In the Community

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In the Community

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Working as one

Despite the challenges 2020 threw at us, our enthusiasm for supporting our communities is as strong as ever. Lockdowns and ongoing restrictions have made it harder for charities, community groups and public services to operate, and we have had to adapt how and where we give our support.

Howdens in the community

In the first half of the year, when the full extent of lockdown restrictions were unknown, depots donated personal safety equipment and cleaning materials to the NHS and other key workers. From hospitals in Antrim to hospices in Weymouth, our depots donated stock to where it was needed most. Later in the year we focused on our cash donations. We made an additional £1,000 available per depot for depots who had already used their 2020 charity budgets and any unutilised charity budget was split locally and donated to hospices, care homes, mental health and homeless charities.

For more details of what we’ve done in 2020, together with our commitments and targets for the future, see our full sustainability report here

Employee donations

Howdens once again received the Charities Aid Foundation Gold Award in respect of charitable donations made via payroll giving. In 2020, our employees donated over £200,000 to their chosen charities. The generosity of our employees, even during times of crisis, is something of which we are very proud.

In recognition of the difficulties facing charities resulting from COVID-19 restrictions, members of the Howdens Board and Executive Committee donated a proportion of the salaries to charities in 2020 via payroll giving. In total, these donations amounted to £104,000.

Leonard Cheshire Disability partnership

Our partnership with Leonard Cheshire Disability entered its 16th year in 2020. Whilst our joint fundraising activities were curtailed by COVID-19 restrictions, Howdens donated over £120,000 to the ‘Can Do’ programme during the year.

We regard the principle of independent living as being central to our enduring partnership with Leonard Cheshire Disability and five inclusive kitchens were fitted in Leonard Cheshire care homes across the UK in 2020. We would have liked to have installed more and will increase this number in 2021.

I Can and I am

‘I can & I am’ is a charity whose purpose is to inspire confidence and to ‘inflate balloons of Self-belief’. The charity was founded by the inspirational educational speaker James Shone, who visits hundreds of schools and businesses every year speaking to teachers, parents, pupils and employees.

Following James’ speech at The Golden Rooster Awards 2020, our annual awards event attended by nearly 1,000 employees, Howdens gifted a refurbished double-decker bus to ‘I can & I am’. The lower level of the bus features a Howdens kitchen used for groups of young people to learn new skills, whilst the upper level is used for mentoring as well as teaching a variety of different skills and workshops.

More information about ‘I can & I am Bus’ can be found here.

£900k

raised in 2019

27

inclusive kitchens donated to Leonard Cheshire

£75k

donated through payroll giving

At the heart of their communities, Howdens colleagues have gone the extra mile to support the charities, local causes and clubs close to their hearts.

Latest Videos

Below you will find a selection of our latest video’s

A Truly Local business

In 2019 our staff have made a real difference to people across the UK by making donations and supporting the local communities in which we work.

Supporting local and national causes

Find out more about the incredible work that our teams do at a local and national level to support charitable causes.

Truly Local

Leonard Cheshire

Truly Local - Howdens Team Spirit

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