GivetoLocal giveaways impact upon community sport

Community sport clubs across the UK are flocking to join GiveToLocal as the Tyneside service provider’s innovative #InspiredToGive campaign gathers pace.

And the North Shields organisation’s ability to pivot in the face of the coronavirus crisis has captured the imagination of global recurring payments heavyweight GoCardless.

Two weeks into the #InspiredToGive campaign and 14 grassroots sport clubs have shared nearly £7,000 worth of social giveaways.

The initiative is seeking to raise awareness around the support GiveToLocal can offer to community teams and small businesses during the coronavirus crisis.

Cash donations and vouchers provided by sports retailer Kitlocker have been claimed by clubs from Kirkaldy to London with the promise of many more to follow.

And Pat Phelan, Chief Customer Officer at GoCardless, said: “#InspiredToGive is a fantastic initiative.

“This is a difficult time for everyone and we have been watching GiveToLocal’s response to the coronavirus crisis with interest.

“The #InspiredToGive campaign can make a real difference at a time when community sport is facing a unique challenge.

“GiveToLocal has adapted so positively in the circumstances that we decided to let our own staff know about the great work they’re doing across the UK.

“We spoke to their CEO, Neil Gardiner, about featuring the organisation in an internal campaign designed to remind our own staff of the key contribution that they continue to make.

“It’s important that the GoCardless community is aware of the positive work it’s doing right now.

“And when it comes to GiveToLocal we are proud to call ourselves partners.”

GoCardless’s #CustomerSpotlight campaign launched earlier this month with an emphasis on highlighting positive change during a period of flux.

The initiative celebrates the resilience and creativity of GoCardless customers and spotlights those who have adapted their approach in response to the coronavirus crisis.

GiveToLocal was featured from the start and Neil Gardiner added: “In a short space of time we have built up a fantastic relationship with GoCardless.

“We are delighted to be a part of their #CustomerSpotlight campaign and it’s a great initiative by Pat and his team.

“The support we’ve had from GoCardless is, in turn, making a real difference to players, parents and volunteers across the country.

“Thousands of new teams across a full range of sports have joined the GiveToLocal community in the first two weeks of the #InspiredToGive campaign.

“It’s something we’re very proud of and we will continue to work around the clock to help grassroots sport and small businesses adapt to the COVID-19 crisis.”

Business solutions provider Kudos, NHS backed sleep service Sleepstation and Newcastle United and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Rob Elliot have joined GoCardless in supporting more than £7,000 worth of GiveToLocal giveaways this month.

And Kitlocker continues to commit to voucher promotions enabling cash-strapped clubs to restock vital kit at a time when income has all but dried up.

Neil added: “This money is going straight to the people who need it most and I can’t over-estimate the generosity of our partners.

“Each and every one of them is impacting positively on a grassroots sport community facing an increasingly uncertain future.”

GoCardless hosted GiveToLocal’s national launch in December.

Its mission is to take the pain out of getting paid, for businesses with recurring revenue, and Pat explained: “We’ve created a global bank debit network to rival credit and debit cards.

“On top of that we’ve built a platform designed and optimised for taking invoice, subscription, membership and instalment payments.”

GoCardless processes $13bn in transactions a year and works with 53,000 businesses across the globe from GiveToLocal to TripAdvisor and The Guardian.

“Although we work with some of the biggest names in the world we also focus on enabling smaller businesses and organisations to grow and thrive,” added Pat.

“GiveToLocal falls into that category and from day one we’ve supported the ambition and ethos of Neil and his team.

“It was wonderful to host GiveToLocal at our London offices last December and that event brought home just why this partnership works so well.”

GoCardless has offices in London, Paris, Munich, Melbourne and San Francisco.

The business is backed by some of the world’s leading investors including Adams Street Partners, Accel Partners, Balderton Capital, GV (formerly Google Ventures), Notion Capital, Passion Capital and Salesforce Ventures Y Combinator.

For more information on GiveToLocal and the #InspiredToGive campaign visit www.givetolocal.com | @GiveToLocalUK or contact CEO Neil Gardiner at [email protected]