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There is much that businesses and charities can gain from working together and this month we celebrate an outstanding and enduring example of a mutually beneficial relationship.
Ten years ago this weekend, on 5 February 2011, Nottingham Building Society announced that its employees had chosen Framework as the Society’s Charity of the Year. The partnership continued after that first twelve months, flourished, and today it is stronger than ever.
For The Nottingham, Framework’s selection was the first step in the implementation of a new Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy. The connection between us has modelled the best kind of relationship between a business and a charity. In terms of fundraising and volunteering, the support offered to Framework has been outstanding – but the partnership goes so much further than that. It has impacted on our work, and that of the Society, in many different ways.
An innovative example was the creation of special savings accounts to help fund the development of new housing for people rebuilding their lives after finding themselves homeless.
In addition, The Nottingham offered us favourable rental terms on the lease of its original branch on Friar Lane in Nottingham. It now provides office and meeting space for Framework, as well as being the home of ‘Sobar’ – a Café Bar run by the addiction recovery charity Double Impact. In April 2020, The Nottingham offered a rent holiday on Friar Lane to help both Framework and Double Impact cope with the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This has since been generously extended (twice) and will now last until July 2021.
Other great examples of support and partnership include the provision of bikes to make it easier for street outreach workers in Sheffield to support rough sleepers across the city, and the co-hosting of events at the House of Commons to make the case for new policies and strategies to assist homeless and vulnerable people.
Over the decade The Nottingham’s wide-ranging support has also included:
- £55,000 worth of fundraising carried out by branch teams across the East Midlands and at its head office – including book sales, bake sales, trolley dashes, sleepouts, challenges and sponsored events such as two mega-bike rides around the Society’s branch network
- Hundreds of hours of volunteering by employees including collections of everything from furniture for makeovers to Easter Eggs and toys for children living in Framework’s services
- No less than £172,000 worth of donations, sponsorship and benefits in kind.
To celebrate this landmark occasion we particularly appreciate and celebrate The Nottingham’s special anniversary donation of another £10,000 to support our work with homeless and vulnerable people across Nottinghamshire and further afield.
To borrow The Nottingham’s own motto this really has been an enduring example of ‘doing good together’. Moreover, we are conscious that the Society’s work with Framework is but one key part of an extensive programme of engagement with, and support for, the local community which began ten years ago. It is remarkable achievement of which The Nottingham’s great Victorian founder Samuel Fox would be proud.
We are most grateful to The Nottingham’s management and staff for everything that we have been able to do together. We hope to continue our wonderful partnership for many years to come.
