As regular visitors to my website will know, 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 had another great year in 2015, I am extremely pleased that Sockmonkey has been able to support three organisations that do valuable work in Somerset and further afield:
- Wellspring Counselling;
- Children’s Hospice South West; and
- Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary.
Wellspring Counselling
Wellspring Counselling is based just around the corner from me and is a charity that offers confidential help and support to people in the local community.
The charity’s aim is to make counselling accessible to all in a timely and cost effective manner, with clients being able to access the service themselves or after consultation with their GP.
The organisation has a team of dedicated counsellors, who help those facing loss and bereavement, relationship difficulties, stress and anxiety, depression and issues resulting from physical, sexual or emotional abuse as well as other distressing situations.
You can find out more here.
Children’s Hospice South West
Children’s Hospice South West runs three hospices across the South West, one of which – Charlton Farm – is based just up the road from where I live and work.
Its aim is to support the families of children living with life-limiting or life threatening conditions, by providing them with a happy, safe and comforting environment in which they can take ‘time out’ and enjoy being together.
The care that the organisation offers includes respite and short breaks, emergency care, palliative care and end of life care. It’s not simply about medical and nursing care for sick children, though, but about enriching the lives of children and their families.
You can read more about the charity’s work here.
Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary
Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary is likewise based very close to where I live and work. It helps unwanted, abandoned and mistreated animals, providing a safe haven for dogs and cats until loving, permanent and responsible new owners can be found.
Some of the animals that the sanctuary helps have been much-loved pets, but changed circumstances have forced their owners to part with them. Others arrive as strays, having got lost or been abandoned.
Some animals need help because their owners simply cannot cope with them or they just don’t want them any more. Others, sadly, because their owner has died and there is no one left to look after them.
You can find out more about Holly Hedge here.
Supporting the work of charities like these is incredibly important to me. It has motivated me to do more to help these organisations and others like them. And it has shown me that we can all, in our own ways, make a real difference to the communities in which we live.