This year has been unlike any other and now, more than ever, we have been thankful and appreciative for what we have. We also acknowledge that there are many less fortunate than us, and so this year we’ve been working hard to support local charities, raising just over £3,500 worth of goods and money.
These are the charities we’ve helped over the last 12 months.
St. Richard’s Hospice
Based in Worcester, this amazing charity cares for adults with a serious progressive illness, improving their quality of life from diagnosis, during treatment and to their last days. In February, as part of #fitforfeb, our team committed to walk, run, swim or cycle a total of 29km during the month, raising a minimum of £29 each (£1 per km).
Gloucestershire Bundles
As in recent years, our team was only too happy to donate to this local worthy charity which provides emergency packs of toiletries, clothing and equipment to pregnant women and families who find themselves in difficult situations. The services of charities such as this one have been called upon this year, more than ever.
Worcester and Gloucester Food Banks
These foodbanks have been a lifeline for many people across the UK, now more than ever. To show our support for our local communities we donated a range of personal hygiene and food items to both the Gloucester and Worcester banks which were transformed into food parcels by the banks dedicated teams.
Stroud Women's Refuge
This amazing Stroud-based charity helps women and children across Gloucestershire to move on from violent and abusive relationships through a range of different services including providing accommodation to those in need. The refuge helps over 300 people a year and also offers a range of workshops.
Cheltenham Open Door
Close to home, this Cheltenham-based, non-profit organisation is a lifesaver for vulnerable, disadvantaged and lonely people who are experiencing poverty, hardship and social or emotional distress. Having been open since 1992, Cheltenham Open Door has been described as "like visiting a friend’s house" due to the staff's continued hard work and welcoming atmosphere.
On a national level, we also participated in Macmillan's Coffee Morning raising over £100 in our Head Office alone and finally, to round off the year, our St John's branch male staff members, two partners and additional branch staff also took part in Movember, raising an outstanding £1,130 for Movember, with weekly mo-updates on all of our social media platforms.
In a year when charities have needed our support more than ever, we've been only too happy to help and wanted to say a huge thank you to all our staff and members of our local communities who've contributed to our charity donations this year.
