As we take a look back on our charitable activities for 2022, we’d like to recognise everyone who helped us exceed our donation target of £150,000!

Supporting local communities and giving back means a lot to us at CitySprint, which is why it forms one of the four pillars that make up our CSR strategy. At the start of 2022, we set ourselves a company-wide target of £150,000 of charitable donations and we are pleased to announce that we have exceeded that target raising a total of £156,326 over the course of 12 months!

Through our colleague volunteer programme, we were able to give colleagues the chance to fundraise for their chosen charity. Whether it be foodbanks, children’s charities, international aid or animal welfare causes, we collectively supported over 30 charities in the UK and internationally.
 
Feeding the UK

As one of our charity partners for 2022, we pledged to support the Trussell Trust to tackle hunger in the UK and support those in need of foodbanks. There was a great uptake from colleagues, suppliers and customers throughout the year. We saw most of our service centres up and down the country set up donation points for colleagues and couriers to easily donate food items to the Trussell Trust. Several colleagues also took the time to volunteer in local supermarkets at Trussell Trust donation points encouraging shoppers to donate what they could!

As well as donating time and good, many colleagues contributed fundraising ideas of their own to raise money for the foodbank charity; an auction and raffle at our National Sales Conference raised over £3,000 alone! We also saw Ian Walker commit to shaving his head, the Business Solutions team take part in an intense step challenge, and the London Central Business Development team give up a drink at Christmas to ensure those struggling had food on the table.

In September, the CitySprint Cycle Team tackled the 55-mile bike ride from London to Brighton in aid of the Trussell Trust and raised a whopping £22,065 for the anti-poverty charity! As most riders hadn’t even owned a bike prior to the cycle, we must express our gratitude to all cyclists and donors who made it possible.
 
Fighting illnesses together

Many of us have seen first-hand the devastating impact illness and disease can have on our loved ones, so our colleagues decided to get behind organisations dedicated to comforting those who are suffering, conducting research for new medicines or improving the quality of life for those with life-long conditions.

Paul in CX dusted off his running shoes for marathons supporting Cancer Research UK, and Business Analyst, Vincent, cycled his way to €140 for Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland! Lynsey and Nicola in Scotland also attended a charity evening where they both got involved in the fun which resulted in £1,350 in donations each to the Ayrshire Hospice and Bright Red.

Our Brighton team hosted a Macmillan Coffee Morning for colleagues and couriers, while their counterparts in Southampton set up a festive Elf Day for all colleagues to show support for Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, the Fleet Team managed to raise a whopping £750 by organising a Christmas fayre filled with festive activities in our London South site which went toward supporting the National Autistic Society.
 
Lending a helping hand

In 2022, we saw people from Ukraine displaced due to the ongoing conflict with Russia. Our teams came together to support those affected by these events through cash donations and emergency supplies.
Our London South team collectively raised £2,000 for the Ukraine Appeal who provide aid to refugees. Bristol and Cardiff went above and beyond to collect donated goods for Ukraine Aid, while the whole of CitySprint showed admiration for a self-employed courier taking a van full of essential items to the Poland – Ukraine border.

Closer to home, Fiona from Manchester took part in a 56-mile march which raised £481 for Care for Combat – a support charity for British veterans and their families.

There was also a huge outpour of respect for local communities! Jo in the Fleet team hosted a Christmas fayre for her local church, raising over £6,500, while Nic Pentelow and friends climbed Pen-Y-Fan in the Brecon Beacons to raise money for Northampton Town Football Club Community Trust. Nic’s team raised a total of £12,159 for the cause! Meanwhile, Key Account Manager, Jean, donated vouchers to her local neighbourhood networking scheme which supported seniors wanting to live independently in Leeds.
 
Helping to put an end to homelessness

We’re dedicated to helping put an end to homelessness in the UK through our charitable partnership with Crisis. Every year, we provide four vans which give the charity vital logistical support to ensure those needing support have access to the resources available. At Christmas time, we donated another eight vans to help with the demand of Crisis at Christmas, as well as a £12,000 donation as a festive gift on behalf of our customers.

Alongside this ongoing support, the Marketing and Customer Experience teams managed to raise over £2,000 through raffles, auctions, bake sales and even a fun game of bingo! There has also been a gaming marathon by Joseph Cole, and 10k daily running targets from Darryl in an effort to raise as much money as possible.
 
Protecting our furry friends

Many of us at CitySprint are proud animal lovers, which is why animal welfare charities have not been forgotten in our 2022 charitable efforts. The Nottingham team set up a car boot sale with over 100 items and donated all proceeds to Harleys Hounds Animal Rescue, a charity that takes in unwanted pets and gives them the medical attention and affection they need to prepare for new homes. Dartmoor Zoological Charity were the recipients of a £130 donation from Elisha in Plymouth at their charity ball. This money will help to fund vital conservation work at the Zoo which inspired the famous novel and movie ‘We Bought a Zoo’!
 
Giving children a childhood

Many colleagues chose to support charities dedicated to helping children live the life they deserve.

We wanted every child to have a special Christmas, so colleagues got involved in a number of festive initiatives up and down the country. A companywide Christmas Jumper Day for Save the Children raised £328 to help kids gain access to the resources they need to thrive, while our Virtual Contact Centre and Strategic team donated £261 worth of toys to the Salvation Army just in time for Christmas. The Leeds team raised £680 which was used to buy gifts for children at Lineham Farm, and the London Central Business Development team arranged for couriers to deliver presents and books to four local children’s hospices.

Last Easter, the team in Brighton donated 201 Easter Eggs to the Rocking Horse Appeal who provide much needed support to sick children in Sussex, and the Plymouth team donated 122 Easter Eggs to Jeremiah’s Journey, a children’s bereavement charity. In May, Jo and Zoe from the Fleet team took on a 100k running challenge for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, raising an amazing £600, and Prashant, Director of Marketing and CX raised £500 running 10k for the Akshayapatra Foundation which feeds children in the UK and India.
 
Pledging allegiance

Here at CitySprint, we recognise that raising money isn’t always enough. It’s important to raise awareness and educate our colleagues on matters that aren’t often talked about enough.

For 2022 Pride month, we supported MindOut, a Brighton based LGBTQ+ charity providing vital mental health services to those in the community who may be suffering. Also, the London South team swapped their CitySprint blue garments for something red to celebrate ‘Wear Red Day’, hosted by Show Racism the Red Card.

In addition, we support Brake, the road safety charity, annually during their ‘Road Safety Week’ to stress the importance of safe driving to colleagues and couriers we work with.

These initiatives combined raised a total of £2,243, while educating our people on matters that align with our company values.

Thank you to our colleagues, customers and the couriers we work with for helping us to assist so many charities. With your tenacity and kind donations, the CitySprint community were able to make a difference to people’s lives, which is a priceless act. We look forward to continuing our efforts in making our business more socially aware and making a positive difference to great causes in 2023 and beyond.

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