Charity in the workplace
Article Date: Apr 25 2008Giving money to charity can foster a sense of well-being in the workplace as well as building team spirit among staff. GrowthBusiness investigates.
Suffolk-based brewery Adnams donates at least one per cent of its annual profits to the local community through its own charitable trust. Managing director Andy Wood explains: ‘We are one of the biggest businesses in the area and believe that it’s important to give something back to the local community.’
Projects supported by Adnams range from a refuge for women who have been victims of domestic violence to a laptops-for-schools initiative. Says Wood: ‘Most of our workforce is from the surrounding area so it’s important to give our support.’
Richard Lawrance, managing director of recruitment consultancy Resourcing Solutions believes that getting staff involved in initiatives to raise money for charity can engender a stronger team spirit: ‘It works better if you can attach some sort of theme when raising money, like a dress-down day or charity event, and ask everyone if they want to join in. Businesses can achieve their commercial objectives and give something back.’
Useful information
• Businesses can get tax relief when they give money under the Gift Aid scheme. If your company gives money to charity, it makes the payment through Gift Aid and deducts the amount as a ‘charge’ when it works out its profits for corporation tax
• The Register of Charities holds comprehensive information about every registered charity in England and Wales.
