Independent’s Brick by Brick appeal with Refuge reaches target – & more corporate fundraising news
Melanie May | 3 January 2025 | News
A round up of recent corporate partnership news, from a milestone in MandM’s 20 year partnership with Teenage Cancer Trust, to the success of the Independent’s Brick by Brick campaign with Refuge, and Yorkshire Building Society’s partnership with FareShare, which is helping people into work.
The Independent reaches goal to build two homes for women & children fleeing abuse
The Independent’s Brick by Brick appeal with Refuge has reached its goal: raising enough to build two homes for women and children fleeing domestic abuse. The homes are under construction, with the first families moving in early 2025. Constructed by Persimmon Homes the houses will be equipped with discreet security measures, including CCTV and an arson-proof letterbox.
The campaign, which launched in September 2024, was bolstered by support from Queen Camilla, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Joanna Lumley, Sir Patrick Stewart, Ranvir Singh, Rylan, Dermot O’Leary, Olivia Colman, Saffron Hocking and David Morrissey. Editorial highlighted the complex truths of domestic violence, driving awareness across social media and other media organisations. High-profile figures, including Cherie Blair, Victoria Derbyshire and Nikita Kanda also shared personal stories of their own experiences with abuse over the campaign’s 14 weeks. In October, Geordie Greig, The Independent’s editor-in-chief, announced the campaign had reached its initial goal of £300,000 and shared that The Independent would continue campaigning after donations from Nationwide and Julia Rausing Trust helped take the appeal over its initial target.
Advertisement
MandM raises £3 million for Teenage Cancer Trust
MandMis celebrating a 20-year partnership with Teenage Cancer Trust, which since 2005 has now seen it raise over £3mn for the charity through event sponsorship, staff fundraising, and corporate donations. This has funded critical resources including the equivalent of 100,000 hours of expert care from Teenage Cancer Trust nurses.
In addition to financial support, the company donates branded performance tops for Teenage Cancer Trust challenges, such as running events and treks, while staff members also participate in these events.
Derby-based medical device manufacturer raises over £2k for Prostate Cancer UK
Pennine Healthcare raised the total for Prostate Cancer UK through multiple fundraising efforts during 2024. Over the course of the year, Pennine Healthcare’s colleagues organised and participated in a variety of fundraising activities, including the Derby 10k, a 100-mile bike ride, bake sales, charity raffles, and awareness events.
The company’s fundraising efforts also raised awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, while strengthening a culture of health, community, and teamwork within Pennine Healthcare.
MuteBox donates soundproof phone booth to Autistica
The MuteBox One was delivered to Autistica’s London office as an end-of-year festive gift, and marks the beginning of an alliance between the organisations.
The addition of a soundproof booth supports the corporate wellbeing of Autistica’s neurodivergent and neurotypical employees alike, providing a sensory-friendly environment to take meetings, focus on work, and escape overstimulating communal spaces when needed. This year, Autistica launched the NDEI® (Neurodiversity Employers Index) to help employers become leaders in neuroinclusion in the workplace.
Jollyes makes first £5,000 donation to NFRSA
Over the next 12 months, all Jollyes’ stores are raising money for NFRSA (National Foundation for Retired Service Animals) through collection boxes in their stores. Customer donations are being matched by Jollyes to maximise the work that the NFRSA is able to do in supporting retired service animals and their owners and this first donation of £5,000 includes money donated by customers, and a Jollyes match.
Images of retired service animals supported by NFRSA across the UK are being added to community boards in each of Jollyes’ stores with local service animals helping open new Jollyes stores as guests of honour. Jollyes’ most recent store openings at Leyland, Cardiff and East Kilbride all had special VIP appearances from members of the NFRSA family, with retired service animals biting through strings of sausages to declare each store open. The NFRSA aims to use funds raised from its partnership with Jollyes to establish regional hubs across the UK to support with local support and fundraising efforts for retired service animals. The first donation has also enabled the NFRSA to create and sell a 2025 calendar featuring some of the animals the charity supports, which has raised £10,000.
Anchor Butter supports community causes with donations
Anchor Butter has partnered with UK Community Foundations to help provide grants to community causes and groups across the nation.
The Anchor Community Connection Fund has donated £200,000 to local organisations, causes or programmes which bring people together to share food and strengthen community connections.
Yorkshire Building Society & FareShare celebrate helping over 450 people with employability
A partnership between Yorkshire Building Society and FareShare is celebrating helping over 450 people improve their employability prospects in its first year, with 60 participants going on to secure employment. Building Skills for the Future offers participants the opportunity to obtain work experience in a warehouse and kitchen environment, learning skills such as picking and packing, logistics, stock management, and core cooking skills. Attendees will also have the opportunity to obtain Food Hygiene and Manual Handling accreditations.
Participants can also experience CV workshops and mock interviews with external companies, and attendees who complete the course are supported to apply for jobs with companies in FareShare’s network of contacts throughout the food industry. Yorkshire Building Society has already raised over £475,000 to fund the Building Skills for the Future programmes. The partnership will continue until June 2026 and the mutual aims to raise over £1million to fund the programmes, alongside an outreach programme offering free, face-to-face sessions and workshops building important skills such as job searching and improving financial wellbeing. It’s hoped that the two programmes will help 2,500 people improve their employability prospects and help them become more financially resilient.
Leeds-based data consultancy contributes over £13,500 to charitable causes in 2024
Leeds-based data consultancy Oakland has raised a £13,525.60 throughout 2024 and supported 12 charities. The total includes £5,812 raised through employee-led initiatives and an additional £7,711.60 distributed to five charities as part of Oakland’s matched giving scheme. The charities, Oatlands Community Group, Spoons, Take Heart, The Millie Wright Children’s Charity, and Sunshine and Smiles Leeds Down Syndrome Network each received £1,542.32, with recipients personally nominated by Oakland employees.
Fundraising activities included a fire walk for MIND, a Ride London to Essex challenge for Twins Trust, and a coffee morning for Macmillan. These are just a few examples of the many efforts made by Oaklanders to support local and national causes. In addition, Oakland has announced a Christmas charity partnership with The Giving Tree by KidsOut. Oakland employees have selected gift tags detailing a child’s age and their Christmas wish, purchasing gifts to fulfil their requests.
DPD donates first electric Variety Sunshine Coach
DPD has donated the first electric Variety Sunshine Coach – to Rotherhithe Primary School, marking a milestone in the 30-year partnership between DPD and Variety, the Children’s Charity. This is the 83rd Sunshine Coach donated by DPD: the largest contributor to Variety’s Sunshine Coach programme.
The new electric coach, which will be used by Rotherhithe Primary School to help transport students on educational trips, sports activities, and community outings, represents a significant step towards sustainability in the charity’s fleet of vehicles. The fully electric vehicle will reduce carbon emissions and provide reliable and comfortable transport for children to access the opportunities and experiences they need to support their learning and growth.
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.