The Charities Committee Annual Report 2015
Committee Nicholas Wrigley (Chairman) Alina Addison, Penny Andrews, Rebecca Fairley (Northern), Ravi Gupta, Nandu Patel, Liza Picton, Caroline Pyke, Colin Somerville, David Weinberg, Annette Shepherd (Secretary) Review of the year Rothschild remains committed to supporting charities both in the areas in which it operates and those which are active in the wider community. The Charities Committee was established in 1975 to consider the many requests every year from charities seeking financial support. Typical beneficiaries continue to include organisations concerned with elderly people, healthcare, social welfare and education. During the year, Rebecca Fairley returned from maternity leave to act as Secretary for the Northern Charities Committee and David Weinberg was appointed as a new Member in June 2014 to represent GFA. In the financial year ended 31 March 2015, 250,000 was paid out to various charities. A total of 335 donations were made by the London Charities Committee and the Northern Committee made 42 donations. Requests for charitable support Staff are encouraged to recommend charitable causes with which they are associated, or have an involvement, for support. The Charities Committee will consider favourably requests for a donation where the donation is being matched by the member of staff. By matching the Committee mean giving an appropriate sum of money relative to the amount of the donation requested or undertaking an event such as running a marathon to raise money generally for the charity concerned. The Committee feel this concept of matching creates a greater involvement by members of staff and ensures that they are donating to charities to which they are truly committed. It should be noted that the donation from the Committee will not normally exceed 500. The Committee thanks those concerned for suggestions received this year and notes that approximately 21 per cent of the donations made in the year under review were in response to appeals from staff. If you would like the Committee to consider supporting a particular charity, whether locally or nationally, please contact Annette Shepherd (ext. 74 5968). Analysis of donations 2014/2015 (by value) 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2013/2014 39% Social Welfare (39%) 21% Medical (21%) 18% Young People (20%) 7% Armed Forces (5%) 6% Cultural (8%) 6% Education (4%) 3% Miscellaneous (3%)
Core charities In addition to responding to the many regular and unsolicited appeals which are received, the Charities Committee has continued to give support to a core group of charities. The core charities list is reviewed regularly by the Committee. This list is currently as follows: Association of Jewish Ex-Service Men and Women (AJEX) City Gateway Help for Heroes London s Air Ambulance London Symphony Orchestra Maytree Respite Centre Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust (RAPT) St. Mungo s Broadway Spitalfields Music Learning and Participation Schools Programme Stepney City Farm Wednesday s Child World Jewish Relief Adopted charities The adopted charity for 2014/15 was Headway. The charity works to improve lives after brain injury. It has branches across the UK that provide support and information for brain injury survivors, their families and carers, as well as professionals in the health and legal fields. It provides a helpline, emergency funds and training courses, and campaigns to raise awareness of brain injury. During the period the Charity received 16,732 from Rothschild. Age UK have been chosen as the adopted charity for 2015/16. Support will be split 50/50 with Age UK Camden who work closely with Rothschild through RIC volunteering. They have each been given a donation of 5,000. Age UK provide information, advice and support on money issues, wellbeing, home and healthcare for older people. They provide practical support to help people remain in their own homes and get them involved in the local community to tackle loneliness and isolation. Raise awareness of issues affecting older people and campaign for high quality care. The Charities Committee Annual Report 2015 Page 1
Short-Listed charities The following charities were short-listed during the Adopted Charity vote by staff. Breakthrough Breast Cancer The UK s leading breast cancer charity. Works to improve detection, diagnosis, treatment and care. Received a donation of 2,000 The other four short-listed charities each received a donation of 1,000 Other support Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) One of the leading children s hospitals and a centre for excellence in child healthcare. National Association for Mental Health (MIND) Provide advice and support to those experiencing mental health problems. Parkinson s UK Support and research charity, working to find a cure and improve life for those affected by Parkinson s. Place2Be Provide school-based emotional and therapeutic mental health services to primary and secondary school students. JP Morgan Run 2014 entry fee for 100 staff paid for by the Charities Committee Page 2 The Charities Committee Annual Report 2015
Nominated charities The ballot of staff to nomine the new Adopted Charity achieved a very broad response, especially the second round which, as last year, allowed staff to vote by e-mail. Donations were made to the charities set out below: 40Tude Aid to the Church in Need Albert Kennedy Trust The Amber Foundation Angelman Syndrome Support Education & Research Trust (ASSERT) The Autism Trust UK The Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Best Beginnings BLISS British Heart Foundation British Liver Trust Bromley Brighter Beginnings Royal Brompton & Harefield Family Support Group Centrepoint Camden Spear Trust Changing Faces Churches Homeless Emergency Support Scheme (CHESS) Child Bereavement UK Christians Against Poverty Coaches Across Continents Contact the Elderly Crisis Crohns & Colitis UK Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) UK The Cure Parkinson s Trust Diabetes UK The Disabilities Trust Duchenne Research Fund Dutches of Kent Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH) Eastside Educational Trust The Family Haven The Fetal Medicine Foundation Friends of the Frossard Greenpeace Environmental Trust The Gresham Centre Guernsey Cheshire Home Guy s Trust Halo Trust The Hepatitis C Trust Home Start Gosport and Fareham Honeypot House of St. Barnabas Invalid Children s Aid Nationwide (ICAN) John Muir Trust Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Ltd (JDRF) Kids Company Lara s Foundation Lightbox: Happiness Project Livingstone Tanzania Trust London s Air Ambulance London School of Architecture Lymphoedema Support Network Magic Bus MENCAP Meningitis Now Mr. Brightside Project The Mudchute Association The National Autistic Society National Centre for Circus Arts National Deaf Children s Society National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society Netherhall Educational Association New Approaches to Cancer Pancreatic Cancer Phunzira Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation The Pioneer Youth Club Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Support Group The Quentin Crewe Memorial Trust Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust (RAPT) Rainbow Trust Children s Charity CCJO Rene Cassin Riding for the Disabled (Penniwells Group) Rottweiler Welfare Association (RWA) Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Society (SANDS) S.A.U.C.E. ONG Save the Orangutan Schistosomiasis Control Initiative The Seashell Trust SENSE The Soup Kitchen Street Kids Direct The Stroke Association Somerset Unit for Radiotherapy Equipment (SURE) Teach for Romania Teens Unite Thanet Animal Group Pet Rescue Centre Tommy s The Velindre NHS Trust Charitable Fund Volunteers Foundation Westmeria Counselling Service White Lodge Centre The White Review World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF UK) Yorkshire Air Ambulance The Charities Committee Annual Report 2015 Page 3
Further donations made by the Charities Committee Young People Support was given to BLISS (premature baby charity), CHICKS (country holidays for inner city children), The Douglas Bader Foundation (help those affected by limb loss and other disabilities), Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, The Place2Be (counselling for children in schools), Starlight Children s Foundation (grant wishes to seriously & terminally ill children) and The Tall Ships Youth Trust (young people crewing ocean going training vessels). Conquest Art Social Welfare Organisations supported included Age Unlimited, Contact the Elderly, The Deptford Action Group for the Elderly (DAGE) and Essex Dementia Care (support for the elderly). The Big Issue Foundation, The Manna Society and Passage 2000 (support for homeless people). Conquest Art Centre (art classes for those with disabilities), Independence at Home (grants for people with physical or learning disabilities). The British Stammering Association, Changing Faces (help individuals living with scars) and Hope UK (drug free education). Medical Support was given to Brain Tumour Research, Epilepsy Research UK, Great Ormond Street Children s Hospital, MacMillan Cancer Support, Maggie s (cancer caring centres), The Meningitis Research Foundation, Motor Neurone Disease Association, Pancreatic Cancer UK and St. Raphael s Hospice. Armed Forces In addition to The British Forces Foundation, support was given again this year to Help for Heroes, The Royal British Legion, The Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) and the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society (Combat Stress). Education The Committee again supported Springboard for Children (literacy for children in inner City schools) and the Enterprise Education Trust (enable young people to realise their potential through business and enterprise). Support was also given this year to Eastside Educational Trust and The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School. Cultural Organisations Support was given to Music for Youth, The City Music Foundation, The National Children s Orchestra, The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and the Royal College of Music. Page 4 The Charities Committee Annual Report 2015
Other ways to help Give As You Earn In common with many other organisations, we operate a Give As You Earn Scheme under which donations can be deducted every month from your salary and passed on to whichever charities you choose to support. There are no limits on how much or how little you can give. Donations can also be made using a Charity Account with the Charities Aid Foundation. For further information please contact the Human Resources department. Foreign coins and notes Should you have any unwanted foreign coins or notes, please send them to Annette Shepherd or through the collection box at Accounts. These will be passed on to a charity, which is able to redeem them and benefit from the proceeds. Further information Should you require any further information about the activities of the Charities Committee or wish to pass on any appeals for donations, please contact Annette Shepherd (ext. 74 5968). Cover image: Children playing at Aston Clinton Infants School, 1899. Aston Clinton in Bucks was the country estate of Sir Anthony and Lady Louise de Rothschild. The school in the village was a gift to Constance de Rothschild from her father on her 16th birthday - at her request.