Partnerships
The Trust aims to create true partnerships, encompassing both financial and non-financial long term support and benefits for both your company and the Trust. Find out more about our corporate partnerships:
| Staedtler | Woman's Weekly |
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited the Manchester offices of long-term corporate supporter Accenture on 8 March to say a big thank you for raising £175,000 for The Trust since 2002.
Accenture’s support for the Trust also extends beyond financial; the company offers professional pro bono support such as the design and production of awareness and fundraising materials as well as providing staff secondment and has helped deliver skills training to The Trust staff, Carers’ Centres and carers.
During her visit, Her Royal Highness spoke to staff about the difficulties of getting carers back into the workplace and praised Accenture for helping to deliver training to carers locally. She said it was an example of how businesses can work effectively with the voluntary sector to help give people the skills they need to succeed.
Accenture is very focused on building skills in the community and through their Skills to Succeed corporate citizenship programme aim to build many more economically viable skills in our local communities.
Barclays Local Business Teams Challenge for Young Carers
The Trust was approached by Barclays Local Business Teams in February 2009 as they wanted to raise funds for young carers. Having seen the amazing work provided by our online support workers on youngcarers.net they were unanimous in wanting to do something to make a difference to the lives of young carers.
Starting off with 14 Local Business Teams taking part, very quickly rising to an incredible 89 Local Business Teams throughout England. The ingenuity and diversity of events was staggering and started off on the 5th June 2009 when Neill Butler and Ellie Hughes canoed the 135.5 mile length of the non-tidal Thames. Starting at Cricklade High Bridge this five day challenge ended at their final destination of Teddington Lock on the 9th June. This was the catalyst for so many other events including teams from Central Region walking 24 miles dressed as Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs as well as a 24 mile cycle around Rutland Water on tandem bikes. Teams from as far afield as Jersey took part in marathons; car boot sales; an exercise bike challenge and many more unbelievable team events too numerous to mention.
To date the teams have raised over £22,000 which has been used to contribute toward the cost of employing online support workers who are on hand to provide help and advice to young carers to ensure a safe environment where young carers can chat to others in a similar position. Their contribution has enabled us to massively increase our capacity (from two staff to four) and we are now able to support more carers, whilst continuing to deliver innovative, high quality service that makes a difference. Another huge plus is that we are now in a position to develop the support we give to young adult carers who have their own distinct set of needs.
Whilst Butlins initially wanted to support The Trust to help young carers they very quickly realised that they could make an even bigger difference by supporting carers of all ages. They were also very clear that they wanted the money they raise to be unrestricted enabling The Trust to allocate and respond to areas of support in most need.
The energy, enthusiasm, support and dedication of the team at Butlins and the way in which they work together with the team from The Trust is, undeniably, the catalyst in making the partnership such a positive and fun relationship. The teams at the Resorts and at Hemel Hempstead are extremely inventive in their fundraising ideas from parachute jumping to a 400 cycle ride between the three Resorts.
A new initiative for 2010 is the potential to facilitate unpaid carers into employment and to equip them with the skills and confidence to do this. The beauty of this shared vision is in the flexibility it offers, and whilst paid employment would be the ultimate goal part time or volunteering may be the best option for some people. It’s not going to happen overnight but talks are now underway to form a partnership agreement with Butlins, who are committed to providing employment opportunities to carers Job Centre Plus, The Trust and carers. Exciting times ahead.
The benefit for Butlins is that our teams, both on the Resorts and Hemel Hempstead, really enjoy the fundraising activities they organise and it’s great for team building. It’s not just being a part of the activity that’s fun but during all the organising as well – you hear such a lot of laughter when the working parties are together.
The Resorts are really competitive so they try to outdo each other with the amount of money they raise and we have to keep them up to date with what’s happening at each Resort. Butlins has worked with a number of charities over the years but we can honestly say that we have more fun with the team from The Princess Royal Trust for Carers than we’ve had with any other charity.
GlaxoSmithKline Out of Hospital project sponsorship
The Trust has completed three years of study into the support offered by hospitals to carers when the person they care for is discharged from hospital. The Out of Hospital Project, funded by GlaxoSmithKline, highlights ways in which time and money can be saved at the point of and following discharge by avoiding unnecessary hospital admission, saving on medication bills and improving the health of carers.
As one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, GlaxoSmithKline is committed to improving quality of life by helping people to do more, feel better and live longer. Funding of this area of work was therefore seen as highly beneficial to the health of many in the UK.
The Trust was delighted to receive £25,000 to help young carers from the Ladbrokes in the Community Charitable Trust as part of their Christmas children’s initiative.
The funding helped The Trust to treat 50 young carers from London to a once in a lifetime children’s party at 11 Downing Street. Maggie Darling, wife of Rt. Hon. Alistair Darling MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, hosts the parties annually for charities that support and work with children across the UK, and in 2009 she invited young carers supported by The Trust. The event was a huge success, enjoyed by all the young carers and attended by pop sensation The Saturdays and television presenters Dick and Dom much to the delight of the children.
The Langham, London opened in 1865 as Europe's first grand hotel and is a listed London landmark in the heart of the city. Renowned for providing the highest level of comfort and care made for an ideal partnership with The Princess Royal Trust for Carers. The synergies are a perfect fit and Katie Benson, the Langham’s Managing Director and Regional Vice-President for Europe and North America, was delighted to continue our partnership which started in October 2007.
Not only does the Langham operate a “£1 on the Bill” cause-related marketing initiative providing much needed funds for our work, they also get involved in so many ways. In November 2009 they very generously hosted a reception for our supporters in the presence of HRH, The Princess Royal a glittering cocktail evening thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. Katie and her staff also provide space in the Hotel for The Trust to host meetings and events as well as donating prizes for Trust events.
The London Stock Exchange is synonymous with the importance of community involvement and giving something back with a reputation of being an organisation that pays a great deal more than lip service to its founding principles. The ethos of striving to be the best they can be, recognising potential and nurturing talent made the London Stock Exchange an ideal partner for The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in our aim to provide support, advice and opportunities for carers of all ages and to give them back their lives.
However, we are only too aware that carers miss out on the fun things in life. The ordinary everyday activities that most of us take for granted. Like going to the cinema; shopping; sports pursuits; meeting friends; going on holiday; in fact, just having the chance to lead a normal life. London Stock Exchange understood that... they not only wanted to make a difference they made it happen.
An incredible £313,661 was raised during the two years of the partnership; an amount that seemed to exceed everyone’s expectations, although given the desire and drive of staff at The Exchange this did not surprise anyone at The Trust!
Macdonald Hotels & Resorts were one of the very first corporate supporters of The Trust and now nearly 20 years later their commitment has never wavered. Through their Make a Difference Scheme they have raised in excess of £1.5million, much of which has been generated through the guest donation scheme that operates across its portfolio of over 40 hotels. Not only has this money enabled us to carry out some exciting and groundbreaking work it has also enriched the lives of thousands of unpaid carers throughout the UK. Macdonalds ethos is all about people - who are the very heart of their business – so their interest and desire to make a clear and tangible difference to the lives of carers encapsulates everything that they stand for.
This support has enabled us to reach far more carers by maintaining and strengthening our network of Carers’ Centres. In identifying the best use of this the support from Macdonald Hotels has provided in depth training to local Carers Centres to help update and restructure their databases, e-communications and e-resources.
This continued and vigorous support enables us to carry out regular “training and development” needs analysis for our Network of Carers’ Centres, who have very limited budgets, so that we can provide the tools and resources to keep centre staff abreast of developments. A rolling programme of training throughout the UK to Centres and Trust staff has been invaluable and ensures we have the knowledge and understanding to continue to support unpaid carers and meet their needs. Hosting regular meetings for Carers’ Centre staff and Trustees, network meetings and annual conferences across the UK demonstrates the importance of this true partnership approach.
Over and above the cash donations from Macdonald Hotels we are very grateful for the countless events including many royal visits, dinners and meeting space that the group has provided as well as some amazing prizes of luxury breaks, dinners and respite breaks.
Markel, a leading specialist insurer, has supported The Trust since 2008.
Their valuable donations are directed towards The Trust’s Hardship Fund and seven local Carers' Centres.
Markel raises these funds via cause related marketing on its policies as well as staff fundraising.
There are plans to work closer together through pro bono and risk management support for both The Trust and The Network of Carers' Centres.
“Across the world, Markel have a strong ethic of supporting charities as well as providing insurance and risk management services. Markel understand the sector through close business relationships and through policyholders and selected charities. Many of our employees are charity trustees and volunteers.
Markel (UK) Limited selected The Princess Royal Trust for Carers due to the very worthy work undertaken nationally; the ability for each of our trading offices to connect with a local Carers' Centre; and most specifically as The Trust aims to support the full spectrum of carers through managed care centres, research, influence, and partnerships.
On a business level Markel (UK) Limited are providing donations on a £1 per insurance policy basis. Additionally our employees enjoy raising funds through sponsorship of their escapades at a host of different events. As a partner of The Trust we look forward to being able to share our skills and business opportunities to further The Trusts cause.”
Anne Hudson, Business Development Manager, Markel
Marsh Ltd, the major global insurance broker, has provided support for The Trust over the last years through funding for a new and increasingly vital Multicultural Support Officer at the Barnet Carers' Centre.
The aim of this new role is to reach out to 'hidden carers' in the community who may otherwise have no support. Working alongside local community groups, the centre is now reaching the wider community.
"Marsh has been a charity partner of the Trust for several years. Throughout that time we have been impressed by the support it provides to carers. In particular, we have admired the commitment, diligence and professionalism of its team. We extend best wishes to them and those they help."
Nick Jones, Head of Communications & Marketing, Marsh Ltd
Pall-Ex, launched in 1996 by award-winning British businesswoman Hilary Devey, operates a palletised freight network with annual revenues of over £100m. Both Hilary, who dedicates much of her time to charitable causes, and her company have been supporters of The Trust since 2007.
Beginning in 2007, the company’s “Penny-a-Pallet” scheme has generously donated a penny for every pallet processed by the company’s hub. To date, the scheme has raised over £40,000. In addition, Pall-Ex staff and network members have given their support through events such as golf days and dinner dances.
The company’s founder, Hilary Devey, is in her own right one of The Trust’s most valued benefactors, helping to raise funds by hosting private dinners and just as importantly by working to raise the profile of carers issues in the UK.
Since 2007, Hilary and her freight network have raised over £100,000, a truly tremendous amount which has enabled us to continue to develop our work in support of carers across the UK.
The Pharmaceutical Marketing Society
The Pharmaceutical Marketing Society, who adopted The Trust as its charity partner in 2009, held their prestigious Advertising Awards at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel in January 2010.
Following lunch and prior to the ceremony, The Trust's Chief Executive Carole Cochrane was invited to speak. She spoke movingly to the 1,300 members in attendance about the role that carers play in our society.
Following her poignant speech, guests participated in a fundraising prize draw for a luxurious short break in London’s West End courtesy of another supporter of The Trust, The Langham Hotel.
A fantastic sum of just over £12,300 was raised. To date, the relationship between the PM Society and The Trust has raised nearly £28,000, enabling the charity to support carers through The network of 144 Carers’ Centres and websites.
The Quilon, an award winning, Michelin starred restaurant supported The Princess Royal Trust for Carers by appointing it as their Charity of the Month for all of July and August 2011. Every month a different charity is given the opportunity to raise funds through their ‘£1 off the bill’ initiative.
“We are delighted to support the Trust through the Charity of the Month scheme, to help support unpaid carers with the help they so desperately need – all the staff are happy to support such a worthy cause”.
Chef Sriram who introduced the scheme
The Slaughter and May Charitable Trust has provided for the last three years significant funding towards The Trust’s online support services.
They have also generously provided pro bono support across a number of departments, as well as hosting Trust Policy Round Table events and working directly with their local Carers' Centre.
"The firm has a long history of supporting good causes financially, strategically with pro bono and volunteering. We recognise that charities face the same legal challenges as any other type of organisation and we are happy to be able to help The Trust with contracts and other legal issues when it is needed. Our lawyers have advised The Trust directly on specific issues and we have worked in partnership with The Trust to develop a 'legal toolkit' of best practice guidance and advice for The Network of Carers' Centres, to better equip the centres to deal with day-to-day legal issues. Our non-legal staff have provided pro bono support as well, advising on website redesign and procurement and helping with writing a position paper.
"Tackling this type of work enables our staff to use their skills in a different context and helps them to understand more about the way in which The Trust supports carers."
Chris Saul, Senior Partner, Slaughter and May
STAEDTLER (U.K.) Limited, part of the STAEDTLER Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of writing, artist, and engineering drawing instruments, adopted The Trust as its nominated charity in 2011. The company is committed to supporting our work across the UK, and in particular with young carers. We are absolutely delighted to have their support.
To date they have made a very significant financial contribution to the on-going development of our dedicated young carers’ website, www.youngcarers.net, helping to reach a growing number of young carers who might otherwise become isolated from the support they desperately need. STAEDTLER (UK) Ltd will also be actively promoting our schools resource initiative through their newly formed ‘Teachers Club’. Our publication, Supporting Young Carers: a resource for schools, developed in partnership with The Children’s Society, guides schools through all the necessary steps needed to help young carers, from identification and understanding through to strategic and practical support.
In addition to their generous financial donation to The Trust, staff at STAEDTLER’S offices in Pencoed will be undertaking various fundraising activities in support of local carers’ services in South Wales.
“We are very excited about supporting The Princess Royal Trust for Carers. We hope that our current support and future projects we have planned with The Trust enable STAEDTLER (U.K.) Limited to make a significant impact on the lives of carers and, in particular, young carers”
Duncan Savage, Managing Director of STAEDTLER (U.K.) Limited
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers was delighted to have been chosen as Woman’s Weekly Charity of the Year for 2009, and following the success of our partnership, Woman's Weekly decided to continue it for another year, saying The Trust was the best charity they had worked with.
As one of the UK’s most popular titles, Woman’s Weekly is a key publication for The Trust and the partnership, which was launched 20 January 2009, has been a tremendous success for The Trust in terms of raising awareness of carers and the profile of the charity.
Throughout the year the magazine has published a series of features and articles highlighting carers issues; real carers' stories, agony aunt features and celebrity exclusives, helping us to reach out to their readership which includes many 'hidden' carers.
Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal and actors Pam Ferris and Nigel Havers took part in exclusive interviews.
Woman’s Weekly also launched the Care to Share party fundraising initiative which raised thousands of pounds for our charity. The Trust continues to enjoy working with their team.
“No doubt many of you will know carers at first hand, or someone who does, and I hope all readers of Woman's Weekly enjoy finding our more about the work of The Trust.”
HRH Princess Anne, President of The Trust
