Accountancy firm well on track to smash £100k charity target

Newcastle accountancy firm Robson Laidler has announced that it is well ahead of schedule to hit its ambitious target of raising £100,000 for local charities before 2020.

The CSR team have confirmed that they have already reached £82,600 within only two years of setting the challenge and have helped over 100 different charities or community projects in 83 different ways.

Fundraising activities have included a high profile chocolate themed charity ball that raised more than £7000  for the firm’s charity of the year – The Tiny Lives Trust, as well as staff taking on the gruelling Three Peaks walking challenge and one of the directors slept rough for one night for local charity Leading Link.

Those efforts have been supported by a number of smaller, more regular fundraisers including a movie night within the firm’s Jesmond office, raffles, tombolas, cake bakes, and dress down days. Staff have also used their paid volunteer hours to contribute towards this.

Robson Laidler’s tax senior Emma Thompson heads up the firm’s CSR cell. She said: “I am very proud of the efforts of the entire team – whether they have contributed financially or via volunteering, donating or getting their hands dirty baking cakes or making sausage sandwiches it is all helping us to reach our fundraising target.

“We still have £20,000 to go within two years and I am confident that with the sustained calendar of events we have planned including a Hats, Hotdogs & Halloween fundraiser in October and a sponsored Christmas lunch in December, as well as theenthusiasm from staff in getting involved that we will achieve this.”

Robson Laidler pledged to raise £100,000 for 100 different charities to tie in with its 100th birthday in 2020. The firm also gives its staff 7.5 hours paid time per year to volunteer within work hours. Some initiatives so far include painting garden furniture at a community bowling club in Newcastle, supermarket bag packing and talking to young people about careers in accountancy at local schools.