Runners Need to sponsor 2023 Race for Life – corporate partnership round up
Melanie May | 20 January 2023 | News
Runners Need is the new sponsor for Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, while J D Wetherspoon is celebrating having now raised £21mn for Young Lives vs Cancer. More on these and other partnerships below.
J D Wetherspoon reaches £21mn raised for Young Lives vs Cancer
J D Wetherspoon has raised £21 million for its chosen charity Young Lives vs Cancer. Since the partnership began in 2002, staff and customers have organised and taken part in fundraising events such as quizzes, bake sales, sky-diving and mountain-climbing to raise funds for the charity. Wetherspoon staff have also organised inter-pub fundraising team events, such as the KICK football competition, and annual darts tournament, and participated in the London marathon and most recently a cycle ride from London to Paris. Both customers and staff have given support to these fundraising events and have donated generously to Young Lives vs Cancer year after year.
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The Leasing Foundation raises £13k for 2023 charity at drinks event
The Leasing Foundation has raised £13,000 for its 2023 charity, Wings for Life. The funds were raised via an industry-wide initiative – a ticketed and exclusive drinks event held at Shoosmiths in London. The event saw almost 100 senior executives from the business finance sector come together to hear about Wings for Life’s work and what the Leasing Foundation has in store for 2023. Further fundraising initiatives are set to take place throughout the year.
Robert Walters Group pledges support to the suffragette-inspired Sylvia production
Robert Walters Group has announced a new partnership with The Old Vic, as the Production Sponsor of its upcoming production – Sylvia – opening on 27 January. The partnership signals an ongoing commitment from the global recruitment consultancy towards the creative industries – as well as to organisations championing inclusivity, a sense of belonging, the removal of barriers for individuals in society, and accessibility in hiring. Sylvia, featuring British musical star Beverley Knight MBE as Emmeline Pankhurst, follows the revolutionary life of Sylvia Pankhurst, played by Sharon Rose, – feminist, activist, pacifist, socialist, rebel – and her role in the Suffragette movement.
Hera launches clothing bank with Salvation Army
In collaboration with The Salvation Army, British born brand Hera has launched an online clothing bank for customers to donate their pre-loved clothing. It allows customers to send their donations to The Salvation Army via a local drop-off point. Customers have to go to heraclothing.com and add a donation bag at checkout with their order. They can then fill the bag with unwanted textiles and deliver to their local drop-off point. Unwanted clothing, shoes, and accessories from any brand can be donated and each parcel must contain a minimum of 6 items. The scheme is managed by Salvation Army Trading Company, the trading arm of the charity.
Airedale Group donates kitchen to Bradford’s Springfield Centre
Youth workers at the Springfield Centre in Bradford are now able to provide up to 50 meals to local children, more than doubling their previous capacity, following the donation of a new purpose-built kitchen from the Airedale Group, also based in Bradford. The company designed and built the kitchen for the centre to replace a smaller domestic style kitchen that needed upgrading. The kitchen, which was officially opened by Ilkley-based Chef Matt Broadley, features state-of-the-art equipment and has been designed with the needs of the youth centre in mind. The Airedale Group’s team of designers and installers worked closely with the organisation to ensure that the kitchen met their specific requirements.
wagamama opens new community hubs in London & the south
After opening community hubs in the north of England to champion The Bread and Butter Thing’s Warm Hub initiative, wagamama is opening them in London and the south to support those who need it most with free meals. The hubs are in Islington, Wandsworth, Colchester, Swansea, Trowbridge and Ipswich. Children receive free mains and wagamama is also offering free children’s activity packs. wagamama will also be serving hot teas and coffees and a sides selection for the adults. The hubs will be running once a week at both restaurants until February 7 from 3-5pm. There’s a maximum ticket quantity of four per person.
Runners Need will sponsor 2023 Race for Life
Runners Need will be sponsoring Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life this year. Since its inception in 1994, Race for Life has raised over £920 million for Cancer Research UK. This year people will be able to take part in 3k, 5k and 10k races, as well as Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids obstacle courses. To help participants of all abilities, Runners Need will be producing training plans for the 3k, 5k and 10k events, as well as giving Race for Life participants the opportunity to come in-store for expert advice on everything from gait analysis and shoe fittings, to what to wear and how to train. Additionally, Runners Need run clubs are encouraging anyone participating in Race for Life to attend their local group to get support with their training. Entrants will also receive a 15% discount code for Runners Need to help them get kitted up for their event and a 50% discount to sign up to Race for Life in January.
Freemasons grant £100,000 donation to British Red Cross
The Freemasons’ charity has lent its support to families affected by the conflict in Ukraine with a £100,000 donation to the British Red Cross. The grant will support the British Red Cross in its work with people seeking safety in the UK who have lost contact with loved ones. This latest £100,000 grant from the Freemasons comes after a series of previous grants totalling more than £1 million, helping Ukrainian refugees both in the UK and in Ukraine, as well as in Poland, Moldova and other neighbouring countries. Freemasons contributed to the grant through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.
Gorilla Marketing adopts 50th gorilla in partnership with Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund & Born Free
Manchester-based digital agency Gorilla Marketing has ventured beyond the digital jungle to adopt its 50th gorilla as part of its environmentally-conscious business strategy. The pledge sees the firm adopt a new gorilla on behalf of every new client. Partnering with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and Born Free, the agency has plans to adopt many more this year. Today, Fossey Fund trackers and researchers protect roughly half of all the mountain gorilla group families in Rwanda. Gorilla Marketing’s client success manager Charlotte Woodend started the project.
Moneysupermarket announces two-year partnership with CALM
Moneysupermarket Group has announced a new two-year charity partnership with Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). Moneysupermarket Group businesses include MoneySavingExpert, MoneySuperMarket, and Quidco. The partnership will see the Group’s 600-plus colleagues come together to help fundraise and volunteer to support CALM’s work to prevent suicides. Moneysupermarket Group will also work with CALM to create a suite of digital resources to help people with money worries and to signpost to where additional support can be accessed. Moneysupermarket Group has set a £150,000 fundraising goal. The partnership aims to help more people across the UK gain the tools they need to manage money worries and signpost suicide prevention support for anyone who needs it.
XTX Markets provides funding for mathematics centre in Ukraine
An International Centre for Mathematics in Ukraine is to be launched in 2023, enabled by founding and principal donor XTX Markets. Science and research will have a key role to play in the reconstruction of Ukraine. To support this, a group of leading Ukrainian mathematicians are founding this new centre for mathematical research. XTX Markets has committed up to €1mn in matched funding to establish the Centre, with any donations or pledges in 2023 to be matched 100%. The mission of the Centre will be to support top-level research in mathematics, with special emphasis on training younger generations of mathematicians and the development of mathematics in Ukraine. The Centre is likely to be based in Kyiv, Kharkiv or Lviv, with the final choice of location being made in consultation with the mathematical community and other partners.
UK Gas Distribution Networks & Marie Curie join forces in three-year partnership
Marie Curie has announced a three-year partnership with the UK Gas Distribution Networks (GDNs) which will help support terminally ill people in the UK facing rising energy costs. The partnership with SGN, Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, and Wales & West Utilities will enable Marie Curie to recruit two Energy Support Officers to its Information and Support Line. These new roles will provide in-depth information to people on the grants and benefits available to them – helping with rising energy bills, the increasing cost of living, as well as providing general support to families and patients. Bespoke training will also be provided to Marie Curie staff in the community (Registered Nurses, Healthcare Assistants and Volunteers) so they can identify those struggling to pay their bills, signpost patients to support, and raise awareness of the Priority Services Register (PSR).
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.