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Author: Philip Webb

Sheffield Chamber & SCCCC’s 2019 Success Story On Investors In Community Platform!

Posted on by Philip Webb

“We are thrilled to announce that Sheffield Chamber raised £500 for SCCCC’s!”

Sheffield Chamber is one of 53 Accredited British Chambers that make up a group of businesses who can network and connect through membership to their local Chamber. Sheffield Chamber is just one of the Chambers that IIC has onboard our platform and we are thrilled to be bringing this number up every day!

When Sheffield Chamber of Commerce first began searching for their latest CSR project after deciding that SCCCC would be their charity of the year, they came across the Investors In Community platform and instantly thought it to be a fantastic idea. The fact that there was no sign-up fee for charities and also no transactional fees from donations encouraged them to join almost immediately.

The platform made it so easy for their staff to get involved and after a few meetings and onboarding sessions, everyone was up and running and their first project was well underway. They encountered a few issues, with this being a fairly new platform, but were very pleased with the help and close attention provided by the team at IIC, if there was an issue it would be fixed as soon as possible. The fact that IIC is a local business meant that we were always easily contactable and we encouraged discussions about how we could improve our platform in the future, we always find that speaking to our users is the best way to find improvements and keep our platform on the rise.

SCCCC is a fantastic organisation who offer many exciting opportunities for the elderly, such as; Good Neighbours Scheme, Hospital To Home Scheme, A&E to Home, Temporary Key Safes and High Seat Chair Loan. A truly deserving organisation who Sam Christmas and Reece Farndale competed in a 10k ASDA foundation run for, their efforts did not go unnoticed and we are thrilled to announce that They Raised £500 For SCCCC’s.

We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for Sheffield Chamber and SCCCC’s whilst working with Investors In Community!

Here’s what the people involved had to say about Investors In Community:

“I would definitely recommend using the IIC platform, it provided a great introduction to businesses and made everything so easy!

I love that this platform offers charities the chance to make a really beneficial introduction to businesses who are excited to fundraise with them. It also makes businesses aware of their local charities and the really great projects that they can be involved in. I often find that whilst businesses are really keen to join in and help their community, they often don’t know what is it they can do, Investors in Community makes this process so easy.” – Ericka Hill at SCCCC

“Yes we would recommend IIC, it’s an innovative way to bring businesses closer to charities in their local community. We believe that with IIC starting out as a local business this means closer relationships can be formed and it feels more personal this way. We appreciate being included in decision making and find that IIC are always willing to take our ideas and suggestions on board! 

We also love the fact that every donation made goes straight to the charity, there’s no sneaky percentage cut, £10 donated is £10 to your chosen charity.” – Elliot Richards & Reece Farndale at Sheffield Chamber of Commerce

10 Little Ways You Can Help Others During The Covid-19 Pandemic.

Posted on by Philip Webb
  • Give your neighbours who may be isolating alone your phone number.

This is such a simple but effective way of helping, all you need to do is listen and talk to them, they will appreciate it.

  • Put rainbows and colourful pictures up in your windows.

I don’t know about you but when I walk past houses and see Rainbows and the words ‘stay safe’ splattered across all the houses I feel as though I’m not alone in this.

  • Organise a game night for your street.

Have you seen the masses of people playing bingo with their whole streets? Or the pubs that have been doing live quiz nights? Why not get involved and encourage people out for a bit of fresh air!

  • Write a letter to your relatives.

Is it just me that finds receiving a Handwritten Letter a real treat? It helps you stay connected to the real world and it keeps you focused on something if you know a letter is coming. Write one to them and I guarantee they’ll appreciate it!

  • Shop for your vulnerable neighbours.

This is the easiest, you’re going out to do your own shopping anyways so help them out and pick up a few bits for them!

  • Start a traffic light scheme on your street with neighbours.

This is the red, yellow and green system, this is a way to know how your neighbours are doing. Red means they are not doing well, please call and check on them. Yellow means they’re ok, it’s a difficult day but they are coping. Green means they are doing well. Mental health is now more important than ever, be sure to stay safe!

  • If you are young, healthy and not in a high-risk category consider getting a job in your local supermarket or as a delivery driver.

Right now, key workers such as warehouse workers, supermarket staff and delivery drivers are struggling and they need help more than ever, consider helping out and Getting A Job if you are safe to do so.

  • If you can cook, play an instrument, sing or do anything else, consider starting an online class to share your skills.

Right now we have a lot of time on our hands and there are people who want to Learn Some New Skills, so why not help them out and share yours! This can be applied to so many roles such as photography lessons, singing lessons, drawing lessons, cooking lessons, musical instrument lessons, language lessons and many more.

It’s easy to forget to stay in touch but now it is so important; facetime them, call them, plan a quiz night, plan to cook together and all sit down for a meal, download Netflix Party and watch the series you’ve been meaning to, play Animal Crossing or the Sims through all hours of the night, clear out your wardrobe and do a fashion show with them, start a book club. Try to live as normal as you can, try to stay positive and just remember that when all this is over, you will be able to hug your friends and family so tight, that day will come don’t lose hope.

Finally, one of the easiest options to help is to join Investors In Community, it’s completely free and we have Hundreds Of Charities Just Waiting For Your Help. ‘IIC’ is a digital platform that enables businesses and individuals to donate, volunteer and gift to charity and community initiatives that matter to you. It provides access to many good causes, empowers you and your friends, and brings a wider choice to your giving. As a business, it gives you the power to measure; report on and deliver positive marketing messages to each and every one of your audiences. Quite simply, it’s a tool that will manage your giving.

Investors In Community Newsletter – Issue Two

Posted on by Philip Webb

IIC Platform See Increase in Charitable Giving in 2021.

Whilst 2021 has seen the continuation of the pandemic, the need to give back is stronger than ever. Whether local businesses are helping to support people with disabilities or donating laptops for home schooling children, there’s nothing quite like knowing your small act of kindness can have a positive impact on the world.

Many more businesses are recognising the value of giving back and Investors In Community, a digital platform which enables businesses to connect with charitable projects in their area and measure the impact of their Corporate Social Responsibility activities, has seen an encouraging start to 2021 as donations via the platform have grown by 18 per cent.

“Businesses have responded to charities in crisis by offering various kinds of support including volunteering and donating gifts in kind, and this is continuing. Those still looking for support locally include SCCCC’s, who are looking for people to keep in touch with our local older population. Mums in Need is appealing for old tech donations and we are hosting four fundraisers for Support Dogs’ Charity Abseil in May.” said Lisa Newton of IIC

“We also helped to make a success of Liniar’s Easter Egg project – collecting donations to support Derbyshire WISH, a supported housing project which provides emergency short term refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence.”

Get Your Tickets to the IIC & VNXD Event!

Now is the time to talk in a little more detail about Social Value through some peer-to-peer group sessions.

Who’s Speaking:

1. Supply chain transparency & social value – Louise Richardson

2. Empowering purpose-driven staff – Philip Webb

3. The challenge of measuring social value – Lisa Newton

4. Leading a team post-COVID – Dave Clarkson

5. How to market your purpose-driven business – Johnny Pawlik

6. How do I get a return on human social value – Richard Collins

Book your place now!

We’ve also seen success in our company growth after welcoming five new Ambassadors to the IIC team including; Johnny Pawlik, Chris Arnold, Jeremy Taylor, Valentina Hynes & Ian Straw.

How To Make Giving a Habit.

  • Make It Easy – it’s important when trying to create a habit to make it easy. Using online giving platforms like ours ensures that donating regularly is as hassle free as possible.
  • Find What You Care About – take a moment to write out a purpose statement, ask yourself what motivates you and what are you interested in. If you love animals, perhaps a wildlife sanctuary is the charity for you. If you’re passionate about helping kids stay active and have access to sports equipment then maybe look into your local community sports clubs and donate to them. Find what interests you and then start from there.

  • Focus On The Reward – “habits are reinforced by rewards, and the good feeling of helping others is a huge reward.” Make sure you can see the impact of your donation, you can do this by following your chosen charity on social media or getting in touch to discuss what each donation enables your chosen charity to do.

Small Donations Can Make a Difference – ‘small actions x lots of people = big change’ any donation is appreciated, by donating whatever you can to your chosen charity, your small contribution is going to make a huge difference in the long term.

  • Don’t Just Donate Money – giving back doesn’t always have to be donating money, on Investors In Community, we facilitate the 5 forms of giving; funds, volunteering, skilled volunteering, pro bono & gifts. So if you’d prefer to donate your time, or even gifts, it’s so easy to get involved!
  • Start Small – any donation is appreciated no matter how small, If you’re worried about how you’re going to add giving to your routine (especially during a pandemic) make the decision to donate £5 each month. Soon it will become an exciting routine of picking a charity or cause you want to help and you’ll see the impact so often that each month you will find yourself wanting to donate more and more!

A Word From Our Ambassador, Stuart St V Fitzgerald:

“For me, the opportunity to volunteer with Investors in Community as its first global Ambassador, covering the NW of England in June 2020, was a total no-brainer.”

Investors in Community offers a way for every family, street, neighbourhood, community and council area to not only track but direct and manage the full engagement of businesses, employers across all sectors, their employees and the resultant investment of donated time, funds, gifts, skills and voluntary efforts into charities and community organisations which in the end delivers the true social impacts a civilised society needs to realise and from which its people can benefit. 

It’s been a privilege and an honour to be so involved in the development not only of the platform but also the design of the imperative business cases that can be used to bring local; authorities, employers and citizens on this crucial journey as we create a really game-changing social movement.”

A Word from a Business On IIC, East Midlands Chamber & Lucy Robinson:

Director of Resources Lucy Robinson commented: “We were attracted to the platform initially due to its innovative use of bringing businesses & charities together. We particularly loved how easy the platform made giving back in our community and we’re very excited to use IIC more in the near future for our own fundraisers.”

EMC are the leading business representation organisation in the East Midlands region, the voice for business and the 2018 British Chambers of Commerce Chamber of the Year.

With a growing membership of more than 4,300 businesses –  start up to scale up, local to global – the Chamber is renowned across the region for enhancing Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire businesses and communities.

The Chamber’s activity is so diverse and multifaceted that thousands of businesses from across the East Midlands and beyond put trust in the Chamber to help their businesses flourish and grow – irrespective of size or sector.

5 Simple Steps For Accessible Social Media – From Sense on The IIC Platform:

“Making social media more inclusive is easier than you think. Small changes can make a big difference for blind and/or deaf people interacting with your posts!

In this quick 5-step guide, we’ll help you understand how people with visual or hearing impairments use social media, and what you can do so that your posts are accessible.”

Sense recently launched their ‘Left Out Of Life’ campaign aimed at tackling social isolation and loneliness amongst disabled people.

“Loneliness has increased by a quarter over the last year, with nearly two thirds (61%) of disabled people feeling lonely always or often, rising to 7 in 10 (70%) of young disabled people.”

If you’d like to support this terrific cause, please sign their pledge and play your part in making society more inclusive.

We thought we would share some amazing charities with you as well!

Share My Telly Job

Thier mission is to promote a practical solution to hiring and crucially, retaining, experienced industry talent. They are advocating job-sharing to help all freelancers achieve a better work-life balance and continue to thrive in an industry they have dedicated their working lives to. If you’re interested in helping this wonderful organisation, please follow this link.

The Peter Pan Centre

There is no statutory support for pre-school education for disabled children, yet research shows that providing effective early help is the best way to improve their lives and life outcomes. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Weddy Friends

Weddy Friends are the PTA of Weddington Primary School, a group of parent and teacher volunteers who raise funds and put on events for the benefit of the children and parents. If you’d like to support this wonderful organisation, please follow this link.

Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People

Since 1994 they’ve opened their doors and hearts to children and the people who love them most. And now more than ever, they need your help to keep on bringing care and happiness to children and families. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Skiggle

 The only disability charity of its kind in the UK dedicated to helping people with disabilities when they need it most. Skiggle facilitates and filters each request out to members within the closest geographical area to the SOS in the hope that someone can provide help from their own surplus supply of disability care products. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

SAYiT

SAYiT’s Vision – To create an environment that supports the sexual and emotional well being of young people and empowers LGBT+ young people and those affected by HIV to transform their own lives and that of their peers. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Wild Futures

Wild Futures is a registered charity founded upon five decades of experience as a leader in the field of primate welfare and conservation, environmental education and sustainable practice. They are committed to protecting primates and habitats worldwide, with the protection of non-human primates at the forefront of their work. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Carlisle Youth Zone

Carlisle youth zone is a modern take on the Traditional youth club, with state-of-the-art facilities. It’s a safe and fun place where the potential of young people aged 7-18 (or up to 25 needing additional support) is developed and fulfilled. If you’re interested in helping this brilliant organisation, please follow this link.

Pursuit of Happiness

They are a not for profit organisation and here to make a difference for the black community. They are a Kirklees based organisation called ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ they have an ambition of making Huddersfield a more harmonious place in which the black community can thrive in. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation please follow this link.

We’re looking forward to the future of the platform and the future of giving with Investors In Community.

Tips and Tricks for Charities To Create A Great Project On IIC

Posted on by Philip Webb

Tip 1. Make your project relevant to COVID-19.

At the moment people are more inclined to donate to Projects Relevant To Coronavirus, it’s something that affects all of us so it’s very easy to relate to and find sympathy for peoples needs, so make sure you relate fundraisers and volunteering opportunities to this. This could be home working IT equipment, shopping for neighbours, asking for admin volunteers who can work from home or even adopting/fostering an animal whilst we’re all stuck at home!

Tip 2. Have realistic goals.

We find all too often that if someone sees a project on our platform that needs over £10,000 it seems far too unrealistic, we suggest advertising for small pots of money needed, £500-£1,000 sounds far more achievable than £10,000 therefore, people are more likely to donate as it provides a sense of accomplishment to see something completed that you have helped. It also feels far more useful to donate £20 to a project of £200 than to donate £20 to a project that needs £5,000.

Tip 3. Advertise on your social media.

IIC will happily advertise your projects and show them off to as many people as possible but it helps enormously if there are multiple different sources advertising the project, you also have dedicated followers on your socials who are more likely to donate through a link you post as it’s far more trustworthy and feels more personalised for them.

Tip 4. Give your project a purpose, not only to keep the charity running.

Whilst funds to keep daily charity needs running are vital right now people are more inclined to donate to something when they know what exactly their money will be used for, we suggest saying that £5 will get you this, £10 will get you this etc. It’s good to be able to see what your donation will do, you should also post on your socials about thanking people for donations, it feels good to be appreciated so make sure your donors know you appreciate them.

Tip 5. Appeal to people & businesses you already know.

This also goes hand in hand with social posts, your followers tend to be the people most dedicated to your charity and will be More Inclined To Help if they see you need it, this can be done through phone calls, emails, letters etc to all your contacts.

Tip 6. Set a minimum goal of £1.

Be sure to set your minimum goal as £1 on the IIC Platform, this means even if a project is not fully completed you can still get what is remaining of the donations. If you don’t remember to do this you could lose the donations you have if your project completes and you don’t have enough funds!

Also, remember that whilst it’s hard right now, this will all be over soon and everything is going to be okay!

5 Amazing Examples of Kindness Through The Covid-19 Pandemic.

Posted on by Philip Webb
  1. Some Good News with John Krasinski.

 

“No matter how bad life may seem, you can always find some good news to smile about.”

In March 2020, John Krasinski reminded the world to find the good news. Asking his twitter audience to share wholesome stories from around the world, he received an influx of positive stories, and he shared this with the world for free on his YouTube series. He hosted graduation ceremonies, a virtual prom and even married two of his fans in an Office themed virtual wedding.

This series also helped many charities as well, John announced that PepsiCo would be donating $3 million to his Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. He also donated all proceeds from his SGN merchandise and put time and effort into uplifting the spirits of as many people as possible across the world.

 

  1. Joe Wicks Free Work Out.

 

Throughout the lockdown, Joe hosted live fitness sessions aimed at kids on his YouTube channel as a way to replace their missed P.E lessons, every weekday at 9am, to help little one’s stay active while the UK and many other countries schools are were closing.

Joe raised over £580,000 for the NHS with his free P.E sessions and helped raise the spirits of children, not only in the UK but worldwide.

 

  1. Casa Hotel offering Free Rooms For NHS Workers.

 

The owner of Casa Hotel generously offered a free night’s stay for Chesterfield’s frontline NHS workers who are dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. Each frontline NHS worker has access to a mini bar, a hot meal and breakfast. Mr Perez (Casa Hotel owner) said: “Our NHS staff are doing an exceptional job during these unprecedented times. We’ve all got to try and do our bit to help wherever we can. I’ve got a big hotel which obviously isn’t open to members of the public right now so I wanted to use it to help treat NHS workers in Chesterfield.”

This unbelievably generous offer was an inspiration to businesses across the UK and a glimmer of hope in an otherwise difficult time.

 

  1. Marcus Rashford raising money for FareShare

 

“Since March 2020, Marcus has: Helped raise enough money to enable FareShare to distribute the equivalent of over 21 million meals for children and families who might not otherwise eat.” – FareShare

Marcus’ tireless efforts meant that the Child Food Poverty Taskforce was launched which continues to spread awareness of child hunger in the UK. He also created the #MakeTheUTurn campaign which meant 1.3 million children had access to food throughout the pandemic. His work has been an inspiration to many and has saved countless children from going hungry.

 

5. All the incredible NHS heroes and key workers.

What else can we say other than: Thank you for everything, NHS.

 

Lastly, we can’t forget the charities who worked tirelessly to ensure the people they support were not forgotten. Lets not forget to show our support to these wonderful organisations, why not kick off your acts of kindness for the day by donating?

 

Get involved with acts of kindness yourself:

  1. Arrange a virtual catch up with someone you know.
  2. Send someone special a small gift.
  3. Call an old friend.
  4. Remember to tell loved ones that you appreciate them.
  5. Cook for your household.
  6. Don’t underestimate the importance of a clean house.
  7. Jump onto Netflix party and watch a film with family and friends.
  8. Be thankful.
  9. Help neighbours with dog walking.
  10. Lend your ear, charities like Sense are asking for virtual buddies during the pandemic.
  11. If you miss your colleagues, arrange a virtual lunch.
  12. Share sensibly, fake news spreads a lot, remember to check everything you share is legitimate, so you aren’t spreading rumours!
  13. Support your neighbourhood.
  14. Donate to foodbanks.
  15. Donate to charity.
  16. Write a letter to isolated people.
  17. Socially distanced litter picking.
  18. Do your own virtual pub quiz.
  19. Send those who have birthdays in lockdown a quick message, so they know you’re thinking of them.
  20. Take time for yourself, being kind is not only for other people.

Sense & Investors In Community Work Together to Create Positive Impact.

Posted on by Philip Webb

Investors In Community and Sense Charity are working together to promote the understanding of what it’s like to be deaf and blind from birth, the complex needs that each individual has and the battles each day just to live a fulfilling life.

 

‘For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind’ – Sense is here to help people communicate and experience the world. They believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential.

 

The essence of Investors In Community is to create a movement for good.

 

This movement seeks to connect all of those in our society: businesses and individuals, with charities, community groups and not for profit organisations.

 

Our platform is utterly free for all charities and constituted community groups, so any money that you donate goes directly to the charity – no middleman taking a cut! You yourself can also sign up to the platform and engage with other charities or even set up your own project that you feel passionate about whilst earning community credits that showcase all the support and donations that you have given.

 

We are the only platform to unify the five ways of giving, so if you feel you can donate some of your time or a gift in kind instead of money then you can provide much needed support at Rotherham Sense.

 

We would love to explore what we could do together and work with you and your team to support Sense and enable those affected to lead a more fulfilling life.

 

If you’re interested, lets arrange a time to talk and share ideas: zoey.purdy@investorsincommunity.org

 

Learn more about Investors In Community.

20 Lockdown Fundraising Ideas

Posted on by Philip Webb

These past few months have made fundraising very difficult but now is the time charities need us more than ever! We have put together a list of some of the best ideas we’ve come across and we hope these provide some good inspiration for your next lockdown fundraisers.

  • Donate your commute.

Donate all the petrol money you’ve saved or even half every month, by now you will have saved 3 months worth of petrol money, maybe consider donating alternate months! Whatever works for you.

  • Bingo Night.

This is great to do with friends or employees! A Charity Bingo Night is “one of the most effective and fun ways to raise funds for your organisation or cause”.

  • Raffle.

“A Charity Raffle can be an extremely successful fundraising method, raising high profits and supporter engagement. Setting up and running a charity raffle is low-cost, especially when prizes have been donated”.

  • Virtual bucket collector. 

We have a few Charities Doing This On Our Platform you essentially post a small £100 target project and ask people to donate their petty change just as they would for a bucket collection.

  • Round up money.

Online shopping a lot recently? Do you find due to the sales a lot of your purchases end in odd pennies? Round up those pennies to the nearest pound and donate, you may not think this will be a lot but if everyone did this, imagine how much good it would do.

  • Donate whatever you’re not spending money on.

Is there something you regularly buy? A morning coffee or your regular sandwich at lunch? Donate those few pounds to a charity or good cause, to you it may be £1+ but if everyone did this the results would be incredible.

  • Home challenges.

Bake, create an obstacle course, paint a rainbow make this a competition between employees or friends and all vote for the best, ask for £1 per entry and whoever wins gets to donate the money to the charity of their choice.

  • Do something crazy with your hair.

Thinking of shaving it all off? Why not ask people to send in suggestions and pay money to have you do it, such as giving yourself a mohawk and taking a picture to send to the work or family group chat, this will be a funny fundraiser for sure!

  • Virtual pub quiz. 

Easy and a classic, host a quiz night and donate what you would’ve spent on a pint or portion of chips to enter, the winner picks the charity the proceeds will be donated to.

  • Find items to donate later.

Now is the perfect time to clear your wardrobe and donate those old clothes, find a charity that’s in need of clothing items and donate through the IIC platform.

  • Wash your hands.

Every time you wash your hands put 10p in a jar, create a competition within the office and see who is the cleanest. It’s an unusual competition but competitive people will do anything to win!

  • Remote portraits.

Ask employees kids to draw a portrait of their parent, best portrait gets to donate £100 to their chosen charity. Parents will also be thankful for the new exciting activity for their children!

  • Sponsored silence.

Are you a bit of a chatterbox? Would staying silent be a struggle for you? Why not test how far you can go and ask people to sponsor your silence.

  • Share your skills.

Does one of your employees have a skill they could share like baking or playing an instrument, ask if they would do a class and give the donations to their chosen charity. A great excuse to show off as well!

  • Movie night!

Create a Netflix Party and ask people to donate the cost of a cinema ticket to join.

  • Looking for a funky new logo?

Ask people to design a new company logo! Entry costs £1 and it will be posted up on the website for a month, this could particularly appeal to employees kids who are stuck at home! It could also encourage aspiring graphic designers to participate.

  • Give it up.

What’s the one thing you couldn’t live without? Would your friends and family sponsor you to give it up for a week, a month or even longer? Share daily updates with your supporters to let them know how well you’re doing and watch the pennies pile up.

  • Donate your drink.

We would all love to grab a G&T at the bar and kick back so why not try donating your drink? How much does that rum and coke usually cost you? Put it towards a good cause and help out in your community!

  • Run, jog, walk, bike.

Set a tough goal and reach it whether it’s a 10k run or 25k hike people love to see you push your limits so set up a fundraiser now!

  • Birthday fundraiser.

There’s not really much to do for our birthdays this year so why not make it memorable by asking friends and family to donate to a charity you care about!

Liniar Leads The Way With Investors In Community Partnership

Posted on by Philip Webb

Industry-leading PVCu systems company Liniar has strengthened its community focus and commitment to ‘doing the right thing’ by joining the Investors in Community platform.

Designed to connect businesses with charities and good causes in their local areas, Investors in Community has helped facilitate hundreds of measurable volunteering hours, donations, and fundraising projects by firms across the country. The platform already supports the likes of Specsavers, Balfour Beatty and the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce with their CSR activity.

Liniar is part of the global Quanex group of companies, and ‘Communities’ is one of the four key pillars of its business, alongside Employees, Customers and Shareholders. With 500+ local employees and a strong presence within the Amber Valley District, Liniar has always been committed to supporting local causes. During the pandemic, it began the mass production of protective visors, and has so far donated more than 35,000 to key workers across the UK.

The team at Liniar will be using the Investors in Community platform to find charities and organisations to jointly support while also offering volunteering help to good causes. Group Managing Director Martin Thurley explains why Investors in Community appealed to the management team:

“During the last 12 months, Liniar has made a positive difference to many lives – you could say it’s in our DNA to do the right thing, and COVID-19 really highlighted this to us all.

“We see the Investors in Community platform as a streamlined way to expand the support we can offer as a business – we were particularly drawn to the way the charities receive 100% of any fundraising money. Our team will be able to find volunteering opportunities and other ways to ‘give back’ and the platform also offers the means for us all to measure and track the impact of our CSR activity.”

Group Marketing Director Sue Davenport continues:

“Investors in Community has been straightforward to implement and the team there have been very supportive in helping us to roll it out. We’ve already provided financial donations and support to two smaller charities who have seen a reduction in fundraising activities, as well as collecting items for food banks – our latest initiative is collecting Easter eggs for children who may not otherwise receive one – and it’s great to see the results of our efforts going straight to those who need our support.”

Philip Webb, managing director of Investors in Community, is thrilled to welcome Liniar to the platform:

“We love the ethos and values of Liniar and Quanex and their focus on local community connections.

“The reality is that there are thousands of charities and community groups across the country doing amazing work in places like Derbyshire. However, there’s still the tendency for corporate giving to be focused on the bigger charities that get a lot of media attention.

“It is great to be working with Martin, Sue and the team, and to hear that they want to extend the work they have done in the past to make a real difference in their local community and to make connections that have a lasting impact.

“For us, Liniar is leading the way with a focus on purpose being at the forefront of their business. We look forward to all of the staff engaging with local causes in a variety of ways.”

For more information about Investors in Community, visit www.investorsincommunity.org.

For more information about Liniar, visit www.liniar.co.uk.

6 Tips On How To Make Charitable Giving a Habit.

Posted on by Philip Webb

“Try not to focus on how much you can or can’t give, just focus on giving … life is more enjoyable when you give back”

Like many others, I spent years thinking that I couldn’t make an impact because I wasn’t able to donate hundreds of pounds each month but, in 2021, I decided to donate what I could each month and after hosting two fundraisers on the IIC platform and having both charities offer their thanks and gratitude for my small donation, I realised how big my little donation actually was.

So, below are some tips to form a giving habit, but the best tip I can offer is to just give once and then see the impact you’ve created, after that you won’t want to stop!

 

1. Make It Easy.

It’s important when trying to create a habit to make it easy. Using online giving platforms like IIC ensures that donating regularly is as hassle free as possible. Look into donating with friends who remind you to keep up your new habit, or set up automatic reminders on your phone on each pay day so it’s the first thing you think of when you get your pay check!

“Adopting new habits is only ever difficult for one of two reasons: You don’t understand how habits are structured and how to leverage that structure to your advantage. You are attempting to do too much too soon and setting yourself up for failure.” – Forbes

2. Find What You Care About.

Take a moment to write out a purpose statement, ask yourself what motivates you and what are you interested in. If you love animals, perhaps a wildlife sanctuary is the charity for you. If you’re passionate about helping kids stay active and have access to sports equipment, then maybe look into your local community sports clubs and donate to them. Find what interests you and then start from there.

“A personal mission statement is a statement that defines your values, who you are & how you define success.” – Indeed 

 

3. Focus On The Reward .

Habits are reinforced by rewards, and the good feeling of helping others is a huge reward. Make sure you can see the impact of your donation, you can do this by following your chosen charity on social media or getting in touch to discuss what each donation enables your chosen charity to do.

“Most people fail to adequately reward themselves for taking action on a beneficial habit. Think about it this way: most addictive and destructive habits have a built in reward system that requires little or no input from you.” – Forbes

 

4. Small Donations Can Make a Difference.

‘Small actions x lots of people = big change’ any donation is appreciated, by donating whatever you can to your chosen charity, your small contribution is going to make a huge difference in the long term and it can make you feel connected to your community.

“Small actions are easy to do and these are the ones that inspire lots of people to do the things that matter and therefore create big change. So by just being ‘average’ you can change the world – because everyone is powerful, influential and above all inspirational in their own way.” – Change Ready

 

5. Donate Time, Donate Money, Donate Gifts.

Giving back doesn’t always have to be donating money, on Investors In Community, we facilitate the 5 forms of giving; funds, volunteering, skilled volunteering, pro bono & gifts. So if you’d prefer to donate your time, or even gifts, it’s so easy to get involved! Why not donate an Easter Egg to Liniar’s Easter Egg appeal?

“Giving to charity doesn’t require a lot of disposable income. If you want to make the world a better place, you can still contribute without cutting a big check.” – USA Today

 

6. Set a Realistic Budget.

Any donation is appreciated no matter how small, If you’re worried about how you’re going to add giving to your routine (especially during a pandemic) make the decision to donate £5 (or even less) each month. Soon it will become an exciting routine of picking a charity or cause you want to help and you’ll see the impact so often that each month you will find yourself wanting to donate more and more!

“If you’re getting serious about your charitable donations and commitment to charitable giving, one of the easiest ways to make it a habit is to incorporate donating to charity into your budget. Whether that means setting money aside at the beginning of the year or as part of your monthly expenses, planning for your charitable donations in advance usually makes for more intentional giving.” – Real Simple

Good News Story – £10,000 Donated to St Luke’s on IIC Platform

Posted on by Philip Webb

A £10,000 donation has generously been made from Aesseal to St Luke’s Hospice Care Sheffield!

Aesseal are a company where CSR is a top priority: “We believe in operating in an ethical and sustainable manner, providing sealing solutions to our customers that improve reliability and help reduce energy and water consumption”.

St Luke’s Hospice care for people aged 18 and above throughout Sheffield who have terminal illnesses. They aim to control their symptoms, alleviate pain, and give them the best possible quality of life – all free of charge.

St Luke’s is not just for cancer patients, and it’s far more than a building. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that most of their patients never set foot in the Hospice itself.

Working in partnership for their patients, St Luke’s plays a central part in the network of palliative care nursing and support services in Sheffield, collaborating with many other organisations and agencies in the city.

Joasia Lesniak from St Luke’s said: “We are so grateful for the incredibly generous donation we have received through Investors in Community.  Now more than ever, we rely on the generous support of our donors to ensure we can continue delivering our vital services to the people of Sheffield. The Investors In Community platform was very easy to use, the team there were very helpful and provided support every step of the way”

If you would like to donate to this amazing organisation please Click Here.