Our Corporate Social Responsibility Programme 43
Giving something back We take our responsibilities to our scheme which collects and recycles unwanted
members, customers, employees cricket and rugby kit and distributes it to kids who
to our local communities and the wider community seriously need it most.
and supporting our and we’re passionate about making a
positive impact – particularly for those Not only does LV= SOS Kit Aid complement our
people’s charitable most in need. Last year as a business commercial sponsorships in cricket and rugby, but
activities is hugely and through our employee efforts we
contributed £1.04 million, around 1%
last year it gave 28,000 young people a chance
to play these types of sports that they otherwise
important to us. of our profits towards this aim. wouldn’t have had.
Supporting our local communities Our support of the Queen Elizabeth II Fields
We believe our employees know where our support Challenge is helping to safeguard access to outdoor
is needed most – so we put them in the driving seat recreational spaces across the UK and by working
to look at where we can best offer help. with them we’ve managed to save 13 playing fields
near our main offices for future generations.
We established a network of 13 Community
Committees representing our larger offices. Each Supporting our people to do good
committee is made up of a small group of LV= We believe that by providing our employees with
employees who meet on a monthly basis to assess the tools and support to do good things creates a
requests for help from their local communities and caring culture at the work place. We offer a variety
to decide which good causes could benefit from of support to recognise their contributions and help
our support. them make a difference.
In 2012 the committees distributed £265,000. Our charity and time matching schemes give
Their activities ranged from donating a minibus to our people the tools to go out and help others.
Huddersfield’s Forget Me Not children’s hospice; to We offer our people matched funding on money
funding a pantomime for 2,400 needy Bournemouth they personally raise, up to £500 and up to two and
families. They supported a total of 250 local half days each year to volunteer in the community.
Statements and Reviews
charities, good causes and projects during the year.
We encourage our people to get behind national
Last year we invested £55,000 in the LV= fundraising events, such as BBC Children in Need
schools programme. This programme focuses and Comic Relief, to which we make corporate
on five schools near our biggest offices, teaching donations in appreciation of their efforts.
pupils about business, finance and how to
prepare themselves for employment. Last year We also provide payroll giving, a mechanism
58 volunteers from across LV= helped deliver whereby our employees can donate money from
workshops and mock assessment centres to their monthly salary to a charity close to their heart.
Our Businesses
around 780 students. We also run a scheme where the pennies from their
net pay are collected and donated to a charity near
Our unique approach has not gone unnoticed. their office.
28,000
youngsters helped
During 2012 three of our committees were officially
recognised with our Huddersfield, Hitchin and Through these activities our employees raised
by LV= SOS Kit Aid
Bristol offices winning awards for their outstanding £296,000 for good causes, which we supported
contribution to the community. with matched giving and corporate donations of
£115,000.
Risk Management
250
charities, good causes and
As well as the work our committees do, we also
have a number of long term local sponsorships in
place. These include LV= KidZone, LV= Streetwise,
Supporting our members
We award grants to members in financial hardship
projects supported in 2012
The Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth and the LV= from the Member Support Fund. In 2012 these
Brentwood half marathon and fun run. grants helped 43 members and amounted to
almost £33,000. We also operate a Member Care
91%* Sponsorships Line which offers members medical and legal
Corporate Governance
Working with national partners means we can advice and handles enquiries about the Member
employees who think we
do good things in the
broaden our reach and benefit more people with our Support Fund. This helpline was provided at a cost
community caring approach, and we invested £222,000 in our of £42,000.
pursuit of this.
For the first time in 2012 we gave our members
A large number of disadvantaged children can’t take the opportunity to select a charity to benefit from
*
This score was achieved in part in sport because they don’t have the necessary our AGM donation. £15,000 was donated to Scope
an independent employee
survey, conducted in kit or equipment. LV= SOS Kit Aid is an innovative which was chosen at random after being nominated
October 2012. by one of our members.
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