Making a Difference in our Local Community
Our dedication to excellence, ethical operations, and a culture of giving back to society ensures we maintain our strong values and continue to make a meaningful impact. Our mission is ‘To enable people to be their best’ and this aligns perfectly with our CSR ethos of ‘Empowering People’. We choose our charity partners based on having synergy with our core values and an emphasis on empowering those less advantaged than ourselves by providing them with the support to improve themselves. This Yorkshire day, we’re shining a spotlight on the charities we’ve supported in the Yorkshire region that meet these criteria.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the charities we’ve supported in the region over the year:
St Luke’s Hospice, Rotherham Holiday Aid, Leeds Children’s Hospital, The Archer Project, Rotherham Titans Community Fund, The Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals Health Charity, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, Sunnyside Supplies, Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Safe at Last, Paces Sheffield, Unity Boxing Centre CIC, Rotherham Hospice, The Thomas Bothamley Defibrillator Fund, Roundabout, Trussel Trust Maltby Foodbank, Endeavour, Rain Rescue, Cavendish Cancer Care, Grace Foodbank, Weymouth Centre, Trussel Trust Rotherham Foodbank, Sheffield S6 Foodbank.
Let’s explore some of the activities we carry out to support not only those charities based in Yorkshire but also those nationwide.
Annual Golf Day
Our annual golf days, in partnership with CSP Systems, attract South Yorkshire-based businesses year after year, all in the name of supporting a different local charity at each event. Our recent event, held at Wortley Golf Club, raised over £1500 for Paces, a leading specialist centre in Sheffield for children with Cerebral Palsy and other motor disorders. The golf day attracted 78 players from 22 local businesses and supply chain partners who played in a team competition with a number of individual prizes. The winning team, representing Actus Insurance, scored 88 points. Monies were raised through various activities, including raffles, beer buggies, and the halfway house, throughout the day. We’re extremely thankful to everyone who has participated in our golf days over the years for making them such a success and helping to support local charities for the better.
Annual Easter Appeal
Every year, we bring Easter cheer to charities nationwide. Team members across our nationwide branches, such as our Yorkshire-based sites, appeal to the companies we partner with to donate Easter treats, including chocolate eggs, arts & crafts, as well as vital essentials such as sanitary products for women’s shelters, as part of our Annual Easter Appeal, ‘Be A Good Egg’. Part of the reason our Easter Appeal campaign is so successful year on year is because of the generosity shown by our clients, colleagues, and workers. In addition to those benefitting from receiving the Easter treats, the appeal also provides an opportunity for communities to come together and support a good cause. It’s a chance to show that we care about our neighbours, especially those who may be struggling.
’50 for £50’ Initiative
In February, we launched our ’50 for £50′ initiative, encouraging colleagues to walk 50 miles to support local food banks. For every team that completed the challenge, we donated £50 to purchase groceries for food banks in their area. This initiative promoted team bonding, wellness, and an active lifestyle. Building on its success, we introduced the ‘March on in March’ challenge, with additional donations for every 10 miles walked beyond the initial 50 miles.
In total, we raised £3400 for food banks across the UK, including charities in Yorkshire such as Trussel Trust Rotherham Foodbank, Grace Foodbank, Sheffield S6 Foodbank, Sunnyside Supplies, and Trussel Trust Maltby Foodbank. These initiatives foster team connections and positively impact our local communities, demonstrating our commitment to supporting those in need.
Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge
Over the years, colleagues from across our Group have got together to train and take on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge. The challenge is a gruelling 26.4-mile hike, ascending and descending 3 mountains in 12 hours. Our teams who participated in this challenge have managed to raise over £10k for our international charity partner PHASE Worldwide. These vital funds will go to sustainably reduce poverty through community-based health, education and livelihood projects in the Yorkshire region and beyond. This will particularly support the most vulnerable (so-called ‘low caste’ families, children and people with disabilities).
This is just a small part of our efforts to contribute to society, and our commitment doesn’t end here. Our CSR ethos is to ’empower people’, and we will continue to do so through supporting those who are less privileged than us, in Yorkshire and beyond.