In 2014, we started a two and a half year partnership with Marie Curie, a charity chosen by our colleagues and customers.

Marie Curie logo
Marie Curie nurses care for terminally ill people in specially designed hospices and in their own homes, so they can spend their final days with their loved ones. We aimed to raise £500,000 to fund one hour of nursing care for every hour of the partnership, but through fantastic colleague and customer support we doubled this target and raised over £1.15 million by the end of 2016.

Colleagues took part in runs, treks, bed races, swimathons and many more activities to support the charity. We organised several Group-wide Marie Curie days in our branches and agencies, including a static bike challenge to celebrate the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2014. We held a Guinness World Record breaking tea party in June 2015 and a ‘Keepy Uppy’ challenge led by Marie Curie Ambassador and Sky Sports football pundit Chris Kamara during Euro 2016. We also generated a £334,000 donation through an affinity savings account which proved very popular with customers.

In total, the partnership funded over 57,500 hours of nursing care for terminally ill people. Colleagues also supported the charity by volunteering 7,421 hours of their time to take part in Great Daffodil bucket collections, work at Marie Curie hospices and charity shops and mentoring some of the charity’s managers to develop their leadership skills. 

In January 2017, we launched a new charity partnership with End Youth Homelessness, a national movement of local charities who work directly with over 15,000 vulnerable and homeless young people aged 16-25 across the UK. Together over the three year partnership, we aim to support over 700 homeless young people out of supported accommodation and into their own homes. 
CEO and Marie Curie nurse with teapot and afternoon tea