The Covid pandemic is continuing to create challenges for businesses in the South West but many have still found time to help people in need.
Here, we shine a light on just some of the companies and organisations that have carried out acts of kindness so far in 2021. And on Good Friday, what better time to celebrate the goodness of out business community.
Leonardo
The determined efforts of a team of trainees at helicopter manufacturer Leonardo, based in Yeovil has seen them raise £12,000 for Yeovil Hospital’s Breast Cancer Unit, despite lockdown restrictions.
READ MORE: {}
The unit provides specialist care for those living with the disease in facilities based in a single location, as right now Breast Care services are spread across the hospital and can vary with each patient visit.
This latest contribution of £12,000 brings the hospital’s fundraising for the Breast Cancer Unit to almost £1,700,000 of the £2million needed.
James Kirton, head of fundraising at Yeovil Hospital Charity, said: “It is now more important than ever to have a dedicated unit for our Breast Cancer patients, so we are pushing as hard as we can to raise the remaining funds. We are just so grateful we have the ongoing support of organisations like Leonardo.”
Each year a fresh cohort of trainees are assigned with the management of Leonardo’s Yeovil charity association. In September 2020 a fresh committee was formed by new members who included Devon Ward, Karolina Piatek, Holly Ward, Sophie Furniss, Bethany Elwell, Amy Jarrett, James Varney and Andrew Frost.
They established fresh revenue streams, by finding opportunities to move everything online and identifying new ways of raising money. For example, rather than throwing away used office furniture, the trainees invited employees to purchase storage units, desks, filing cabinets, light fittings and even industrial lighting systems online for a donation.
Most Read
Devon Ward said: “You have to work extra hard to find a sense of motivation during these lockdowns. Every pound we raise is so much more of a celebration than it used to be, because it is so much harder to get.”
LiveWest
A housing association has given £67,000 and 100 laptops to help disadvantaged children across the South West learn from home during the Covid-19 lockdown.
LiveWest, the largest housing provider in the South West, has supported families and children across the region by donating the refurbished laptops to a range of schools in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.
The housing provider has also issued £32,000 to schools to allow them to buy much-needed IT equipment. LiveWest has also helped more than 100 households get online through digital inclusion grants totalling more than £23,000. It has also issued more than £12,000 in community grants to help people gain access to WiFi and online training.
Tim Wotton, grants manager for LiveWest, said: “Giving back to our communities is a vital part of the work we do and we are absolutely delighted to be able to provide equipment which will make a positive difference to the children.
“We are in the process of donating more of our refurbished laptops to schools across the region in areas where there is an identified need for vital equipment to support children and their education.”
Ashcombe Primary School in Weston-super-Mare was given 20 laptops by LiveWest and headteacher John Clark said: “I would like to thank LiveWest for this incredibly kind donation, our families and I are blown away by such wonderful generosity.”
Barratt and David Wilson Homes
Don’t miss
A zoo and conservation trust in South Devon is celebrating an unexpected windfall from leading housebuilders Barratt and David Wilson Homes who donated £1,000 to help it recover from the challenges of Covid.
Shaldon Zoo and Wildlife Trust, which carries out vital conservation work all over the world, has suffered major financial losses during the lockdown as it has only been able to open for six months out of the past 12.
Relying heavily on income from visitors, this has put the small conservation charity under enormous pressure and it recently put out a plea on local media for support to ensure its survival.
But the charity received a surprise letter announcing the donation from the housebuilders, which are building homes across Devon, including new communities at Victoria Heights and Minerva in Exeter.
Each month, as part of their community fund, Barratt and David Wilson Homes give £1,000 to charities and organisations as part of their commitment to building strong communities close to their developments.
Zak Showell, director of Shaldon Zoo and Wildlife Trust said: "This donation came out of the blue and is an incredible and very welcome surprise for us."
Nicki Reid, sales director for Barratt David Wilson Homes, in Devon, added: "It's important to us to make a positive contribution to the communities we build in."
Womble Bond Dickinson
The Plymouth office at law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has pledged its support to organisations working in the community to tackle the impact of the Covid pandemic, including foodbanks, homeless charities and schools.
This follows WBD's fundraising and volunteering efforts in 2020 as part of its Covid-19 emergency response which saw thousands of pounds donated to a range of charities around Plymouth.
The firm has continued its support with donations to the Plymouth Foodbank. The initiative is part of a firm-wide effort to fight against hunger in the community with the firm donating £30,000 to 海角视频 foodbanks and other food charities in 2020.
Some of the donations were personal contributions from WBD staff with the total amount raised matched by WBD's Charitable Incorporated Trust which manages funds aimed at supporting the firm's responsible business activity.
Plymouth staffalso supported the Plymouth Pie Club throughout the pandemic, buying and delivering groceries to the most vulnerable in the community. Plymouth Pie Club is a volunteer group set up in partnership with Age 海角视频 and Eldertree to support the elderly and the vulnerable.
The firm also worked with local schools including St Peter's School and Torbridge High by donating laptops to support those pupils home-schooling who have no access to technology.
Clare Elliott, head of responsible business at WBD's Plymouth office, said: "The pandemic has brought unprecedented hardship to so many and it was important for us to step up and join forces with the many organisations working tirelessly in the community."
Claire Prynn, headteacher at St Peter's School, Plymouth, sid: "We're so grateful to WBD for the laptops that were donated and these have already been allocated out to families who have not had the ability to support their children with home schooling during lockdown.”
Real Food Store
Customers at Exeter’s community-owned Real Food Store have raised almost £100 for Exeter Foodbank in just one month by “rounding up” their shopping bills to support the charity.
Launched in early February, the Round It Up scheme gives Real Food Store customers the option of
rounding up their receipt to the nearest pound, with the proceeds being used to provide vouchers to be distributed by Exeter Foodbank.
The vouchers allow individuals who may not usually have access to fresh, local and organic food with the opportunity to make independent shopping decisions.
Summer Varley, a co-manager at the Real Food Store, said: “We are really excited about this new partnership with Exeter Foodbank and to support members of the Exeter community who are
facing hardship to access high-quality food from local producers.”
Foodbank manager Mark Richardson said: “Since the Foodbank’s launch in 2008, we have grown to a team of over 100 volunteers and have supported countless individuals facing incredibly difficult circumstances.”
Co-operative Food
A total of £2,980 was raised in 2020 at five Co-operative Food stores in Devon thanks to the support from customers and residents. To show Southern Co-op's appreciation to good causes, the total was rounded up so each cause receives a minimum of £500.
The funding will go to five separate causes - 17th Exeter Alphington Scouts, Dream-a-way, Exmouth Friends in Need, Friends of Bow School and Pete's Dragons.
Fundraising activities at the stores ranged from colouring competitions and treasure hunts, to raffles and guess the sweets in a jar.
Stores that took part in the fundraising in Devon were The Co-operative Food in Bow's Burston Cross Road, Exeter's Alphington Road and Buddle Lane, and Exmouth's Brixington, Parade and Exeter Road.
Holly Bramble, Southern Co-op's community and campaign co-ordinator, said: "Across all of our stores in the south, colleagues and customers raised a massive £120,000 for local partners. This was no mean feat as a lot of the bigger fundraising events had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.
Claire Austin, founder of Exmouth Friends in Need which will receive £925, said: "This will help feed so many families, and pay for vital gas and electricity. This last year has been particularly tough with a huge uptake in people needing help, due to Covid-19, with people being furloughed and losing job."
Bovis Homes
On the 2021 World Book Day pupils at Rockwell Green Primary School, in Wellington, had more books to choose from thanks to a leading housebuilder.
Bovis Homes donated £400 towards new books to promote reading for pleasure, the main drive for World Book Day, marked annually in over 100 countries.
Headteacher at Rockwell Primary School Mike Berrisford said: “Bovis Homes’ generous donation has enabled us to purchase more high-quality books for our children to enjoy. Reading is at the heart of our curriculum and is fundamental to the children being able to grow as learners.”
Emma Smith, Bovis sales and marketing director, said: “During the last 12 months, children have had a challenging time – with many changes to their usual routine – but reading is somewhere they can still explore new worlds and meet new characters.”
How to contact William Telford and Business Live
Business Live's South West Business Reporter is William Telford. William has more than a decade's experience reporting on the business scene in Plymouth and the South West. He is based in Plymouth but covers the entire region.
To contact William: Email: william.telford@reachplc.com - Phone: 01752 293116 - Mob: 07584 594052 - Twitter: - LinkedIn: - Facebook:
Stay in touch: BusinessLive newsletters have been re-designed to make them even better. We send morning bulletins straight to your inbox on the latest news, views and opinion in the South West. Get our breaking news alerts and weekly sector reviews too. Sign up now - it's free and it only takes a minute. To sign up for Business Live's daily newsletters click .
And visit the Business Live South West LinkedIn page
Network Rail, GWR and Splash Projects
Dozens of Network Rail and GWR workers pulled together to help support the NHS by creating an outdoor garden space at the Nightingale Hospital in Exeter.
Volunteers teamed up to transform the hospital’s outside space including installing fencing, laying decking, painting and positioning planters around the garden.
The team were supported by Splash Projects, an Exmouth-based company which helped source materials and equipment, along with contributions from local centres and DIY traders.
GWR also donated a disabled access ramp to enable those with accessibility needs be able to fully enjoy this new outdoor space.
This project is an extension of Network Rail’s previous efforts last year where volunteers helped transform a former DIY store in Exeter into the region’s Nightingale Hospital and follows efforts to help set up a new large-scale vaccination centre at Westpoint Exeter.
Nick Millington, Network Rail’s director of safety taskforce, said: “Colleagues have continued to help keep the railway running, not only on the tracks but also supporting off the tracks with projects like this.”
Chantal Baker, NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter, assistant director of nursing, said: “Kind gestures like this make a real difference to our patients and staff.”