City workers are being asked to celebrate their firms’ community and volunteering initiatives this year by taking part in online and offline activities as part of The Lord Mayor’s Appeal’s City Giving Day 2020.
The annual event, this year on Tuesday 22 September 2020, celebrates the value of the City to society and shows how businesses can make a difference. It champions activities – whether corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, or volunteering initiatives – that companies undertake as part of their commitment to supporting charity, society, the community and the environment in which they work.
In light of Covid-19 and social distancing rules, this year businesses and employees are encouraged to think about how they can run activities online and using digital platforms. From online talent shows to digital escape rooms, collective cook-a-longs to mass Zoom raves, there are lots of options for firms to engage colleagues in exciting events that can help raise money for charities and causes.
As well as the online activities, there will be the annual treasure hunt and City Walk which will give opportunities to explore the City in a safe way.
Organisations who are back in the office are also encouraged to organise activities safely and can take inspiration from previous years. At the 2019 Thank You Reception Credit Suisse won the Most Innovative Event Award for their rickshaw rally around Canary Wharf, and Skanska won the Best Community Engagement Award for organising a whole week of activity ranging from beach cleans to taking over charity shops and garden tidying to painting rooms.
In 2019, 424 organisations came together to recognise all this remarkable work. By joining in they inspired up to 5,000 new volunteers to offer their time, raised more than £500,000 for good causes and highlighted some of the exceptional charitable activity that takes place throughout the year. 100% of participants said that they would recommend the day to others. This year is set to be bigger and better than ever.
The campaign is a chance for employers to talk to staff, recognise achievements and plan even better community engagement in the future, whether in the form of mentoring, fundraising or volunteering vital expertise.
Alderman William Russell The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of the City of London says: “2019 was hugely successful, and this year we hope to see even more organisations and businesses getting involved in City Giving Day, holding events, volunteering, fundraising and sharing their stories to demonstrate the transformational impact of bringing together businesses, employees, communities and charities.
I hope that you will join me and the hundreds of businesses committed to making City Giving Day 2020 the best yet.”
Caroline Wright, Chief Executive Officer of The Lord Mayor’s Appeal says: “City Giving Day brings together the City of London and beyond to celebrate all the fantastic philanthropic and volunteering work that has been done throughout the year. It is a day of celebration and this year it will be more important than ever to reflect back on the past few months and applaud and celebrate the collaboration during this crisis and the support that organisations have given through various channels to their communities and frontline workers.”
The event shows a side to the businesses and firms that is community focused and concentrates on bringing about real impact. It’s part of the multi-year strategy A Better City for All. Focused on four key pillars, the strategy aims to create a City that is Inclusive, Healthy, Skilled and Fair, with the objective of helping 1 million people thrive.
