In April 2007 the UK’s largest transport operator, FirstGroup, revealed that Save the Children was to become its first national charity partner.
Almost four years on and the Aberdeen based company announced today that it has raised £4 million in cash and in kind for the charity.
Chief Executive of Save the Children International, Jasmine Whitbread, paid a special visit to FirstGroup’s headquarters this afternoon to thank the company and its staff for their fundraising efforts. She was met by Tim O’Toole, FirstGroup’s Chief Executive.
Mr O’Toole said: “Our staff throughout the UK have embraced Save the Children in a way we could not have predicted. From running marathons, losing weight and shaving heads, our people have been very creative in their fund-raising and overwhelmingly supportive. I am extremely proud that the partnership has raised £4 million so far and look forward to continuing that support in 2011.”
Ms Whitbread said: “Everyone at Save the Children is enormously appreciative of FirstGroup’s support since 2007, which to date has generated huge value, with funds and gifts in kind worth £4 million. Over the last four years we have seen FirstGroup staff finding imaginative ways to raise money, generous corporate donations to support our education and community projects in the UK, and gifts in kind of free bus advertising to support our campaigns. This tremendous partnership has enabled Save the Children to transform the lives some of the UK’s most vulnerable children living in poverty today.”
Mr O’Toole and Ms Whitbread unveiled today FirstGroup's support for Save the Children's 'Born To' campaign, with advertising on First in Aberdeen buses featuring the headline 'No Child Born Without a Chance'.
From April 2011 7,500 of First’s bus throughout the UK will feature this campaign.
Providing free advertising on its buses is an example of First’s in kind support of Save the Children. First’s cash donations to the charity include corporate donations, money raised by staff and funds generated by its Annual Dinner Dance and its First Monster Challenge duathlon events.
These funds have been used to support Save the Children’s work in the UK to end child poverty. This has included projects such as ‘Wee Shots’ where groups of young people living in poverty in the UK were given training and support to produce films about challenges in their community, which Save the Children used as an empowerment and lobbying tool. First has also funded salaries of Programme Managers in the UK, research into important issues such as the benefits system, and young people and community engagement projects.
In 2010 First supported two pilots of Save the Children’s UK early intervention project, Families and Schools Together (FAST). This UN endorsed education programme is designed to enable the parents of families living in poverty to better support their children to build confidence and do well at school. First will continue to support FAST in 2011.
Picture Caption: Tim O'Toole, Chief Executive of FirstGroup and Jasmine Whitbread, Chief Executive of Save the Children International
About Save the Children’s ‘Born To’ Campaign
Save the Children believes that every child should get the chance to fulfil their potential, wherever they're born and whatever their circumstances. No child in the
UK should be born without a warm home, the right food, or the hope of a good education. So it is asking the UK public to help the poorest children get a better start in life - both at home and at school, and it's campaigning to make sure government is working towards a time when no child in this country is born without a chance. People can get involved and help change children's lives by doing what they're born to do - for example, if you're born to run you can join a Save the Children running group. You can find out more at www.savethechildren.org.uk/bornto.