Recently, the team at S&G Response sat down and reflected on our charity and social activities over the past 12 months, and what a year it has been!
We have had the opportunity to attend, host, and contribute to some fantastic events. The volunteering opportunities and generosity of our teams and partners has been incredible, and we’re thrilled to say that over the last 12 months, we have supported several amazing charities who rely on donations to continue the fantastic work that they do.
In total this year, we have donated a whopping £61,000 to great causes, as well as over 459hrs of volunteering time. We could not be prouder of everything our S&G family have achieved, and so we wanted to share a rundown on all their brilliant efforts.
Should I Shave or Should I go?
We kicked off our charity events for 2023 on January 1st, where Nick Stone challenged our very own Glenn Taylor to grow his beard for 11 weeks, taking him to the March 17th, which was coincidently Nick’s 40th Birthday.
The aim of this growth was to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society, and wow did Glenn do a fantastic job. We counted up the donations after the big 4-0 and Glenn managed to raise a fantastic £258 – a brilliant achievement and a very Happy Birthday for Nick!
4 Riders. 4 Countries. 4 Days. 444KM. One goal.
“We put our patients, their carers and families at the centre of everything we do, and our expert medical treatment is only the start of the holistic care we provide,” explained the team East Cheshire Hospice.
“Our services range from practical assistance to emotional and spiritual support, as well as social and family services, counselling, complementary therapies and much, much more.”
East Cheshire Hospice is a completely free service for patients and their families, yet it needs £3.5 million each year to operate. A a little known fact, however, is that they only receive 17% of their running costs from the government, and for the rest of their funding, they rely on the kind support and donations of individuals and companies who can donate.
And so at S&G, when the time came to rally our team in support, we seized the opportunity with all our hand to make one giant commitment of thanks.
Between July 1st – 4th 2023, we hosted a charity bike ride which saw 4 riders cycle across 4 countries, in 4 days, covering a total of 444KM and with an end goal of raising £10,000 for this incredible cause.
Starting in Calais (France), passing through Bruges (Belgium), and Maastricht (Netherlands), to finish up in Cologne (Germany), Jonathon Spencer, Sean Harper, Tom Healey, and Nick Stone all put their training to the test to reach their 444KM journeys end.
A result which saw the mighty total of £10,000 achieved and raised for East Cheshire Hospice, and a moment that Supply Chain Manager, Sean, had been looking forward to throughout the event, saying that “presenting the cheque to the charity and knowing that we have supported an extremely worthwhile cause that is helping the local community” made it all worthwhile.
Summer Safari
During the summer, our S&G team members volunteered at
Knowlsey Safari Park in an effort to raise funds for the North
West Air Ambulance Charity
Quiz nights, car washes and breakfast making
Our charities mean the world to us, and so our team are not shy of donning their rubber gloves to get stuck in! From hosting evening quiz nights and frequent car washes, to whipping up sweet and savoury breakfasts of crepes and baps, there is nothing that makes us prouder than seeing our team give back, and enjoy doing it.
Charity Golf Day
The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust is an incredible charity that supports terminally ill, disabled, and disadvantaged children and their families. The farm is open to children of all abilities aged 17 and under and offers fun, laughter, and the chance to for its visitors to simply enjoy being children.
It also offers a range of programmes including free residential stays for groups or individual families and fun day trips, and at S&G Response, we are incredibly proud to support their amazing work so that they can continue to bring joy to the children who need it the most.
Because of this, on September 14th 2023 we were delighted to host a charity golf day at Mottram Hall, where we welcomed all golf enthusiasts to dust off their clubs and hit the greens in support of The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust.
Our event was a fun-filled day complete with great golfing, delicious food and drink, and exciting prizes, all whilst making a difference in the lives of those in need.
And to round off such a successful day, we were thrilled to have raised a total of £12,000 in donations, awarded to The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust as a thank you for all of their incredible efforts, and the differences that they make.
CAFT 24k in hours
We were also delighted to take part in the 24K in 24 hours event at the Children’s Adventure Farm earlier this year too, where on October 6th, our team spent their time making and selling meal deals as part of their fundraising challenge.
The grill was at the ready and we managed to raise a total £160.50, and despite the uncertain weather, smiles were certainly on everyone’s faces as we cooked up a BBQ feast!
Deliveries and Ladies Day
The children at The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust were
extremely excited when we delivered a huge Tractor to them earlier this year,
and could not wait to get it working, starting on the sandpit. It was also
extra special for us as Olivia came along with us as part of her work placement,
learning all about our CSR programme and how that links with our corporate
objectives.
We also attend the CAFT Ladies Day at The Mere Golf Resort & Spa which
was a fantastic event, helping to raise funds, where Erica and Anne also
took some of our Employee Values winners to enjoy the celebrations.
The Manchester Marathon
A huge congratulations was in order for our Fleet Team member Steve Thorpe, and his partner Hannah, who took part in this years’ Manchester Marathon and together raised an incredible £2,183.75 for The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust!
The Great Insurance Bike Ride
The S&G team love a charity cycle, so they were excited to show their support for the I Love Claims Great Insurance Bike Ride earlier this year.
Headed up by the I Love Claims founder, Chris Ashworth, and supported in the peloton by key names from across the claims industry, the Great Insurance Bike Ride saw individuals jump on their bikes at home, in the gym or outdoors to cycle 50 miles on February 14th. The proceeds of which all went towards raising awareness and sponsorship for the Rainbow Trust children’s charity, who support families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness.
Interested in joining S&G Response?
Since 2009, we have been taking the hassle out of vehicle road accidents, helping customers to get back on the road as quickly as possible. Our 120 strong, market-leading team operates from our Head Office in Wilmslow, processing over 120,000 claims annually for all vehicle types, and we pride ourselves on offering the very best service, with the very best teams at our side.
We’re a diverse bunch, and once on board we’ll do everything we can to support you in your career with S&G. We’ll also make sure you have plenty of fun whilst working with us too, as we have a very active social calendar! So whether you fancy volunteering your time to support our partner charity or would like to get involved in our exercise club, we’ve got something for everyone.
If you’re looking to kick start your career, why not join us? We’re in the Sunday Times’ top 75 companies to work for in the North-West, and we have a variety of roles available right now. We’d love for you to get in touch and chat to us about the one that floats your boat.
