Each year our staff nominate, shortlist and vote to support two charities and this year we have been proud to support Child Bereavement UK and Samaritans. We raise awareness of the charities we work with and colleagues fundraise in a variety of ways. As a result, and with £50,000 of matched funding from the Bank, we will be donating a total of £136,159.59 this year.
We have supported specific campaigns for both charities and held dedicated events with staff, charity supporters and industry members. The money raised includes contributions made by staff through the Pennies from Heaven scheme, raffles, quiz nights and donations at special events such as our Christmas carol services arranged by our Christian Union. Last December staff took part in a ‘Santa in the City’ run for our charities of the year, and April saw four staff take part in one of the hottest London Marathons ever.
Commenting on the amounts raised Joanna Place, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Governor, said: “We have a long tradition of supporting the charities that our staff choose and the commitment to our charities goes from strength to strength each year. I am always impressed by the level of fundraising we achieve and it has been a pleasure to be able to meet so many committed colleagues at the charity events I have supported throughout the year.”
The money we are donating to Child Bereavement UK will be used in a variety of ways and has the potential to fund over 2,500 calls to their helpline and arts materials donated by staff will be used to help children express their feelings and emotions. During the year, we have highlighted their ‘One More Minute’ campaign; Sam Woods, Deputy Governor Prudential Regulation, hosted an industry event to encourage other organisations to think about how they can support staff and their customers who are facing child bereavement; and Joanna Place marked the start of their 25th anniversary year with a reception in our Court Room.
For Samaritans, our donation will help fund nearly 14,000 calls to their helpline which receives a call every 6 seconds. We started 2018 with the biggest coffee randomiser hosted by the Governor and our Mental Health Network, turning “blue Monday” into “Brew Monday”. And we have supported the development of their online tool Wellbeing in the City which colleagues are using to learn more about mental wellbeing.
Jonathan Curtiss, Executive Director Human Resources said: “Both Child Bereavement UK and Samaritans do great work in their respective fields by providing services and support for those people most in need. It has been a privilege to be able to work with the charities this year and learn more about the way in which we can support colleagues and their mental health, as well as those facing bereavement.”
