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.”
“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
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.
Many charities make money through spare change Bucket Collections so this was a huge loss for charities in the lockdown. So, we have made it possible to get small donations on the Investors In Community platform just as you would in a bucket collection. Make it happen, get a project on Investors In Community today.
Donate Your Commute:
We have saved a lot of money not needing to commute to an office, why not donate what you’ve saved, or even half of what you’ve saved to a Charity Of Your Choice.
Buy a Christmas Present
Every year donating shoe-boxes filled with presents is done and this year it feels more important than ever, we have Buddy Bag on the IIC platform which is a “backpack that contains all the essential items a child needs. They include toiletries, pyjamas, socks and underwear. They also include comfort items such as a book, a photo frame and a teddy bear. A Buddy Bag is something a child can call their own, no matter where they go.” Why not Donate To Buddy Bag this Christmas.
Home Challenges
Home challenges could be anything, challenge yourself to make an intricate obstacle course and film you trying to complete it. Challenge yourself to bake a cake without a recipe, or maybe spend 24 hours not looking at your phone and film yourself trying to navigate your day, put the videos on Youtube and donate the ad revenue!
Virtual Quiz Night
Zoom and other platforms have made communication with large groups of people so easy during this pandemic and virtual quiz nights have become increasingly popular, ask people to donate the price of a drink and a ticket, which is what they would usually spend at a pub quiz and Enjoy Your Night!
Donate Your Skills
We all have something we’re good at, right? You could arrange a virtual yoga, cooking or art class and ask people to donate to join in, then donate all the earnings to your favourite charity!
Virtual Car Boot Sale
Car boot sales are an excellent way to sell items you no longer need, why not clear out your wardrobe and sell on your old items, you’re saving the environment and doing it all for charity, what could be better?
Fitness Fundraising
Set yourself a run, walk, hike or cycle challenge. Why not try to run, walk or cycle the length of the UK? It’s a tough challenge but so rewarding when you’re doing it all for a good cause.
Virtual Guess It
Guessing how many sweets or guessing the name of the animal is always a huge hit and that doesn’t have to stop now! Showcase your fundraiser on social media and ask people to donate through your project link to enter their guess.
Isolation Challenges
Not needing to be seen in public is the perfect chance to try everything you’ve ever wanted to try, grow a huge Dumbledore style beard, cut your hair into a pixie cut to see what you’d look like, try an eyebrow slit if you want to! Share with friends and family what your plans are and ask them to donate and even provide suggestions of what they’d love to see you do.
Reflecting On 2020 & Looking to The Future of 2021.
In 2020 Investors In Community saw some great achievements amongst the chaos. Early on we received the great honour of being recognised by IBM through Cognition Foundry for an IBM Beacon Award!
“For over 20 years, the IBM Beacon Awards have recognised Business Partners for creating exceptional solutions using IBM products and services. You take risks, solve problems, and use undeterred imagination to spark innovation. Cognition Foundry developed a bespoke platform for Investors In community (IIC) to help companies manage their HSV in a transparent, efficient and engaging way without reducing the value of contributions to charities.”
Then towards the end of the year we were honoured again through East Midlands Chamber, where we won the Community Impact Award for our continuous efforts to better communities throughout the UK. Check out the picture of MD Phil Webb and Business Development Director Dave Clarkson accepting our Community Impact Award!
We also saw success in our company growth after seeing a 68% increase in the number of charities using the platform since March, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, British Heart Foundation and Mind. The growth has resulted in two new additions to our team with Juliet Thompson and Nadea Van Der Merwe appointed as Relationship Manager and Executive Assistant.
IIC Helps Bring Charities Together to Tackle Homelessness in Wakefield.
After Wakefield BID invited us in to help businesses and charities in the Wakefield District, we quickly formed a new partnership with Wakefield Council and the Street Support Network.
The aim was to build an awareness campaign and encourage individuals and businesses to help local charities who are supporting vulnerable people and tackle the challenge of rough sleeping in Wakefield.
The Street Support Network which is active in 26 locations across the UK found the IIC team and platform was the ideal partner to help verify, manage, and measure all the giving from individuals to the charities. IIC worked closely with the Communities Team at Wakefield Council as part of the Councils remit to help the homeless and those who are looking to transform their lives in the City.
The initial project involved IIC bringing 24 charities onboard and is still running across the Wakefield District. The campaign has been so successful that Wakefield Council have also tasked IIC and the platform with a further campaign to help with all the Food Banks from across the district.
Save The Date!
We are also hosting an event on February 24th discussing ‘how to unite purpose in your business through Human Social Value’.
This online event will bring speakers together from current businesses and the next generation of inspiring leaders. Through workshops we will hear from experts on the economic value of social impact, employee engagement and good human social value.
By the end of the event we will have answered these questions and more:
1. How can my business measure its social impact?
2. What process and tools do I have in place to measure our impact?
3. What contribution does my business bring to our communities?
“Giving back is an integral part of who I am, which is why I jumped at the chance when Investors in Community asked me to join them as an Ambassador. Raising awareness of Human Social Value and the positive impact this makes is a shared responsibility for us all, I am so glad to be part of the movement”.
About Jo – With a great passion for developing people, Jo is an EMCCEIA Life & business coach supporting people to find their inner superpowers to have their moment to shine. Alongside coaching, Jo provides a consultancy service to all Charities big or small.
Jo also presents the mid-morning show on Inspire Radio, bringing well-being and self-development tips to the airwaves. However, her most important job is that of mum to her 3 grown-up children. and Granny to her 2 new grandsons. She loves spending time with them and their growing families navigating all life’s many challenges along the way, along with her lovely partner, Alan, and his 2 girls too.
A Word from a Business On IIC, Liniar & Sue Davenport:
Group Marketing Director Sue Davenport commented: “We were attracted to the platform by its ease of use, and particularly the fact the charity receives 100% of the funds, which is as it should be. It was easy to set up our account and although it’s early days, we believe Investors in Community will help us to support more projects than ever, as well as tracking our progress and reporting on the outcomes.”
Liniar is one of the leading PVCu extrusion companies in the UK, designing eco-friendly and energy efficient products such as windows, bi-folding doors, conservatories, decking and fencing.
Formed in 1974, Liniar now employs in excess of 500 people, with a turnover forecast at £100m in 2021.
The company has always had a focus on helping good causes within its local community in Derbyshire, and this was solidified during the pandemic in 2020, with Liniar manufacturing protective visors and donating them to key workers and the NHS.
Liniar decided to partner with Investors in Community at the start of 2021 in order to get its whole workforce involved and make the process of giving and volunteering much easier.
IIC Platform Update:
This feature releases direct debit recurring monthly and single payments into wallets and directly to good causes. Projects have been excluded because of the transaction delay while a Direct Debit is processed.
Users Can Now:
Setup single donations into business or individual’s wallet (3 to 5 days processing time)
Setup recurring monthly donations into business or individual wallet (3 to 5 days processing time)
Setup single donation directly to a good cause by individuals and businesses (3 to 5 days processing time)
Setup recurring monthly donation directly to a good cause by individuals and businesses (3 to 5 days processing time)
Recurring monthly payments and transaction history can be managed from the ‘wallet’ tab in individual and business user profile.
We thought we would share some amazing charities with you as well!
The Trauma Centre Ripon
An inclusive trauma centre for adults and children are looking for funds, volunteer guest speakers and gifts for their arts & crafts sessions. If you’re interested in helping this wonderful organisation, please follow this link.
Sense
Sense believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfill their potential. Sense also have their free BSL school, if you’re interested in signing up, please follow this link.
Rain Rescue
Rain Rescue believe every dog and cat deserves the right to a good life free from fear and pain. Just £10.00 will pay for an hour of care for an Animal Care Assistant to help many beautiful animals. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.
Street Paws
They provide relief from animal suffering by providing free accessible vet care via a team of veterinary volunteers, to support homeless people and rough sleepers to care for their pets. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.
Teenage Cancer Trust
#TeamScape are fundraising for Teenage Cancer Trust and they have raised £280 of their £1,000 goal! If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.
Camphill Village Trust
They have officially reached their goal of £500 for their ‘A Life of Opportunity’ project! Your generous donations help them support adults with learning and other disabilities in their home life, work, social and cultural activities through our ten urban and rural communities and services in England. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.
Grimm & Co
They have raised £250 of their £2,000 goal to be able to decorate the space in a beautiful, imaginative way so if you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link
Freedom Community Project
Freedom offer free advice and support such as Listening Ear, Debt Advice, Mental Health Support and much more to people within the North East Midlands, South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire. If you’re interested in helping this brilliant organisation, please follow this link.
The Buddy Bag Foundation
The BBF Challenge Box is a unique opportunity for businesses to support a local cause. The challenge is split into two parts. Firstly, team members are tasked with procuring all of the items you’ll need to pack 30 Buddy Bags. Secondly, you’ll get together to pack the bags! If you’re interested in getting involved, please follow this link.
We’re so glad you could join us through 2020 and we’re looking forward to doing even more great things in 2021!
Growing pressures from consumers, supply chains, governments, and action groups, has meant that businesses can no longer sidestep or ignore the calls for reform, and to integrate their operations with the social values that drive individuals’ behaviours, whole economies, and all communities.
The old expression “People buy from people” is as true today as ever before, and no amount of technology can replace this statement.
Consumers and supply chains, are now demanding action from companies, to join with the global agenda, to reform working practices, disconnect every action from that of pure profit, and to show leadership in values, to determine success.
Let’s break that down:
Firstly, the consumer, whose voice is heard by the spend patterns they establish. Following and buying from those businesses, who can demonstrate and reliably report on ESG principles, connecting with their stakeholders, community, and planet
Around 80% of Millennial generations, that is everyone of 40 years old and younger, are aligned as never before, with the issues of sustainability; relating to environment, waste, wildlife, energy, child labour, product origin, carbon footprint, to that of our communities, charities, not-for-profits, to rebalance our society to be inclusive, embracing, and values driven
Companies that do not show leadership and show their espouse values, will be shunned in the years ahead, in favour of those that do.
Secondly, the rapidly shifting of requirement within SUPPLY chains. As with the GDPR regulations, where customers insisted on demonstrable compliance to remain as a supplier, so will this manifest in due course with Social Impact reporting, and values
Already we have seen the UK Social Value Act being amended in January 2021, to compel public sector procurement to assess suppliers for the social impact, awarding at least 10% of the supplier score to this aspect.
This will accelerate throughout supply chains in 2021, to compel companies to showcase their position in a transparent way – systems and measurements will be needed, and visibility will be high in public forums for those who do not comply.
Engaging early on will provide an advantage for companies and harnessing the collective power of employees will create a trust-based space for resultant higher productivity and profit.
From top line revenue to bottom line profit, your Social Values can drive performance
In 2017, Emmanuel Faber, CEO of Danone said, “A revolution is cooking, what are we going to do about it?”
In 2019, the Business Round Table, chaired by JP Morgan, said – businesses have responsibilities, not just to their shareholders, but to customers, employees, suppliers and to communities.
Transition from “risk thinking” to “Impact thinking” is now a prevailing force within Equity Investor forums, with $31 trillion diverted from traditional businesses, to those who can demonstrate their ESG credentials and impact
Growing pressures from consumers, supply chains, governments and action groups has meant that businesses can no longer sidestep or ignore the calls for reform, and to integrate their operations with the social values that drive individuals’ behaviours, whole economies, and all communities
In 2019, the Impact Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI) was established to ascertain the principles and framework for the filing of Impact reports alongside Financial reports, by all larger companies (500 employees +)
The principle is simple: you cannot manage what you cannot measure
In the near future, GAAP accounts (General Accepted Accounting Principles) will be filed alongside GAIP reports (Generally Accepted Impact Principles)
The measurement systems needed, must be able to demonstrate Transparency, Authenticity and Trust to appear alongside the company balance sheet
When Investors can correlate the business performance with their proven Impact, then the flow of money will move towards those who are performing above the average. Consumer behaviour will then exaggerate the top line, as the flow of consumer choice and spend diverts to those businesses who are able to demonstrate social and environmental IMPACT
There are two main forces, driving this Movement:
Firstly, the consumer, whose voice is heard by the spend patterns they establish. Following and buying from those businesses who can demonstrate and reliably report on ESG principles, connecting with their stakeholders, community, and planet
Secondly, the tsunami of requirement within SUPPLY chains. As with the GDPR regulations, where customers insisted on demonstrable compliance to remain as a supplier, so will this manifest in due course with Impact reporting and values
Estimates of a tipping point, are 50 out of the 500 companies in the Fortune 500 list in the USA, or closer to home, 10% of the spend of the UK Government being based on Impact suppliers.
For the last two decades there has been a gradual shift in attitudes towards planet, people, and community.
Labels such as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) ESG (Environmental Sustainability Goals) and many others, describes the actions and intent of a growing number of people and businesses towards a better future.
In the last five years an acceleration of efforts and initiatives have grown to show that personal values may be played out in businesses the world over.
Growing pressures from consumers, supply chains, governments and action groups has meant that businesses can no longer sidestep or ignore the calls for reform, and to integrate their operations with the social values that drive individuals’ behaviours, whole economies, and all communities
The measurement of this shift is denoted by something we refer to as IMPACT. This is the effect that our businesses have on the world around us, and is being continually assessed now, by our customers, our employees, and our stakeholders. In short, if your business does not show IMPACT, you will not be in business for much longer.
There is now hardly a company boardroom in the world, where the subject of IMPACT is not being actively discussed.
What is making all these CEO’s change their priorities and focus on the impact their businesses have on their employees, their communities, and the environment, rather than just simply on profit?
In short, they understand, and can see that the values of consumers have changed. They must now deliver and prove positive impact if they want to survive
Continue in the ways of old and see if they can “ride it out” or adapt and adopt a new way to value their business, their customers, communities, and environment.
Facing a Tsunami, it is often better to locate to higher ground and build on new foundations, rather than “ride it out” and hope this is a passing wave
In 2020, Investors in Community announced a new partnership with Wakefield BID to help over 450 businesses in the city centre engage with charities and community organisations.
The charitable giving platform, helps firms to find good causes that need help in their local area, as well as measure, record and report other fundraising, donations and volunteering to show the full extent of their social responsibility.
As part of the new partnership, Wakefield BID will be showcasing the Investors in Community platform to its 467 members, encouraging businesses in the city centre to work together on collaborative projects that can make a real difference to those in need.
Via the platform, users can search for local charity projects all around the UK. They can then offer to assist by volunteering, donating, fundraising, offering pro-bono support, gifts and services. In return for their support, individuals earn community credits, which can be linked back to their employer, creating a tangible measure of the team’s CSR output.
For those companies wanting to get involved, each member of staff will get their own Investors in Community profile, opening up the potential for 160,000 new users across Wakefield.
Commenting on the new partnership, BID Director Christine Armstrong, said:
“As the new Director for Wakefield BID I’m keen to introduce both partnerships and initiatives that will create a sustainable future for our City. Investors in Community is one of those partnerships that will bring both the businesses and charity projects together, and from this we see a stronger community spirit forming and will lead to some great success stories we will all be proud to share and shout about”.
Phil Webb, Managing Director of Investors in Community, added:
“It’s a poignant time for us to announce this new partnership as there are many charities across the country experiencing huge funding shortfalls right now. It’s a time when the smallest of actions can make a real difference and, by working alongside Wakefield BID, there’s the potential for city centre businesses to make a big impact.
“When we set up Investors in Community, we wanted to create a way to unite individuals, businesses and charities in one place. It was also vital to us that 100 per cent of the money donated through our platform stays in the charity sector, so Wakefield BID members will know that every penny they raise or donate will go to those who need it most.
“Wakefield is the first BID in the country to use the platform in this way, with an ambition of creating a sustainable legacy via collaborative and meaningful initiatives. We hope to see more organisations of this kind following Wakefield’s lead.”
Wakefield BID joins a number of leading UK organisations that are helped by Investors in Community to manage their corporate social responsibility activity, including Balfour Beatty, Specsavers, Mansfield Building Society and Tomlinson Construction.
