A new corporate scheme which encourages Suffolk businesses to support one of the county’s leading charities is being set up with the aim of raising £100,000.
St Elizabeth Hospice’s Pillars of the Community invites companies to sign up to pledge to earn either a platinum, gold, silver or bronze pillar through a range of ways to suit them and their staff.
The initiative will be officially launched on Thursday 17th November at the Ramada Encore Hotel, Ranelagh Road, Ipswich, where East Anglian Daily Times editor Terry Hunt will be guest speaker.
Businesses can choose to raise between £1,000 and £50,000 in 12 months for the Hospice, an independent charity which costs £6.6m a year to run.
They can work towards raising either:
£1,000 – Bronze Pillar – by becoming a Bronze Pillar your business will help pay for a Hospice Nurse for a whole week
£5,000 – Silver Pillar – by becoming a Silver Pillar your business will fund the equivalent of a nurse for five weeks
£10,000+ – Gold Pillar – by becoming a Gold Pillar your business could help pay for a bed on the In-patient Unit for three weeks
or £50,000+ – Platinum Pillar – by becoming a Platinum Pillar your businesses will help pay for a Hospice at Home nurse for a year
Businesses can choose what sort of support they give the Hospice to reach these targets. Suggestions include sponsoring a Hospice event, staff fundraising, a one-off donation, affinity fundraising or pro bono work.
Alison Lanchester, St Elizabeth Hospice’s Director of Income Generation and Marketing, said: “We rely on the generosity of the local businesses to help us raise some of the £6.6 million we need each year to provide Hospice services throughout Suffolk free of charge.
“We value their support and appreciate in the current economic climate they will be looking for new ways give to charities. The Pillars of the Community scheme has already attracted a number of well-known businesses and this will increase following the official launch on November 17.”
She added that the scheme also allows businesses to help fulfil their Corporate and Social Responsibility.
Picture: Melissa Neisler (left) and Diane Mctague of the Ramada Encore Hotel in Ipswich.
Click here to find out more about Pillars of the Community, download an information leaflet and read about businesses that have already signed up to the scheme.