Blakemore Foundation Awards £313,257 to Good Causes in 2020/21

May 24, 2021

The Blakemore Foundation awarded goods and monetary donations worth £313,257 to good causes during A.F. Blakemore’s 2020/21 financial year.

In the year ending April 2021, A.F. Blakemore’s charitable trust supported 4,148 charities, organisations and community groups across the company’s trading area, all nominated by colleagues, customers and members of local communities.

Community Affairs Officer Kate Senter commented: “Charitable giving in general has changed over the past year due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

“More in-kind donations have been used by soup kitchens, homeless shelters and parcel appeals to support vulnerable people than as raffle prizes or refreshments to aid fundraising activities, as was most commonly the case pre-pandemic.

“Once again, 2020/21 saw excellent colleague engagement in community activity across AFB’s estate, with 97% of Blakemore Retail’s stores requesting charitable support for their local communities from the Blakemore Foundation in the last nine months.” 

Of the 4,148 good causes aided by the Foundation during 2020/21, more than 2,600 were Covid-related.

Donations of essential groceries were awarded to numerous food banks, soup kitchens and volunteer groups to support vulnerable people. Meanwhile, bottled water and treats were given to hundreds of frontline key workers in hospitals, schools and care homes. Blakemore Foodservice donated an additional £121,361 worth of stock to food banks. 

During 2020/21, A.F. Blakemore employees also went above and beyond to support good causes by volunteering and fundraising. Colleagues across England and Wales volunteered 815 hours of work time to local good causes and spent 4,491 hours fundraising.

A total of £20,778 was fundraised for local good causes, while Blakemore Retail’s longstanding partnership with the NSPCC saw SPAR colleagues raise in excess of £234,000 via virtual and contactless activities in-store.

More than £3.9 million has now been raised for the NSPCC since Blakemore Retail launched its partnership with the children’s charity 15 years ago. The business will be celebrating the charity partnership’s 16th birthday over Spring Bank Holiday with the launch of new activities and a new partnership logo.

On top of all of this, Blakemore Retail also raised £4,315 for Marie Curie during their Great Daffodil Appeal in March.

Kate added: “The last financial year was perhaps AFB’s most challenging yet for volunteering and fundraising due to social distancing limiting all of our usual activities, but nevertheless colleagues still achieved some incredible results.

“Thank you and well done for the remarkable difference you have continued to make to good causes!”

A snapshot of messages thanking the Blakemore Foundation for its support
 

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