Willen Hospice has launched a new business Partnership Programme to thank and recognise organisations that show support for the charity.

The support is wide-ranging, and could stem from a variety of sources including charity of the year nominations, fundraising, cash or gift-in-kind donations, networking, payroll giving, volunteering, team event participation, sponsorship or match funding.

The new Partnership offers two distinct tiers:
– Corporate Partnership – when £1,000 is pledged to be raised in a year
– Platinum Partnership – when £4,000 is pledged to be raised in a year

Head of Marketing, Nigel Birch says “We want to show our appreciation to every local business that actively partners with us, and this is our chance to highlight their dedication and efforts. It’s important that we give something back.

“At a time when hybrid working often sees teams and colleagues operating in silos, we’re delighted that we can step up with a line-up of activities to boost morale and staff engagement. We’ve designed the benefits of the programme to help partners build their brand profile and demonstrate social responsibility when they team up with us.”
According to a study into corporate social responsibility and its impact on overall UK employee engagement, ‘82% of employees who have the opportunity to take part in CSR initiatives consider themselves proud of their company’.
(Source: Qualtrics March 2021 – New study from Qualtrics reveals the importance of CSR to UK employees in a post-Covid world)

Nigel adds “We were overjoyed that throughout the pandemic, businesses helped us when we faced a significant reduction of income as a result of shops having to close and events having to be cancelled. Alongside our regular givers, our business partners continued to show immeasurable support at a time when they themselves were facing uncertainty. A massive Thank You to all of the companies, SMEs, organisations, head offices and individuals who rallied to help us. Every pound fundraised and every item donated, helps to pay for the cost of caring for our patients 24 hours a day, completely free of charge.”

With only around a quarter of its financial support coming from the NHS, the bulk of the money the Hospice needs, is raised privately. It takes £4.7million every year, or £9 a minute, to continue providing specialist, compassionate care to patients with life-limiting illnesses.

For more information about the Partnership Programme, contact corporate@willen-hospice.org.uk or visit www.willen-hospice.org.uk/partnership-programme