Further charitable support

"We're supporting people who have no one else to call on. Since 1995, we've delivered half a million tonnes of aid worth more than £1 million. There's nothing like the smiles on children’s faces when they see what we're bringing them, and how much people in the UK have donated." Ted Stead from Rochdale, mail processing unit and president of CWUHA

 

In addition to our staff-voted Charity of the Year programme we encourage and support our employees in contributing to a range of other worthy causes. 

Strong fundraising and volunteering culture

Our people take great pride in the work they do in communities.  We support colleagues’ fundraising and volunteering efforts for all charities.  We match funds raised by colleagues for charity to help them maximise their contributions. We also provide grants to cover start-up costs for fundraising events and meet the costs of voluntary projects.  

We also enable colleagues to contribute to causes that are close to their hearts through payroll giving. This is a tax-efficient way for colleagues to make a contribution. Early in 2012, our Payroll Giving programme was awarded a Guinness World Record. Our colleagues have donated over £45 million to charity through payroll giving since 1989.  

The generosity of our people can be contagious. Our customers helped us to raise almost £540,000 for the 2011 Children in Need campaign. 

Rowland Hill Fund

We have our own charity, the Rowland Hill Benevolent Fund, which is dedicated to supporting past and present Royal Mail employees, pensioners and their families in times of need. Royal Mail Group makes an annual donation to support the Fund.  

Communications Workers Union Humanitarian Aid

The Communications Workers Union also has its own charity. Communications Workers Union Humanitarian Aid (CWUHA) helps vulnerable children in the UK and around the world. Our people have participated directly in its projects, and our transport convoys have delivered thousands of tonnes of aid to hundreds of orphanages, foster and adoption centres, hospitals and families in Africa and Eastern Europe. 

Donating computers and bicycles

During 2011, Royal Mail itself donated 3,000 PCs and laptops to Computer Aid International. These will be used in a range of projects in schools, colleges and NGOs in countries including Malawi, Namibia, Ethiopia, and Chile. We also help the cycling charities Re-Cycle and The Krizevac Project, which provide bicycles to various parts of Africa.

Case study

In 2011, our team from across the UK and Ireland travelled to Bulgaria in 10 vehicles loaned from Royal Mail, BT, AnPost and Eircom. We delivered a huge range of goods, including wheelchairs, beds, clothing, nappies, toiletries, medical equipment and toys to homes for children with disabilities and a children's hospital.