Carillion collapse also bad news for charities
Melanie May | 18 January 2018 | News
Following this week’s news of Carillion’s collapse, any charity partnerships are also likely to suffer with its closure impacting on existing relationships and agreements. Here is a brief summary of some of its involvement with the sector.
In recent years Carillion has worked with a variety of charities, with its site listing a number of partners including The Wildlife Trusts, which it has supported through Carillion’s Natural Habitats Fund, helping habitat and conservation work ventures in partnership with the charity.
Major partnerships with significant donations have included Barnardo’s and Hospice UK. Carillion announced a partnership with Barnardo’s in 2014, which started with a £20,000 donation from the firm and saw a team of 28, led by Carillion Chief Executive Richard Howson, raise £35,000 in 2015 by cycling the route of the Fred Whitton Challenge in the Lake District as part of its fundraising activity. 2016 saw the launch of a two-year partnership with Hospice UK. This launched in February 2016 and raised £100,000 in the first eight months.
The firm has also encouraged its staff to volunteer with charities through its Volunteering and Community Engagement Policy, which gives staff six days paid leave a year to help in their community.
In addition, Carillion has supported many other charities through its own charitable fund with the annual budget last set at £80,000. Each year this has seen up to 160 organisations receive £500 each (or equivalent in local currency) in two rounds of 80 organisations. The Carillion Charitable Fund distributes money to charities nominated by Carillion employees worldwide and started in 2009 as part of Carillion’s 10th birthday celebrations.
While there are no recent updates on charity partnerships or donations from Carillion and no mention of a charity partner for 2018, the impact of its collapse is unfortunately just as likely to affect any charities that are still waiting for donations or other aid as it is its more reported on corporate partners.
Image: from Carillion’s press centre Flickr image library
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.