Hands On Payroll Giving offers top-up on #GivingTuesday donations

#GivingTuesday is the global day of giving at the start of the festive season. This year it's marked on Tuesday 2^nd December and is a day when around the world to come together to do something for any good cause.

Hands On are marking the UK’s #GivingTuesday by pledging to boost donations made through Payroll Giving on day itself and in the week following. In support of the movement to encourage giving of any kind, to any cause, Hands On Payroll Giving is extending the funding for donations made to any charitable cause.

Hands On are reaching out to corporate and charity partners to ask that they remind employees and supporters that they can quickly and easily become a Payroll Giver.

Follow us on twitter @HandsOnPG for all updates

Get in touch to receive email templates and social media guidance.

Terms & Conditions

Hands On Payroll Giving are offering a one off £10.00 boost on all online pledges received from Monday 30^th November to Monday 7^th December.

To qualify for the top-up, a minimum of £5.00 per month must be pledged to one charity by the donor.

Hands On Payroll Giving will pay the £10.00 additional gift to the recipient charity by the 30^th January 2015.

Top Of Page

Morrisons and EE triumph at 12^th Annual CIPP Awards

Morrisons took away the Payroll Giving award 2015 at the 12^th Annual Payroll and Pensions Excellence Awards celebrated last night at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales. EE came in the highly commended position and received a special mention from the judges as there was 'just a point between' the applications.

Now in their twelfth year, the awards were established to recognise individuals and organisations in the industry who demonstrate payroll and/or pensions excellence, and their positive impact on the UK economy.

Lindsay Melvin, CEO of the CIPP, commented: "Once again, this year's entrants have been outstanding. Every year we see the quality of candidates get better and better which is testament to the great work the pensions and payroll industry does."

Judges were impressed with Morrisions innovative approach to payroll giving. They commented on the communication strategy which was excellent - especially in a difficult multi-site environment. The supermarket giant has a sustained scheme with over 5% of colleagues donating almost £40,000 every month.

Wendy Tapping, CEO, Hands On Payroll Giving said: "We're thrilled that both Morrisons and EE have been recognised in this professional arena for the enthusiasm and innovation they’ve brought to the sector. It’s fantastic to know the CIPP value Payroll Giving and the important part it plays within workplaces across the UK."

For a full list of the CIPP Award winner see here: http://www.cipp.org.uk/en/cippnews/index.cfm/2015awards

Top Of Page

National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards 2015

The Institute of Fundraising and the Association of Payroll Giving Organisations have today announced the shortlist for this year’s National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards.

Mervi Slade of Save the Children, Chair of the Judging Panel, said:
“Once again we were delighted to have received so many entries for this year’s Awards, recognising organisations and individuals that have contributed so much to Payroll Giving promotions throughout the past year. These awards have been designed to celebrate that excellence and the outstanding achievements by employers in supporting Payroll Giving.”

This year’s National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards Ceremony will take place on the afternoon of 17 November 2015 at the House of Lords, where all those nominated for an Award will gather to celebrate a year of innovative promotion in Payroll Giving, networking with Ministers, civil servants and employers keen to improve the success of their Payroll Giving schemes.

Those shortlisted for an Excellence Awards this year include:

• Most Innovative Campaign – Large Employer
  Aviva UK
  DHL UK
  Vodafone
• Most Innovative Campaign – Medium Employer
  Allstate Northern Ireland
  Arriva London
  Clyde & Co LLP
• Most Innovative Campaign – Small Employer
  Checkatrade
  LivingSocial
  Valero Energy Ltd
• Best Campaign – Government & Public Sector Employer
  HM Revenue & Customs
  Northern Ireland Civil Service
  Southern Health and Social Care Trust
• Best Campaign – Civil Society Employer
  Marie Curie
  WaterAid
• Most Successful Sustained Scheme – Large Employer
  Capita
  JTI UK
  Royal Mail Group
• Most Successful Sustained Scheme – Medium Employer
  Admiral Group
  Experian
  Henderson Group
• Most Successful Sustained Scheme – Small Employer
  Checkatrade
  Telereal Trillium
  UKTV Media Limited
• Best Innovative Promotional Partnership – Large Employer
  Vodafone
  Aviva UK
  J Sainsburys
• Best Innovative Promotional Partnership – Medium Employer
  The Entertainer
  Allstate Northern Ireland
  Firstsource
• Best Innovative Promotional Partnership – Small Employer
  Balcas
• Best Fundraiser
  Jan Finch
  Helen Palmer
  Dean Rogers
• Best Corporate Champion
  Kevin Byrne, Checkatrade
  Vanessa Cowan, University of Manchester
  Julie Ward, Asda

Top Of Page

National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards 2015 to be held at the House of Lords

This year's National Payroll Giving Excellence awards will be held on 17 November at the House of Lords in London.

The Government endorsed event celebrates the efforts of employers, charities and professional partnerships in promoting regular tax-efficient giving from salary. This years’ organisers come together from the Institute of Fundraising’s Payroll Giving Special Interest Group in partnership with the Association of Payroll Giving Organisations.

The awards are free to enter for any employer who has achieved a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum Payroll Giving Quality Mark Award Certificate. Applications are welcomed from organisations and individuals that have inspired engagement in Payroll Giving over the last 12 months.

Entries to the National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards are open until 15 September 2015.

Mervi Slade, Chair of the Institute of Fundraising’s Payroll Giving Special Interest Group said:
“The National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards are a very important way of recognising employers that really get behind the scheme to raise invaluable regular giving in the workplace. Payroll Giving continues to be a reliable source of income that helps charities to continue their good work here in UK and around the world. Without it, planning ahead would be so much more difficult.”

The awards are usually held at prestigious locations, including Number 11 Downing Street.

Awards Categories 2015

• Most Innovative Campaign
  For organisations that have either introduced a new scheme, or revitalised an existing Payroll Giving scheme with a creative campaign. The winners will be able to illustrate how approaches have communicated key messaged and increased engagement. This category is split into classifications for small, medium and large employers. A winner and runner-up will be selected from each employer size.
• Most Sustained Scheme
  This award recognises companies that have shown continued dedication to promoting Payroll Giving for more than three years. Judges are interested in how employers have developed methods to maintain momentum and create ongoing interest in the scheme. This category is split into classifications for small, medium and large employers. A winner and runner-up will be selected from each employer size.
• Best Civil Society Employer
  For Civil Society employers, this award is uniquely interested in how Payroll Giving has been moulded to appeal to employees working within the third sector. The winner applicant will be able to showcase how the campaign was introduced and significant factors impacting the outcome.
• Best Government or Public Sector Employer
  For the Government or Public Sector employer that has carried out a well-constructed and imaginative campaign. The successful nomination will be able to display how resources have been utilised to deliver maximum impact and employee engagement.
• Best Innovative Promotional Partnership (supplementary category)
  To apply for this award entrants must also be nominated in one of the above four main categories. This award recognises partnerships between employers operating Payroll Giving and one or more of supporting organisations. The supporting organisation(s) can be charity partners, Payroll Giving Agencies, and Professional Fundraising Organisations.
  Judges are interested to understand how the partnership added value to the scheme, how expectations were managed with what joint efforts impacted overall campaigns outcomes.
• Best Fundraiser Award
  Designed for individuals that have made a significant contribution to Payroll Giving. Applications are welcome from volunteers as well as individuals employed by charities, PFOs and PGAs. Individuals can apply personally or colleagues can nominate.
• Corporate Champion Award
  For individuals that have had an instrumental role in making Payroll Giving a success within their company. Individuals can apply personally or colleagues can nominate.

Judging panel
The panel of judges this year is:

• Mervi Slade, Save the Children and IoF Payroll Giving Special Interest Group;
• Panikos Efthimiou, Association of Payroll Giving Organisations;
• Helen Hargreaves, CIPP;
• Susannah Birkwood, Third Sector;
• Sarah Simpson, Institute of Fundraising;
• Adrian Cooper, HMRC

Top Of Page

Hands On Helping embraces #GivingTuesday with a £10.00 charity boost!

#GivingTuesday is a global campaign encouraging people to give their time, money or voice to charity on one day. On the 2^nd of December 2014 #GivingTuesday will be launched in the UK for the first time.

In support of this campaign, Hands On Helping is asking all its corporate partners to start the season of goodwill, by reminding their employees that they can become a Payroll Giver.

To encourage people to participate on #GivingTuesday, Hands On Helping are offering to boost every online donation by an extra £10.00 for the first month.

Terms & Conditions

1. Hands On Helping are offering a one off £10.00 boost on all online pledges received from Friday the 28^th of November 2014 to Sunday the 7^th of December 2014.
2. For your charity to receive this a minimum of £5.00 per month must be pledged by the giver.
3. Hands On Helping will pay the £10.00 additional gift to the recipient charity by the end of 2014.

Top Of Page

Top employers recognised at the National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards 2014

Winners included Hands On Helping clients Wickes, Prudential UK & Europe, and Retail Trust, and Morrisons were also highly commended.

The awards, which took place at HM Treasury on Tuesday 11^th November, showcased the best examples of UK employer's commitment to Payroll Giving. Rob Wilson MP, Minister for Civil Society, and David Gauke MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, presented the winners with their awards.

Speaking at this year's awards ceremony, Richard Taylor, Chair of Institute of Fundraising said: “It is hugely satisfying to see that so many organisations have embraced Payroll Giving. Our judging panel were impressed by the quality of entries and the innovative approaches taken by employers to create and sustain some really effective campaigns for their employees. With over 1.1 million individuals donating regularly, more people than ever before are using Payroll Giving, and £134 million was raised for good causes last year. Such a regular and stable income to charities is extremely valuable and I am delighted that we can celebrate the real success of Payroll Giving tonight”.

Wickes, one of the UK's favourite home improvement retailers, won the category for 'Most Successful Scheme by a Large Employer'. Judges looked for an employer who had sustained and grown a workplace Payroll Giving scheme for more than 5 years, delivering ongoing promotional activities throughout. Wickes have developed a long term strategy to sustain and grow participation in Payroll Giving, then further fulfilled their promise by covering the 4% administration charge. Wickes employees have donated over £418,000 since 2006.

Prudential UK & Europe, the leading life and pensions provider, won the category for 'Most Successful Sustained Scheme by a Medium Employer'. Prudential registered for Payroll Giving when the scheme was first introduced by HM Government in 1987. Over the past 5 years Prudential have worked alongside HOH to successfully deliver a number of themed campaigns to highlight their key messages and also offered match funding to encourage staff to use the scheme. Prudential have 462 employees currently donating £13,282, with an additional £4,952 provided in match funding.

Retail Trust, the leading charity that looks after all 5 million people working in retail, were awarded 'Best Civil Society Employer Campaign' after introducing an incentive for all staff across the five UK estates to sign up for Payroll Giving - The chance to win an additional one day's Annual Leave. HOH also promoted internally including showing the CEO joining the scheme.

In the category 'Best Large Employer Campaign' Morrisons were highly commended for their well-constructed, innovative scheme. Morrisons is one of the UK's biggest food retailers and in the last year, 95% of locations have hosted promotional visits. 8,438 staff now give to charity through their pay, donating over £41,000 per month.

Rob Wilson MP, Minister for Civil Society said: "I would like to congratulate everyone who has won an award tonight, as well as those highly commended, shortlisted and nominated. The organisations and individuals represented here demonstrate our nation’s generous nature and willingness to give. I hope that over the coming months and years, more employers will take advantage of Payroll Giving so that more people have the opportunity to donate through their pay".

David Gauke MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury said: "The winners of the awards show that Payroll Giving can be an extremely effective mechanism for people to support charities that they care about and their success should be celebrated. Within the Treasury we are continuing to facilitate discussions with the charity sector and PGAs to make sure that Payroll Giving works well, so that both the numbers of donors and amount of money that is raised through the scheme can increase".

Panikos Efthimiou, Chair of the Association of Payroll Giving Organisations said: "Congratulations from the APGO to everyone shortlisted for the NPGEAs. Thank you to employers and their employees around the UK for continuing to make Payroll Giving a continued success and providing a much needed income for charitable causes".

The full list of winners are detailed below:

• Best Campaign – Large Employer
  Winner: Arriva London
  Highly Commended: Morrison Supermarkets
• Best Campaign – Medium Employer
  Winner: Henderson Group
  Highly Commended: News UK
• Best Campaign – Small Employer
  Winner: Maxus UK
  Highly Commended: Checkatrade
• Best Campaign – Government & Public Sector
  Winner: Islington Council
  Highly Commended: HMRC
• Best Campaign – Civil Society Employer
  Winner: Retail Trust
• Most Successful Sustained Scheme – Large Employer
  Winner: Wickes
  Highly Commended: Arriva London
• Most Successful Sustained Scheme – Medium Employer
  Winner: Prudential UK & Europe
  Highly Commended: CMS Cameron McKenna
• Best Innovate Promotional Partnership
  Winner: DHL UK
  Highly Commended: Arriva London
• Best Individual Contribution
  Winner: Louise McCabe
  Highly Commended: Kevin Bryne
• Lifetime Achievement Award
  Winner: Elena Joseph
• Best Overall Campaign
  Winner: Arriva London

Top Of Page

Experian Win the CIPP Payroll Giving Award 2014!

Experian have been awarded the CIPP (Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals) Payroll Giving Award 2014. The awards, which are now in their 11th year, were established to recognise individuals and organisations who demonstrate payroll and/or pensions excellence within the industry and therefore, a positive impact on the UK economy.

Experian and partner Hands On Helping worked together to deliver a relaunch and branding of Experian’s existing Payroll Giving scheme, which employed innovative approaches to promote the voluntary benefit to colleagues across the company.

The Experian Payroll Giving Rocket was launched to brighten up the scheme and encourage a playful fun theme that worked to engage employees during the promotional events.

Experian and Hands On Helping were also awarded the National Payroll Giving Excellence award ‘Best Innovative Promotional Partnership’ in 2013. Since then, Experian and Hands On Helping have further developed the scheme ensuring its continued success.

Experian allowed access to the workplace for walkabouts to speak to employees about the scheme and consequently saw a massive increase in participation. A matching incentive on donations by Experian also proved highly successful with each charity supported by employees receiving donations from Experian (up to £5) for a full 12 months.

Experian achieved the Gold Quality Mark in 2014 and are striving towards the Platinum accolade for 2015.

Top Of Page

The National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards 2014 launched

The National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards 2014 has been launched. The awards showcase excellence, recognise achievement and dedication, and are a celebration of the successes in Payroll Giving.

Now is the time for employers, charities and individuals to champion those approaches that have engaged and inspired.

Categories for this year:

Best Campaign, subcategorised into:

• Large Employer – more than 5,000 employees
• Medium Employer – 501-5,000 employees
• Small Employer – Up to 500 employees
• Government & Public Sector Employer
• Civil Society Employer

Most Successful Sustained Scheme, subcategorised into:

• Large Employer – more than 5,000 employees
• Medium Employer – 501-5,000 employees
• Small Employer – Up to 500 employees

Best Innovative Promotional Partnership

Best Individual Contribution

Lifetime Achievement Award

Best Overall Campaign

The deadline for applications is Friday 5th September. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony hosted by HM Government at HM Treasury in November 2014.

Download application form here

For more information visit: http://www.payrollgivingcentre.com/national%20pg%20excellence%20awards%202014.htm

Top Of Page

Payroll Giving Quality Mark for 2014 launched

The Institute of Fundraising and the Association of Payroll Giving Organisations are pleased to announce the launch of the 2014 Payroll Giving Quality Mark.

Employers across the UK are being encouraged to apply for an award to recognise their commitment to the scheme.

More than a million employees donated to charity through a workplace Payroll Giving scheme in 2012/13, according to revised figures by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The Quality Mark recognises and rewards organisations that make Payroll Giving available for their staff and provide charities with sustainable and reliable income.

Once an organisation sets up a Payroll Giving scheme, they automatically receive a certificate as well as a logo for use on their letterheads, websites and other company literature. These demonstrate their commitment to the good causes their employees care about.

When an employer achieves a certain level of participation in Payroll Giving within their organisation, they are eligible to upgrade their Quality Mark certificate to Bronze (1% employee participation), Silver (5%), Gold (10%) or the recently launched Platinum (20% or above).

The Quality Mark is administered by the Institute of Fundraising with applications co-ordinated by Payroll Giving Agencies.

Peter Lewis, Chief Executive of the Institute of Fundraising said:"Payroll Giving is a great way for people to maximise the amount of money they give to charity. The Quality Mark Awards reward employers for fostering a culture of committed giving in the workplace by actively promoting Payroll Giving."

Panikos Efthimiou, Chair of the Association of Payroll Giving Organisations, said: "With over 4,000 employers now actively engaged in the Quality Mark system, we hope this year to encourage more employers to follow their lead and display this as a badge of honour to celebrate their employees' ongoing generosity."

Deadline for applications 22nd April 2014.

For any assistance with applying please contact us.

More information about the Quality Mark is available at www.payrollgivingcentre.com

Top Of Page

Home Retail Group

Home Retail Group were unveiled as Pay & Benefits winners last week at a stunning ceremony held in central London. Now in its third year, the awards honour individuals and teams for their outstanding achievements in the industry.

The Group was awarded the prestigious `Best Payroll Giving Scheme` ahead of four other shortlisted companies. Home Retail Group's Ceri Wootton, Community Affairs & Workplace Manager and partner Hands On Helping's Chief Executive, Wendy Tapping collected the award.

Hands On Helping assist Home Retail Group with the promotion of their Payroll Giving Scheme, making regular visits into all workplaces to effectively communicate the benefit to colleagues.

Editor of Pay & Benefits magazine, Kavitha Sivasubramaniam, said that payroll and benefits professionals and the industry that supports them is becoming increasingly vital to businesses due to Government initiatives such as Real Time Information and auto-enrolment.

See the full list of winners from the awards here

Top Of Page

APGO campaigns for ongoing funding for the Payroll Giving Quality Mark

The APGO (Association of Payroll Giving Organisations) has written to Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society to secure future funding for the Payroll Giving Quality Mark as funding has only been agreed until the end of 2014. Hands On Helping are founding members of The APGO, the member organisation comprises of industry experts and exists for best practise and growth.

Members are also encouraging charities in the sector to follow their lead and are delighted that a number of employers who received the Platinum Quality Mark in 2013 have already written to show their support.

Find below a copy of the letter sent to MP Nick Hurd. For any press queries or if you would like to support this initiative then please email: info@apgo.org.uk for more information.

The response will be published when received.

Dear Mr Hurd

RE: FUNDING FOR PAYROLL GIVING QUALITY MARK

As the Association for the collective group of organisations working in Payroll Giving we are delighted to be supporting the work of the Institute of Fundraising this year in delivering the Payroll Giving Quality Mark to the thousands of employers who now receive the accreditation.

Since the introduction of the Quality Mark, Payroll Giving has seen enormous growth and we are delighted that the recently revised HMRC figures for the fiscal year 2012- 13 have been record breaking for the charities we support through the scheme.

We feel that one of the key motivators for this continued growth are the Quality Marks and National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards and we would urge the Government to commit to continuing to fund these after 2014.

We would also hope that this commitment would be made sooner rather than later as delays in agreeing funding last year delayed the distribution of the Quality Mark to businesses by almost 5 months, something we would not like to repeat in any other year.

We would also like to continue to grow the awareness of the Quality Mark with the business sector in the secure knowledge that continued funding is available.

Finally we would ask that you champion all Government Departments to lead by example and publically display their own Quality Marks, as we do as members and have encouraged hundreds of businesses to do so also.

We very much welcome the ongoing commitment by Government to support Payroll Giving and look forward to seeing the scheme continue to grow for the benefit of the 10,000 charitable organisations who receive funding via this giving mechanism every year

Yours sincerely

Panikos Efthimiou
APGO Chair

Top Of Page

Employers boost Payroll Giving by £7.5million

The Association of Payroll Giving Organisations (APGO) has released figures today showing companies donated over £7.5 million in the last financial year (2012-13) by match funding employee's donations through Payroll Giving – a huge increase of £1.5m on the previous year.

The announcement follows revised figures from HMRC and brings the total donated to charity by employees and companies through Payroll Giving to £162.50 million this financial year, an increase of £38.6 million on the previous year.

Further figures released by the APGO show that a record 48% of employers engaged in Payroll Giving schemes pay the administration charge on behalf of their employees. This again puts Payroll Giving ahead of other donation methods as the most cost effective way for people to give and ensures that 100% of employee donations go directly to the charities they are supporting.

A representative of the APGO said: "We are delighted to be able to release these figures on behalf of our members and would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to corporate organisations that continue to champion and fund Payroll Giving. We see this as a starting point to encourage more employers to support employee's charitable donations by providing and facilitating Payroll Giving."

Top Of Page

Payroll Giving grows by over 39%

Revised figures released by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) this week show that the number of employee using Payroll Giving in the last financial year reached 1,022,000 – a growth of 39% compared to the previous year.

The amount donated through the tax-free donation method also increased from £118 million to over £155 million, an impressive £37 million increase, a notable jump compared to previous years.

The original reported figures (in June 2013) were updated due to a change in data collection and system advances applied by some Payroll Giving Agencies. These had reported only a £6 million rise in donations, see the most up to date figures here (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/charity/table10-8.pdf)

Wendy Tapping, Chief Executive of Hands On Helping said

"We are delighted to see the revised figures, and the huge increase in Payroll Giving for 2012/2013. Another year of increase highlights again how robust and valuable the scheme is. The sustainability of Payroll Giving through recession years has been cherished by charities.

With the recovering economy we expect to see even more interest in Payroll Giving from all sectors, and are gearing up for a busy year."

Top Of Page

Experian and Hands On Helping awarded 'Best Innovative Promotional Partnership'

The partnership was recognised at the National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards 2014, hosted on Tuesday 3^rd December at HM Treasury. Hands On Helping and Experian worked together to deliver a sustained re-launch and branding of Experian's Payroll Giving scheme.

The campaign included the introduction of the Experian Rocket to give Payroll Giving a distinct identity. Promotional materials followed, such as silver stress balls, and playful puns and giveaways. In December 2012 their ‘Be a Star this Christmas’ theme looked to engage with staff further by entering existing donors and new joiners into a prize draw and emphasised Experian's match funding.

This commitment to Payroll Giving has seen Experian achieve the Gold Quality Mark this year with 436 employees participating in the scheme.

Top Of Page

Top employers recognised at National Payroll Excellence Awards 2013

Winners included HoH clients EE, Experian and Henderson Global Investors

The awards, which took place at HM Treasury on Tuesday 3rd December, showcase the best examples of UK employer’s commitment to Payroll Giving. Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society, and Nicky Morgan MP, Economic Secretary for the Treasury, presented the winners with their Awards.

EE, the UK's most advanced digital communications company, won the category for ‘Best Launch of a New Scheme’. Judges looked for integrated launch activities, strategic promotions and target achievement. EE launched their scheme in April 2012, partnering with Hands On Helping the previous schemes of under Orange and T-Mobile were aligned to raise participation from under 4% to 7.3%. Over 1,000 people donate more than £12,000 every month to 187 charities.

In the category 'Best SME Campaign', Henderson Global Investors were highly commended for their well-constructed and thought-out promotions that surpassed their target of 10% participation and now have 14.5% of employees enrolled in the scheme.

Experian and Hands On Helping were presented with top honours, winning the prestigious ‘Best Innovative Promotional Partnership’ for their successful work together creating the Experian Rocket to give Payroll Giving a real boost. Read more here.

Peter Lewis, Chief Executive of the Institute of Fundraising, introduced the Awards saying:

"Thank you to every organisation that has entered these awards, and also to the government for supporting them. I am proud to once again by celebrating the dedication and innovation of charities, agencies and employers collaborating together to maximise tax effective employee donations for important causes here and abroad."

Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society said:

"It is always inspiring to see the fantastic examples of good work that charities and employers are doing to engage donors and get more employees giving and I commend every organisation, from the winners to those shortlisted, for their hard work over the past year."

Nicky Morgan MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury said:

"Payroll Giving, which last year generated £124m for charities, has been a key focus for this Government. We recently set out our plans to improve Payroll Giving and I hope we will achieve an increase to the 750,000 donors already giving under this scheme."

The full list of winners are listed below:

• Best Launch of a New Scheme – EE
• Best Innovative Promotional Partnership – Experian with Hands on Helping
• Most Successful Sustained Scheme by an SME Employer – Pertemps People Development Group
• Most Successful Sustained Scheme by a Large Employer – Royal Mail Group
• Best Large Employer Campaign – Network Rail
• Best Re-Launch of an Existing Scheme – British Land
• Best Public Sector Campaign – HMRC
• Best Civil Society Employer Campaign – WaterAid
• Best SME Campaign – Checkatrade
• Best Individual Contribution – Jacqui Atkinson, Clydesdale & Yorkshire Banks
• Best Overall Campaign – Royal Mail Group

This is the seventh National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards, which were introduced in the 20th year of Payroll Giving to recognise and reward employers with successful schemes, as well as those which demonstrate best practice in their promotion to employees.

To view the full listed of winners, shortlisted organisations and the judging panel, you can view the brochure here.

Top Of Page

National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards 2013

Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society and Nicky Morgan MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury will present the winners with their awards at HM Treasury on 3 December 2013.

They will be joined by representatives of companies that have achieved a Platinum Quality Mark Award in Payroll Giving – the highest possible Award that recognises employers that continually strive to increase donations to UK charities through Payroll Giving.

The National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards Ceremony will take place on the 3 December 2013 at HM Treasury, 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ, starting at 6pm. To register interest in attending please email PGXawards@institute-of-fundraising.org.uk

No charge is made for attending the event but numbers will be strictly limited and places restricted to no more than two from each organisation.

You are eligible to register your interest in attending this prestigious event irrespective of whether you have entered for any of the Award Categories, but you must achieved a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum Quality Mark Award 2013.

The reception will be an opportunity to network with ministers, government representatives, and employers keen to improve the success of their Payroll Giving schemes as well as showcasing the achievements of those organizations achieving Platinum Quality Mark Awards.

The shortlist of Awards includes:

Top Of Page

Home Retail Group praised for Payroll Giving by sector professionals

Home Retail Group, the UK's leading home and general merchandise retailer, was presented with the CIPP Payroll Giving Award at the 10th Annual Payroll and Pensions Excellence Awards, held at Celtic Manor in Wales on Thursday 26th September. The Group, which owns well know retail brands Argos and Homebase, was recognised for its unwavering commitment to the scheme which sees colleagues donate over £30,000 every month to charity via payroll.

The awards hosted by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals recognise individuals and organisations in the industry who demonstrate payroll and/or pensions excellence. Praise was given to Home Retail Group’s dedication to maximising participation in Payroll Giving, which allows Argos and Homebase colleagues to give to any charity of their choice tax-free direct from their pay.

The Group's engagement strategy includes match funding on first donations, paying administration fees on behalf of employees and awareness visits to locations nationwide. The level of participation qualified Home Retail Group for the Government endorsed Platinum Quality Mark in 2012 and the Group were the only large retailer to achieve this accolade.

Ceri Wootton, Community Relations Manager at Home Retail Group said: “Payroll Giving has always been a cornerstone of our community programme and colleague benefits package. To be recognised for our on-going commitment is tremendous, and a great acknowledgement to all those who participate. A main driver to the success is the in-store visits, carried out by Hands On Helping, which ensure all colleagues know about this benefit available to them.”

Hands On Helping launched Payroll Giving within Home Retail Group in 2005, in close collaboration with Charities Trust, the Payroll Giving Agency that administers the scheme for the employer. Hands On Helping makes annual visits into all Argos and Homebase stores to deliver clear messaging about Payroll Giving, with appropriate links to corporate charity activity, whilst Charities Trust are responsible for directing funds to the relevant good causes.

Wendy Tapping, Chief Executive of Hands On Helping said: “The CIPP awards were fabulous and we’re thrilled that Home Retail Group has been accredited this prestigious recognition by payroll experts. Home Retail Group has always been very supportive of the scheme, with great ideas to help innovate Payroll Giving to the benefit of hundreds of charities nationwide.”

Linda Minnis, Chief Executive of Charities Trust said: “This award is recognition of the efforts of Home Retail Group and its generous employees, proudly supported by Charities Trust and Hands on Helping. Payroll Giving is such a great opportunity to make charitable donations easily and tax efficiently. The support that the staff of the group have shown for this scheme is exceptional and ultimately means more money regularly goes to charities and good causes.”

Home Retail Group now look towards this year’s National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards with the newly released ‘Best Accomplished Sustained Scheme’ category. Nominations are open until 18th October 2013, with the ceremony due to be held at HM Treasury on 3rd December.

Top Of Page

Nominations open for Payroll Giving Excellence Awards 2013

Employers are now being invited to apply for this year's National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards. The awards, hosted at HM Treasury, congratulate employer’s support and achievements in promoting the scheme that allows employees to give tax-free to any charity from payroll.

Categories for the awards include options for SME, public sector and large businesses, along with a newly introduced accreditation for ‘Most Accomplished Sustained Scheme’ that aims to honour those businesses that have shown firm commitment to growing and maintaining Payroll Giving.

Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, who is to host the ceremony said: “It is hugely satisfying to support the payroll giving awards again in 2013 which celebrates those organisations that have gone the extra mile to encourage their staff to give to good causes. Donating through Payroll Giving is an easy and powerful way for employees to support the causes they care about, and we recently outlined measures to raise awareness and make the process easier.”

Jane Banks, of the British Heart Foundation, chair of the judging panel said: “This will be a special night celebrating those organisations that support their employees to make tax-free donations to charities of their choice. This year as well as celebrating the new and innovative schemes that have raised a record £124 million in 2012-13, we will also be paying tribute to those longstanding campaigns that have delivered year in, year out with a new award for Most Accomplished Sustained Scheme.”

The deadline for applications is currently 18th October 2013. For further information click here.

Top Of Page

Government launches consultation on Payroll Giving

The Treasury last week launched a consultation that sets out a range of suggestions to increase the take-up of Payroll Giving. These include allowing private companies to become Payroll Giving Agencies and creating portability of the scheme between businesses, meaning tax-free donations would be automatically transferred should a donor move jobs.

The document also proposes to reduce the processing time from 60 days to 30, ensuring charities would get donations faster. It says Payroll Giving Agencies, should be transparent about the cost of processing donations.

Hands On Helping welcome the consultation and will be making recommendations along with other APGO (Association of Payroll Giving Organisations) members as a collective. The APGO encompasses main stakeholders of the sector who work together to offer support to charities and businesses, and ensure good working practices are observed within Payroll Giving. Hands On Helping and APGO would encourage businesses and charities to reply to this document, the consultation will run until 19th April 2013.

For more information on this consultation please click here.

Top Of Page

Employers recognised for commitment to Payroll Giving.

The National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards winners have been announced at an event hosted at HM Treasury. Judges stressed that the standard of applications had again been outstanding and were pleased to see a wide range of businesses represented.

Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society who presented the awards, said "It is hugely satisfying to see that so many organisations have embraced Payroll Giving. Today we have the opportunity to celebrate companies that have gone the extra mile, whether by encouraging their staff to give to so many good causes by matching staff donations pound for pound, or by running extensive internal promotions to get more people signed up."

The event also celebrated the first employers to have achieved the newly introduced Platinum Quality Mark Award, these included Home Retail Group, Prudential and Warburton’s. Speaking at the National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards, Nick Hurd said "We want to help make better connections between business and charities, which is why we introduced the Platinum Quality Mark Award to recognise the very highest standards in Payroll Giving."

For a full list of all winners and shortlisted applicants please visit the Payroll Giving Centre

Top Of Page

Leaders of Payroll Giving organisations seek ways to work together.

Leaders of Payroll Giving organisations seek ways to work together to realise the huge potential of the scheme to expand regular giving to good causes.

Senior figures from some of the largest Payroll Giving agencies and professional fundraising organisations met to discuss ways of working together to reform the system to make it easier and more attractive to businesses, employees and charities across the country.

Those attending the meeting have agreed to continue to explore options and discussions will continue with other key organisations unable to attend.

John Low, Chief Executive of the Charities Aid Foundation which runs the UK’s largest Payroll Giving scheme, said: “Payroll Giving has enormous potential to increase regular donations to good causes by making it convenient and straightforward for people to give from their salaries before tax is deducted.

“The current system has been successful in encouraging people to donate, but it must now be made simpler to administer and easier to use, so more and more companies and employees will be able to give in this way.

“Ministers have stated that they are determined to ‘get serious’ about Payroll Giving. Agencies were asked in the spring to put forward realistic ideas for reform. In response, Ministers have recently decided that the Gift Aid Small Donation Scheme must be priority and that a full public consultation will now be published later in the year.

“We are, however, keen to drive this reform forward and believe that, working together, we can transform the system and make it simpler for millions more people to donate to good causes through their payroll.”

Wendy Tapping, Chief Executive of Hands On Helping said: "We are hopeful that by working together with other stakeholders we can create a more accessible, user friendly scheme that will help to maximise the potential of payroll giving for charities, donors and employers."

Top Of Page

It's Gone Platinum at Home

The Government’s new Platinum Quality mark has its first winner in the retail sector.

Home Retail Group (HRG) won with its dedication to increasing charitable donations through the Payroll Giving scheme it runs with the UK’s second largest Payroll Giving organisation, Charities Trust.

HRG was the first retailer to achieve the Gold Payroll Giving Quality Mark back in 2007, again in partnerships with Charities Trust, with over 10% of employees signed up to the scheme.

The award was presented to Ceri Wootton, Community Affairs and Workplace Manager at Home Retail Group by Account Director Jason Doherty at Charities Trust.

Staff at the group give to more than 400 different good causes each month, including the company’s charity, Teenage Cancer Trust.

Together with generous match funding, Home Retail Group employees donated over £400,000, putting its people amongst the most generous in the sector.

Payroll Giving allows employees to make regular tax-free donations to any registered UK charity or good cause directly from their pay. Home Retail Group fully support the scheme by paying all administration costs, matching employees’ first donation and actively promoting the flexible benefit by engaging the services of Charities Trust, and professional fundraising organisation Hands On Helping.

Charities Trust handles all administration on behalf of Home Retail Group and Hands On Helping promotes the scheme to colleagues.

After receiving the award Ceri Wootton said: “Our colleagues continue to be avid supporters of the scheme and we are delighted to be able to match their donations to a wide range of charities.

“We are incredibly pleased to accept the Platinum Quality Mark, especially in the year that Payroll Giving is celebrating 25 years.”

Linda Minnis, Chief Executive, Charities Trust, said: “Payroll Giving is still the most reliable and cost effective means of getting more of supporters’ money into the hands of charities. Twenty five years on we’re just as passionate about making sure it continues to be recognised as the preferred choice for business.

“It’s the enthusiasm and dedication of companies like HRG that is so rewarding. The people have been unwavering in their support for the causes that matter to them most – and the funds they have raised are phenomenal. Even better, the difference those funds have made is immeasurable. We had no hesitation in choosing them for a Platinum award.”

Penny Tapping, Campaigns Director for Hands On Helping added “The longevity of this scheme, it’s been running for around ten years now, is testament to the continued enthusiasm and support throughout the organisation. The group has a dynamic and enthusiastic workforce of 57,000 which makes the group’s choice of corporate charity, Teenage Cancer Trust particularly poignant. We regularly visit branches and spend a few minutes with colleagues talking about the scheme; the take up rate is fantastic and the match funding really helps to encourage support. Home Retail Group fully deserves the recognition and we look forward to working with them and Charities Trust for the next ten years.”

Tom Marshall, head of corporate fundraising for Teenage Cancer Trust added: “Home Retail Group colleagues have raised over £3m for Teenage Cancer Trust and have had a transformational impact on our charity and the young people we support. We are the only UK charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival for young people with cancer aged 13-24, and reliable, sustainable sources of income such as Payroll Giving are in increasingly important to us. It’s fantastic to see more and more Home Retail Group colleagues supporting us each month through their payroll. It makes such a difference for us to know we can rely on their regular support, and the impact of the help they are enabling us to provide to young people with cancer will be felt long into the future.”

Top Of Page

25 Years of UK Payroll Giving raises over £1.2 billion for charities. Taxman gives nearly 30 per cent of total

Payroll Giving, which enables employees to donate direct to charities from their pay absolutely tax free, is 25 years old this week. The Association of Payroll Giving Organisations(APGO) marked the anniversary by delivering a giant card to 10 Downing Street, highlighting the £1.2 billion raised and thanking companies and their employees for using the scheme.

The Government is backing the scheme and encouraging more companies to take up Payroll Giving as an effective means of supporting charities.

‘The amount raised for charities is a marvellous achievement, both by companies who offer Payroll Giving, and their wonderfully generous employees who recognise the value of sustained giving from their payroll, tax free, to charity,’ said Liz Davies , representative of the APGO. ‘The 25th anniversary of the scheme is a great opportunity for us all to say thank you to them.’

So far the taxman has contributed 30 per cent of the £1.2 billion total, but APGO are keen to increase the uptake of Payroll Giving in the next five years. Liz continued, ‘Even in these challenging times, people can see the huge value of tax free giving. By 2017 we are aiming to double the number of employers offering the scheme so even more charities and their beneficiaries are provided with a sustained and regular income stream.’

Prime Minister David Cameron said: ‘The amount of money that people give to charities in this country is a testament to the generosity of the British people. Payroll Giving is a great idea because it makes giving easier and a normal part of life. I celebrate the £1.2 billion raised for charities by Payroll Giving over the last 25 years, and I want to ensure that Payroll Giving is made even easier and more compelling.’

Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband said, ‘Payroll Giving has been a simple and successful way of helping good causes. I’m delighted that it continues to have widespread support and am sure that it will support charities and other good causes for many more years to come.’

Former Chancellor Nigel Lawson said, ‘I am happy to celebrate the fact that tax relief for Payroll Giving, which I introduced as Chancellor, has now reached its 25th birthday.

Top Of Page

Save the Children: Niger emergency appeal

Niger is facing a potentially deadly food crisis – rainfall has been limited and crops are failing. Food and medicine prices are rapidly increasing and communities have reported only having sufficient pasture to feed their livestock until March. Consequently, families are struggling to feed themselves – over 5 million people are already facing hunger and are vulnerable to malnutrition. Families are still recovering from the deadly food crisis which left millions, around half the country's population, at risk of food shortages in July 2010.

Many families are becoming desperate and thousands more are at risk.

Save the Children is already on the ground, urgently working to reach vulnerable families before it’s too late.

We’ve already reached over 500,000 vulnerable children and adults. We are:

• Helping to buy essential food, water and medicine for over 250,000 people and have treated 40,000 malnourished children.

• Supporting over 260 health centres so thousands of children, pregnant women and new mothers can access free healthcare .

• Distributing livestock and training in farming methods to create 'safety nets' to stop families falling into crisis .

• Calling on the international community to respond immediately to help stave off a potential disaster .

• Planning to reach 2 million of the most vulnerable children and adults in 2012.

The international community was slow to act in East Africa, and thousands of children are now paying the price. We must learn from our mistakes. Early warning signs are again signalling a looming food crisis – this time in Niger.

These early warning signs must result in an early response. Save the Children is already on the ground, urgently working to reach vulnerable families before it’s too late. We are also calling on the international community to immediately scale up support for Niger – to enable aid agencies and the government of Niger to stave off a potential disaster.savethechilderen.org.uk

Top Of Page

Government Launches New Platinum Award

We are thrilled that the Government are showing renewed support of Payroll Giving (also known as Workplace Giving) with the launch of the Platinum Quality Award Mark.

This extended level to The Payroll Giving Quality Mark celebrates employers’ continuing dedication to increasing charitable donations through the scheme.

The new Platinum Award is being presented to those employers who have held a Gold Award for the year previous (applicants for 2012 must have held Gold 2011 status) and have met at least one of the criteria from each of the following three categories:

1. Public Register of Employers Offering Payroll Giving:

• Employers must have signed-up to the public register of employers offering Payroll Giving to their staff.

Company details can be registered here.

2. Increased Payroll Giving:

• Either achieved an overall employee sign-up to Payroll Giving of 20%, or increased employee take-up from the previous year by a minimum of 10%.

• Increased existing donations (through demonstrable promotion) by a minimum of 10%.

• Matched employee contributions by a minimum of 10%.

3. Promoted Payroll Giving:

• Actively encouraged pensioners (past employees) to continue to use Payroll Giving.

• Used volunteers or past employees to promote Payroll Giving to current staff

• Provided evidence of an active promotion that encouraged clients and customers to use Payroll Giving.

• Introduced (and signed-up) a minimum of five new employers to Payroll Giving (evidenced through relevant PGAs).

• Publically demonstrated commitment to Payroll Giving through use of the Payroll Giving and Quality Mark logos on letterhead, websites and other promotional materials .

• Demonstrated effective use of the induction and/or review process to introduce staff to Payroll Giving.

Applicants will need to provide the necessary material to support their submissions.

Applications need to be in for the Platinum Award by the end of February 2012. Submissions will be certified and the awards will be sent out in April 2012.

Hands On Helping will be assisting our company partners in entering for the Quality Award Marks and The National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards, if you would like further information or facilitation with applications for any awards please contact Penny Tapping on 01433 621882.

Top Of Page

What was your favourite book as a child?

Can you remember your favourite story book as a child? Who was your favourite character? Peter Pan? Matilda? Maybe Mowgli from the Jungle Book?

Children gain an awful lot from characters in stories; they look up to them, identify with them and aspire to be like them, and it’s a huge part of developing the imagination and learning about themselves and society.

Unfortunately, the number of impairments portrayed in children’s stories are few and far between, and disabled children often feel excluded and cannot relate to the characters in their books.

With the help of disabled children, Scope has created an amazing range of books to help a child understand their condition and build their confidence for the future. The books feature disabled children and explain a child’s condition in their own language.

Celine is one of the children who helped Scope with this project. She has cerebral palsy and needs assistance to be able to walk. When she was six years old, she helped Scope to develop Celine’s New Splints - a fictional story-book leaflet designed for disabled children to read themselves, or for parents to read to their child. The leaflet explains the process of being fitted for splints in a way that young children can appreciate, enjoy and understand.

Celine explains: “When I was little and I had my first splints I was quite scared because I didn’t know what it was going to be like. Celine’s New Splints lets children know what is going to happen and hopefully they don’t feel scared anymore. I loved helping to write Celine’s New Splints. You don’t see many disabled children in books and I’m really proud that I helped change that.”

You can download the books and share with children you know by going here: http://www.scope.org.uk/help-and-information/publications/celines-new-splints-bookletwww.scope.org.uk

Thank you for your generous support of our work and for helping us continue to make the world a more inclusive place for disabled children.

Top Of Page

SAVE THE CHILDREN WANT YOU!

Are you supporting Save the Children through Payroll Giving? Do you think that Payroll Giving is a great way to support your charity? Do you feel strongly about Save the Children’s work and thought about doing a bit more but not have been sure about what that could be?

If your answer to these questions is YES, we would like to hear from you!

We are looking for Payroll Giving Ambassadors who would be happy to give a quote for our website or other materials we have about Payroll Giving. AND, for those super keen we would love to interview you on video talking about Payroll Giving OR even talk at an event about Payroll Giving and why you are giving this way to Save the Children.

If any of these are things you would like to be involved with, please do get in touch with us: Mervi Slade, Payroll Giving Manager, tel. 020 3215 3252 or email me on m.slade@savethechildren.org.uk

Find out more at: www.savethechildren.org.uk

Top Of Page

Manchester United is first on board

Manchester United Football Club is again leading the way, this time in the philanthropy league. The Club are the first company to board the Payroll Giving Rocket, giving employees the opportunity to give to any charity directly from their pay.

The world famous team is one of the only Football clubs to offer the scheme to their top class players as well as ground, events and coaching staff. Employees have proved themselves to be truly sporting, giving generously to many local and national charities.

By getting on board the Payroll Giving Rocket, Manchester United FC has provided employees with the most cost effective method of donating. Only Payroll Giving automatically enables complete tax relief on charitable gifts, if all donations had been made in this way last year, charities would have benefitted from an increase of £900 million.

Eric Steele, Goalkeeping Coach said:

“It’s fantastic that the club are offering us all this effective method of giving. I’m surprised it is not more widely available given the tax advantage it clearly offers. It makes giving so easy and secure; I hope more companies can see the potential increased revenue for charities and embrace Payroll Giving.”

Hands On Helping (HOH) who introduced the Payroll Giving Rocket are extending the invite for more companies to get on board. The Rocket initiative promises to set-up launch and promote the scheme completely free of charge, giving employers a hassle-free method of meeting Corporate Social Responsibility ambitions. The campaign emphasises that businesses offering Payroll Giving not only demonstrate their commitment to CSR, but also provide employees with the most cost effective, secure way to give and support any good cause they wish.

Wendy Tapping, Chief Executive of HOH said:

“The success we experienced with Manchester United was brilliant; it was great to see so many employees and players being supportive and generous. The potential for Payroll Giving is enormous; hopefully Manchester United will lead the way for more employers to provide this facility and we can really make a difference to the amount of tax free money charities receive.”

Manchester United has been shortlisted for this years’ National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards in ‘Best Launch of a New Scheme’ category, winners to be announced 19th October 2011.

Find out more at: The Payroll Giving Rocket.

Top Of Page

Hands On Helping boosts Payroll Giving

Hands On Helping has launched an exclusive new initiative "The Payroll Giving Rocket". and is asking donors, charities and employers to jump on board.

With living costs on the rise, we are all feeling the pinch but still feel the need to help others less fortunate. Tax effective charitable giving is becoming a focus for donors, charities and the government.

The Cabinet Office recently published the ‘Giving White Paper’ (May 2011) recognised that giving is both good for givers and those they chose to help. It set out a framework towards working more closely with businesses and charities, making it easier it easier and more compelling for people to give time and money, to stimulate a step change in giving.

The Payroll Giving Rocket aims encourage more employers to actively offer Payroll Giving as a facility. The Rocket initiative promises to set-up launch and promote the scheme completely free of charge, giving employers a hassle-free method of meeting Corporate Social Responsibility ambitions. The campaign emphasises that businesses offering Payroll Giving not only demonstrate their commitment to CSR, but also provide employees with the most cost effective, secure way to give and support any good cause they wish.

Helen Ellis, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Community Relations at Prudential said:

"Prudential is delighted to support the Payroll Giving Rocket, a new initiative by Hands On Helping to get more companies to promote payroll giving to their employees. Prudential operates a substantial programme of corporate responsibility activities, designed to make a real difference to the communities in which we operate. Payroll giving is an integral part of this programme and we encourage participation by matching employee donations each month, so that the charities get double the amount. A significant number of our employees participate in the scheme and we are very proud to have been shortlisted under two categories at this year's National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards."

Wendy Tapping, Chief Executive of Hands On Helping said:

“The potential for Payroll Giving is enormous. If more companies readily offered the scheme we could all make a real difference to the amount of tax free money charities receive. With the current economic climate, it is prudent for employers to provide their employees with the most cost effective ways to manage their finances. We work with many companies, large and small, that have increased employee participation tremendously by inviting us in to speak to colleagues. Our free service presents the scheme on a one-to-one basis, making it quick and easy to understand. Most people we see are happy to donate given the great benefits and choice Payroll Giving offers."

Find out more at: The Payroll Giving Rocket.

Top Of Page

Japan: 6 months on

Six months on from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan, the disaster's impact still haunts children. We are there, using our expertise to help Japan's youngest survivors smile again.

Globally we've raised an amazing £12.6m for this appeal. The sheer scale of the disaster meant that despite a strong government response, there were still large unmet needs.

These gaps were in education, emotional support and protection for children – areas in which we have global expertise.

There are a number of things we have done to help children through this crisis:

 We quickly set up 19 safe play areas in evacuation centres where children could play, learn and receive psychosocial support, safe from the dangers of the debris-filled streets. They also gave parents time to rebuild their lives and livelihoods knowing that their children were safe.

 With schools destroyed, teachers displaced and thousands of children living in evacuation centres, children faced great challenges returning to school. As a result we provided school kits, learning materials and stationary to 3,390 kids.

 We're determined to ensure that children have a say in the future of their communities. We carried out a large consultation exercise with 11,000 children, which we will use to ensure that government reconstruction efforts take their needs into account.

Whilst a lot of work has already been done, it is important that programmes to support children’s psychological wellbeing are still maintained. Over the next five years, we plan to help children to recover from their experiences and be adequately supported to do this by their parents. These programmes will reach over 100,000 children and their families.

Find out more at: Save The Children

Top Of Page

East Africa Emergency Appeal

Children in East Africa are starving. In some areas, a child is dying every 6 minutes.

The worst drought in decades has wiped out livestock, crops and income in large parts of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia and left over 12 million people in the grip of a devastating food crisis.

The situation in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia is getting worse, with 6 million children facing starvation after severe drought lead to the devastation of income sources, failed harvests and the death of livestock. This year has been the driest since 1950, with food prices in some areas rising by 500 per cent.

In Somalia, 20 per cent of families have been left with no food whatsoever, with the number of malnourished children under five rising from 390,000 to 450,000 just within the last few weeks. More than 900,000 people have fled the country for overcrowded camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, whilst 1.5 million are displaced within the country itself.

We are rapidly providing life-saving food, water and medicine for children across the region, even in war-torn areas of Somalia where we are one of the few international organisations on the ground. We’ve launched one of our biggest ever emergency responses and we’ve already reached over 1 million people – and we’re aiming to reach 2 million in total. We are appealing for £65 million to urgently scale up our programmes across East Africa and reach more children and families before its too late. We are hoping to do this with our “Fill a truck” campaign, where we are asking supporters to help fill our trucks (pictured opposite). Each truck contains life saving food and supplies: enough to feed 4,000 children for a month.

Find out more at: Save The Children

Top Of Page

Hands On Helping News

Success at the National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards

TNT Post, JN Bentley and Home Retail Group were among the 16 companies recognised at the 2010 National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards.

This year’s ceremony was held on 1st November at HM Treasury, Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society and Justine Greening MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, presented the awards. The ceremony was greeted with the news that Payroll Giving had increased during the last year by 2 per cent, to reach £106m.

TNT Post were presented as the winner for Best Launch Of A New Scheme, an award that recognises employers for introducing a Payroll Giving Scheme into the workplace which shows the an integration of launch activities, promotion to staff and target achievement. The judges commented that “this was an excellent launch, with imagination, flair, leadership from the top and excellent results. It was a model example of how a large business can achieve so much.”

The highly commended (runner-up) in Best Re-launch Of A New Scheme was JN Bentley. Judges felt that this was a very neat, well planned and executed launch, with excellent consideration of workplace environments, especially targeting non office based staff. Hands On Helping are delighted with this remark as many site visits involved careful organisation to ensure a majority of staff were seen.

TNT Post are also thrilled to have been highly recommended in the Best Overall Campaign category, judges thought the TNT Post campaign was” an excellent example of making payroll giving both fun and effective. Along with partners Charities Trust and Hands On Helping, they launched an innovative and eye catching campaign. Their ‘dynamite stick’ gimmick was both clever and engaging, giving the campaign a special feel. Many employers planning a launch or relaunch could emulate these ideas to great effect.”

Home Retail Group were awarded the winners in Best Innovative Promotional Partnership, an award given for a Payroll Giving promotion which was successful as a result of a partnership between the employer and another organisation. This decoration celebrates the partnership between Home Retail Group, Hands On Helping and Charities Trust. “The judges felt this was an excellent partnership showing that using the distilled experience of an agency works. They demonstrated a real bond between Hands On Helping, the organisation, and the employees, with great use of supporting testimonials. The ‘Be a Smartie’ campaign designed with Charities Trust and delivered by Hands On Helping ensured comprehensive engagement over all sites. Detailed monthly progress reporting showed a real engagement and ownership of the scheme with their partners.

Hands On Helping are delighted to have helped so many of their company partners have been recognised for their commitment and achievements in Payroll Giving.

Top Of Page

New RNID sponsored research projects working towards a cure for hearing loss.

The biomedical team at RNID have awarded four new international research projects, selecting the very best proposals from 48 applications. These projects will join our existing portfolio of projects aiming to find ways to prevent hearing loss, restore hearing and silence tinnitus.

Click the link to find out more about our brand new projects:

Dr John Chambers at Imperial College London will investigate which genes make our ears more susceptible to noise damage.

Dr Jonathan Gale at the UCL Ear Institute will study the processes which cause our delicate hair cells to become damaged by noise exposure.

Dr Andrew Faulkner at University College London will examine why someone with a cochlear implant in one ear often benefits from a hearing aid in the other ear.

Dr Lukas Rüttiger at Tübingen University in Germany will explore pharmacological therapies for noise-induced and age-related hearing loss.

None of these projects would have been possible without the generous contribution from people like you, so thank you very much for your continued support!

Find out more at: RNID

Top Of Page

RNID Deaf Awareness Week

28th June - 4th July 2010 is Deaf Awareness Week

RNID are focusing on helping people become more deaf aware.

There are currently 9 million people in the UK who are either deaf or hard of hearing and 65% of people over 60 have hearing loss.

Deaf Awareness Week – dos and don’ts:

Don’t avoid conversation.

Deafness can be isolating. Always involve people who are deaf in group conversations.

Do repeat yourself, or rephrase until you’re understood.

Don’t shout. This distorts your mouth, making you harder to understand. Speak clearly and at a normal speed.

Do think about communication support. Ask RNID how you can book sign language interpreters or speech-to-text-reporters.

Do get involved. Help us to carry on supporting people who are deaf by helping us – join, volunteer, donate…

Find out more at: RNID

Top Of Page

National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards Deadline

The deadline for applications for the National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards 2010 is Friday 16th July.

The National Payroll Giving Awards Event is held annually in October to celebrate the efforts of employers, charities and professional partnerships in promoting Payroll Giving in the work place. Any employer who has achieved a Bronze, Silver or Gold Quality Mark Award in 2010 is eligible to submit an entry for the National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards 2010.

All applications are marked against specific criteria by a panel of impartial judges. Every category is unique and therefore so is the individual criteria although the qualifying period is the same for all categories – 1st April 2009 to 31st March 2010.

Hands On Helping are encouraging many of their company partners to apply for the awards, in a hope that they will repeat their success from last year. At the awards in 2009, Hands On were delighted to see their partner Aviva win “Best Large Employer Campaign”, and be highly commended in the "Best Re-Launch Of An Existing Scheme" category. Further achievements included Hands on and Howdens Joinery being highly commended in the "Best Innovative Promotional Partnership" category.

Top Of Page

Hands On Helping to represent more charities

We are pleased to announce that we have taken on a few more charity clients. Our new partners are;

International Fund for Animal Welfare

Muscular Dystrophy Campaign

RNID

Spinal Injuries Association

Woodland Trust

WRVS

Top Of Page

Pounds for Pledges; Hands On, Hands Out! Double!

We are now set to double our donation from £1 per pledge to £2!

In the first year of our Pounds for Pledges campaign, we gave away over £10,000 to charities large and small. The initiative supported those donating through Payroll Giving, as Hands On Helping gave an £1 on top of each charity pledge received.

This year, we want to get the word out about Payroll Giving and give away more! We promise to give an extra £2 on top of every donation, on all new business. If you are interested in joining our Pounds for Pledges campaign, so that every donation can go that little bit further visit; Pounds for Pledges.

Graziella Campisano, Corporate Responsibility Engagement Manager for Nationwide Banking said:-

“One of the reasons we chose to work with Hands On, was their added incentive, ‘Pounds For Pledges’, which showed true commitment and individuality. Our launch of our Payroll Giving Scheme has been a huge success, in conjunction with Charitable Giving, and we look forward to continuing our working relationship with Hands On this year.”

Kerry Glover – Head of Donor Recruitment, The Dogs Trust

“Hands On Helping work really hard to get donations for us here at Dogs Trust. We were delighted to attend their Annual General Meeting last year and meet the team. The subsequent introduction of Sponsor a Dog has worked brilliantly and we are very thankful for all their hard work. The Pounds for Pledges initiative is very generous and a wonderful idea of Hands On, thank you.”

Erika Basra – Corporate Partnerships Account Manager, Macmillan Cancer Support

“The regular income produced by Hands On Helping through Payroll Giving allows Macmillan to make a committed effort in providing practical, medical and financial support, as well as being able to campaign for better cancer care. The extra £1 per pledge that Pounds for Pledges will give us will help a great deal in our cause.”

Top Of Page

Wateraid

WaterAid demands action at the first ever High Level Meeting on Water and Sanitation

One of the world's most recognisable buildings has been given a shocking makeover by WaterAid and global campaign group End Water Poverty. The image makeover of the White House marked the first ever High Level Meeting on Sanitation and Water which took place in Washington on 21 April. The image is designed to raise greater awareness of the 884 million people who have no access to clean water and the 2.6 billion who have no access to a toilet. This meeting brought together Ministers and policy makers from 30 developed and offered a historic opportunity to tackle the water and sanitation crisis through concrete financial and political action.

Bangladesh: Communities face water scarcity one year on from Cyclone Aila

Tens of thousands of people remain without clean water and sanitation one year on from Cyclone Aila, which battered the coastline of Bangladesh on 23 May 2009. Most of the fresh water sources in the districts of Satkhira and Khulna were contaminated by sea water in the wake of the cyclone and, with no rain in the past eight months, the area is now facing terrible water scarcity. WaterAid has been working to re-excavate fresh water sources, construct disaster resilient ponds, install rainwater harvesting systems, build low-cost latrines and renovate water and sanitation facilities in some of the cyclone shelters to reduce the spread of disease. In the picture opposite Mamunur Rashid, a resident of Satkhira District uses a pond sand filter installed by WaterAid to supply clean water.

Top Of Page

Payroll Giving Quality Mark Awards On The Up

The Institute of Fundraising has announced that a record number of Payroll Giving Quality Mark Award certificates have been distributed in 2010 – 3,347, which is over 1,200 more than last year.

The Quality Marks recognise employers’ commitment to Payroll Giving, awarding participation levels and ongoing promotions. The increase reveals that regardless of the economic downturn Payroll Giving is proving a resilient and effective way for employees to give. In addition, employers further support was shown in the £13 million they added to employees’ contributions throughout 2008/09 – a welcomed boost to UK charities.

Any organisation that has achieved a Bronze, Silver or Gold Quality Mark Award this year is eligible and welcome to enter the National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards. The deadline for entries is 16th July, so employers do still have time to submit their applications to the judging panel. Please contact us for further information and guidance in applying.

Lee Grant, Tax-Effective Giving Project Manager at the Institute of Fundraising said:

“Payroll Giving really is showing its strength in this recent period of economic uncertainty. We are delighted that so many employers have taken part in Payroll Giving and achieved the high standards demanded of the Quality Mark. I’d urge all those organisations which have embraced Payroll Giving to aim high by entering our National Payroll Giving Excellence Awards this year and join us at the London ceremony in October.”

Top Of Page