Smarter Giving: Amazing Response To Local Appeals

Once again, our member businesses and their employees have shown outstanding kindness and generosity to those who need it most, with a huge response to our call for donations to help local children and their families as well as a significant amount raised through our charity raffle, this year raising funds for vulnerable women.   

Here are just a few highlights: 

Our annual charity raffle raised over £2,000 with all the money going to The Marylebone Project – a local charity which provides a life-changing, all-encompassing service for vulnerable homeless women, providing a safe environment in which to rebuild their lives. 

At our Christmas markets at 55 Baker Street on 30 November and 1 December, we raised £100 through our charity mulled cider stall for St Mary’s Social Supermarket. 

Knight Frank, HSBC, PIMCO, Round World Group, Holmes Hotel, Streathers Solicitors and the businesses at 40 Portman Square collected hundreds of toys that were distributed to local charity nurseries – Newpin, Portman Early Childhood Centre and IMPS. These donations ensured that children living in low-income households received a gift for Christmas. Peter Watt from the Portman Early Childhood Centre said ‘Your generosity has helped an extraordinary number of children and families in the context of a really challenging cost of living crisis that affects everyone. Your generosity in this context is even more remarkable.’ 

Coremont LLP, PIMCO, Poten & Partners, Streathers Solicitors, Multiverse, Cromwell Property Ltd, Invesco and the businesses at 7 Seymour Street collated hampers of staple food items along with some festive treats that were distributed to families via charity nurseries as well as the North Paddington Foodbank, St Mary’s Social Supermarket and Penfold elderly community hub.  

A financial donation received from Aspect Capital was put towards Four Feathers Community Centre, Young Westminster Foundation and Penfold Community Hub for their Christmas party for elderly residents. Cromwell Property made a financial donation to North Paddington Foodbank and BC Partners funded Homestarts’ Christmas party and some of their staff volunteered at the event. 

Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) donated food and household items to St Mary’s Social Supermarket. 

And last but not least, Home Grown hosted their Festive Meet the Members event on 14 December with a charity raffle in aid of The Marylebone Project.  

We would like to thank everyone that showed support for our Christmas charity drives and fundraising campaigns. The activities are organised as part of our Smarter Giving initiative – our service to help our members direct their charitable efforts locally. We have a special interest in the Church Street Ward, an area just north of Marylebone Road, that has historically had many social and economic challenges – becoming particularly acute during the current cost of living crisis. More information here.  

If your business would like to get involved in further fundraising activities, or could offer support through volunteering time or skills to local charities or community groups, please get in touch with Hannah Kogan at [email protected] .