It is my firm view that companies should operate ethically and that they should seek to make a positive contribution to the communities in which they operate. Running my own consultancy practice gives me the opportunity to put these convictions into action. One way in which I do this is through my commitment to donate 10% of the company’s pre-tax profits to support local charities.
Having experienced strong growth in the company’s second year in existence, I am extremely pleased that Sockmonkey has been able to support four organisations that do valuable work in Somerset and further afield:
- the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Portishead appeal;
- the Somerset Community Foundation’s flood relief fund;
- Avon and Somerset Search and Rescue; and
- the Disasters Emergency Committee Philippines typhoon appeal.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the charity that saves lives at sea. It is in the process of adopting the existing independent lifeboat at Portishead, just down the road from where Sockmonkey is based, and is raising funds to build a new boathouse and training facility. This will allow the lifeboat to be launched at all stages of the tide and will provide the volunteer crew with the facilities that it deserves. Find out more about the fundraising appeal here.
The Somerset Community Foundation is a grant-making body that supports local charities, community groups and social enterprises. Following the devastating floods on the Somerset Levels in early 2014, the Foundation established a relief fund, which provides financial and other support to local people whose homes have been flooded or who have had to be evacuated. It also supports small businesses and other organisations whose survival has been threatened by the floods. Find out more here.
Avon and Somerset Search and Rescue is an emergency service staffed by volunteers. Affiliated to the national mountain rescue service, it works with the police and other emergency services to provide land-based, cliff and swift-water rescue across the Avon and Somerset area. It is typically called out to look for missing persons, to assist injured hikers and climbers and to assist in the evacuation of those affected by flooding. Find out more about the organisation and its work here.
Typhoon Haiyan was 300 miles across when it struck the Philippines on the 8th of November and was one of the most intense tropical storms to ever make landfall anywhere in the world. It brought torrential rain, sustained winds of over 195mph and a storm surge of up to 30 feet that devastated coastal areas. The Disasters Emergency Committee, which brings together some of the UK’s leading aid agencies, is working to help the millions of people who have been affected, including hundreds of thousands who have been forced from their homes. Find out more about the appeal here.