For many years, we have provided funding through the Menzies Charitable Foundation to help our communities by making donations to local worthwhile causes. Our policy has always been to support local causes and to fund projects that result in tangible outcomes and real benefits to the people in our communities.
We have never wanted to simply donate money to large charity funds. Many of our staff and partners already contribute personally to causes that are dear to them, and as a firm we recognise and support their commitment.
Instead, we support those individuals and organisations that do not have the profile or resources to attract regular fundraising and sponsorship. We want to donate money in a way that makes an immediate and real difference to someone’s life.
Here follows a summary of what we’ve managed to achieve and the wonderful efforts our staff have gone to.
Christmas Jumper Day
Menzies were proud to support Save the Children’s annual Christmas Jumper Day. Raising £249.68 across all the offices we saw a host of seasonal sweaters including Tim Humphries extra special HLB #BrighterThinking special (pictured below).
Cardiff
The team joined in with November’s ‘mellow in yellow’ for Children in Need appeal raising £45.
In December, the team joined in with Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day raising £51 while John Cullen, Alex Davies and Ceri Kwei donated their time to help Father Christmas give out presents at IKEA on behalf of The Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales.
The team also undertook the challenge of finding out which mince pie was the best. After consuming over 130 mince pies, Morrisons and Sainsburys were crowned victorious!
Farnborough
In the run up to Christmas, the Farnborough team raised money through monthly dress downs, as well as holding a competition to guess the weight of the pumpkin for Halloween with the winner getting to keep the pumpkin. All of this raised £77 for two local charities, The Source Young People’s Charity, which offers counselling and mentoring for young people and young parents, and Samaritans of Farnborough.
The team joined other offices to ‘Wear it Pink’ for Breast Cancer Now in October, raising £31.60.
Heathrow
The Heathrow team managed to raise a few pounds this year by collectively losing some lbs through a healthy weight loss competition, which along with an Christmas hamper raffle, saw the team raise a total of £191 for East to West. This local organisation works with children, young people and their families across Surrey and Berkshire and offers support to those who struggle with difficult and damaging issues.
Woking
The Woking team enjoyed a fun few months raising money for a number of charities all of which are very close to their hearts.
The team enjoyed a ‘Cakes and bakes’ day raising money for £199.93 for MacMillan Cancer Support while just before Christmas, one of the teams provided delicious mulled wine and mince pies raising £110 for The Woking Lions old people’s Christmas Lunch.
The highlight of the year however was the staff quiz run by our ‘office Quiz Master’, Peter Noyce. A few tricky questions, lots of laughter and an exciting raffle raised £404 for our Menzies Foundation.
Leatherhead
Our Leatherhead team raised £145.80 for Sight for Surrey through Dress Down Fridays, a further £99.36 for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal and £82.40 for Christmas Jumper Day.
Our Casino Night and Christmas Gifts raised a total of £570 for Shooting Star Children’s Hospices!