Through our various funding schemes we are committed to helping groups along our two key strategic themes of education and vulnerable people.
Charitable Donations
We have three main strands to our charitable donations. These are our support of Cancer Research UK as our Charity of the Year; support for community groups, schools and charities through our Sustainable Energy Fund, and supporting the organisations nominated by our employees through the Employee Community Fund. Also, we offer payroll giving to employees through our flexible benefits systems.
Sustainable Energy Fund
Launched in April 2009 as part of our further commitment to local communities, our Sustainable Energy Fund supports the development of efficient and sustainable energy measures for community organisations.
The Fund is made up of two parts - a web resource and access to grant funding.
It is our aim to offer groups advice and information to support them in making key decisions about sustainability, and in assessing the most suitable solution for them.
Through the Fund, we offer grants of up to £20,000 to community groups and not-for-profit organisations who wish to implement sustainable energy projects in their buildings - from energy efficiency through to microgeneration.
The Fund supports organisations covering three specific areas:
- Education;
- Vulnerable people; and
- People in fuel poverty.
In 2010 we helped eight charities and community groups through grants of between £922 and £20,000. Projects ranged from simple energy efficiency measures to the installation of complete heating systems.
The Employee Community fund
The fund gives all our employees the opportunity to help us decide how and where our money can be used most effectively to the long term benefit of our communities.
The fund invites applications from employees for funding of up to £2,000 for charities and community organisations that support education projects or vulnerable people. Applications should demonstrate how funding granted will deliver long lasting benefit for the local community and all those that it touches.
In 2010, we made awards totalling almost £237,000 to 144 different organisations nominated by our employees. They ranged from schools, sports clubs and scouts and brownies to local charities and hospices.