charity of the year

Charity People's Charity of the Year programme is now in its second year and is going from strength to strength, attracting 50 applications for this year's partnership.

To ensure the programme benefits the winning charity as much as possible, applicants were asked to detail what they would like Charity People to do for them. Staff were really impressed with the creativity and range of ideas, covering fundraising, campaigning, voluntary opportunities, and many other areas. 
 
All staff were involved throughout the application process, from designing the procedures to visiting the organisations that were shortlisted. We are, of course, really pleased that so many worthy organisations value our support and we look to accommodate help for all the applicants as well as the winning organisation. 
 
The scheme runs from April to March each year and opens for applications in October - forms will be available here.
 
Previous partnerships
 
During 2006/7, we had two Charities of the Year, Contact the Elderly (www.contact-the-elderly.org) and Let the Children Live (www.letthechildrenlive.org). Staff undertook all sorts of activities including putting two teams through the British 10k run and company matched funding. The programme provides a free stand at Forum3, the not-for-profit industry recruitment event at the Business Design Centre in October, which allows them to spread the word about their cause to 15,000 visitors. Both of these charities have gained longer-term volunteers from the company. Lisa Webster, Sales Manager for forum3 (www.forum3.com) spends one Sunday each month hosting an afternoon tea or providing transport for Contact the Elderly's Epsom Group. Sarah Jenkins, Fundraising Recruitment Manager, went out to Columbia for two months to work on street projects for Let the Children Live (Vivan Los Ninos). 
 
This year's partner - the Terrence Higgins Trust

The Terrence Higgins Trust was one of the first charities to be set up in response to the HIV epidemic and has been at the forefront of the fight against HIV and AIDS ever since. This year THT are celebrating their 25th anniversary, and we are very proud to be THT's first Charity of the Year partner. 
 

 
Natasha Waas, Agency Director, says: "THT is for and about people and so is Charity People. We have some clear goals in common with THT. As well as all the fun and rewarding fundraising and volunteering activities that we will get up to this year, we are also looking forward to campaigning alongside THT on topics such as workplace discrimination."
 
Integral to the partnership is the involvement of all the staff here. The programme provides the charity with fundraising support from the whole office. Charity People is a very 'hands-on' organisation and all staff have paid time out of the office to do volunteering work.  Staff will work on THT's helpline, train to be 'buddies'  - someone who can help relieve feelings of isolation and loneliness - and provide our expertise in HR and recruitment matters as well as all the fundraising fun!
 
THT will also be at forum3, the not-for-profit industry recruitment event at the Business Design Centre on 12th-13th October, to spread the word about their cause to 15,000 visitors.
 
Activities so far have included:

- Internal book loan scheme
- Birthday collections
- Eurovision 2007 Party
- Shopping at the HEALS THT evening