer marketing outperforms their brand’s own content. This is because people are far more likely to believe messages that come from respected industry experts. Therefore, if you can get an industry influencer to talk about your CSR actions, then it can add a lot of credibility to your campaign.

Not only this, but some industry influencers have blogs or social media followings of thousands, meaning influencer marketing can do a great deal to increase your reach.

Your organisation

Of course, it’s also crucial that your own organisation puts a strategy in place to promote your CSR, whether that be through social media or content marketing. A constant reiteration of your efforts is needed to demonstrate your genuine commitment and to consistently remind people of the issues at hand.

3. Perfecting the Angle of your CSR Story

All company marketing strategies centre around a great product or brand story. The same goes when marketing CSR campaigns: the story and it’s angles are key.

However, the secret to a good CSR story is that it can’t be all about you. You have to focus on the issues at hand.

  • What are the problems?

  • Why is this a problem?

  • Who/What does it affect?

  • What can be done to help?

Firstly, focusing on the issues demonstrates your care and compassion for a cause as well as your expertise on the matter, enabling you to position yourself as authorities on the subject. Doing this also highlights the problems at hand as something that others should also care for.

Adding your company solutions and efforts should be a secondary part to the story. It’s important to inform on this, but you mustn’t only talk about yourselves as this is likely to lead you down the slippery slope of pure self-promotion.

As well as this, it’s essential to play to the media’s interests and needs. The media is likely to focus more about trending problems rather than positive brand stories – the latter are less likely to grab attention of their audiences. Therefore, if you want CSR news coverage, use an angle that focuses on issues and then aims to educate.