A campaign launched by a Greater Manchester company urging businesses to donate their unused Christmas party budgets has raised more than a million pounds for charities in less than a month since it launched.
With traditional workplace Christmas parties unable to take place this year due to coronavirus restrictions and social distancing, businesses are instead pledging the funds that they would have spent on celebrations to charities of all sizes instead.
As companies switch to online, virtual gatherings for 2020, donations via the Xmas Party Heroes campaign have so far reached £1,244,677.50, with the total increasing fast.
The campaign is not limited to party funds – some organisations have also been donating the cost of their usual gifts to corporate partners, and giving to charity instead of doing secret Santa presents in the office.
Xmas Party Heroes aims to help overcome the significant drop in funding for good causes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. A report by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (IoF) and Charity Finance Group (CFG) found that charities are expecting an average 24% reduction in funding this year – equating to a £12.4 billion loss of income for good causes as a whole.
Most charities have seen their entire events season wiped out for 2020, with Britain’s largest organised fundraising events, including Cancer Research’s Race for Life and the Alzheimer’s Society Memory Walk, cancelled.
Xmas Party Heroes is the brainchild of Mark Hawthorn, the CEO of Bolton-based investment company Landmark Group, who had the idea when considering the organisation’s Christmas plans.
After he consulted other businesses and the concept received a positive reaction, Mark and his team launched the Xmas Party Heroes website to provide businesses with a simple way of pledging Christmas party funds to charities.
It took off immediately, raising over £500,000 in just a few days and hitting the million-pound milestone a couple of weeks later.
No money is received by the Xmas Party Heroes campaign – instead, companies pledge through the Xmas Party Heroes website, and donate directly to their chosen charities.
Many Greater Manchester businesses have already pledged the unused portion of their Christmas party funds, including Timpson, headquartered in Wythenshawe.
James Timpson OBE, CEO of Timpson, said: “This is a great idea for companies to help others when they can’t celebrate Xmas with their colleagues. I’m amazed it’s not been thought of before.”
Hurstwood Holdings, a Manchester-based property management company, will be donating their unused party funds to Destination Florida – a children’s charity based in Eccles that provides the holiday of a lifetime to children with life-threatening illnesses and conditions in the North of England.
Kendra Energy has donated £200 for Bolton Lads and Girls Club, and environmental consultancy e3p Ltd has pledged to donate to both local mental health charity Mind Manchester and local homelessness charity Big Change MCR. Salford-based DOMU Brands has donated its Christmas party budget to help with typhoon support in the Philippines.
Many businesses are also choosing to keep their Xmas Party Heroes donations anonymous, with one organisation privately donating £100,000 – the initiative’s first six-figure pledge.
Landmark Group itself will be holding a virtual Christmas gathering and has donated £15,000 to Onside Youth Zones, a charity building a national network of youth clubs for youngsters aged eight to 19.
Mark Hawthorn, CEO of Landmark Group, said: “We all know that Christmas is going to be different this year. Traditional Christmas parties simply aren’t possible due to public health restrictions, so businesses of all sizes and sectors are choosing to swap their ‘work dos’ for smaller, socially-distant, or virtual celebrations instead.
“We also know that donations for charities have dramatically decreased due to the pandemic, with many charities unable to carry out their traditional fundraising activities and events. With Xmas Party Heroes, we wanted to raise awareness of this issue – and more importantly help to raise some much-needed funds for good causes.
“I’m absolutely thrilled that Xmas Party Heroes has raised nearly £1.2 million in such a short amount of time, and very thankful to the many businesses that have so far stepped up to donate to their chosen charities. The support we have received from business leaders and charities alike has been incredible.
“However, we’re not finished yet. Over £1 billion is reportedly spent in the UK each year on Christmas entertaining by businesses. It’s so important to recognise and celebrate the hard work of staff as best we can, but we also know that without large, in-person parties taking place, the vast majority of that figure will now go unallocated. The potential is there to raise tens of millions of pounds for charity.
“We want to keep momentum going, so that this festive season and at the end of such a tough year, we can help to make a massive difference to hundreds of great charities that are helping those that need it most.”
Kathryn Morley, CEO of OnSide Youth Zones, said: “We’re delighted to receive this £15,000 gift from the Landmark Group as part of the tremendous Xmas Party Heroes campaign. This gift will help us deliver support through Youth Zones to thousands of young people in disadvantaged areas across the country.”
As part of the Xmas Party Heroes initiative, any business can donate to any charity it chooses.
Trafford-based Property Alliance Group has donated funds to Ronald McDonald House Charities UK.
Jon Haward, Executive Director at Ronald McDonald House Charities UK, said: “The #XmasPartyHeroes initiative is a fantastic way for businesses to show their support for charities at this time, in lieu of the money they would have spent on their Christmas party.
“We are so grateful for the ongoing support from Property Alliance Group over the past few years. It’s incredible they are getting involved in our Christmas Bedside Appeal by being a Xmas Party Hero; Their support will help keep families close to their child in hospital this Christmas.”
Victoria Russell, Director at Property Alliance Group added: “Charities need support more than ever in 2020 and Xmas Party Heroes is a great way to raise a significant amount of money and awareness.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has hit disadvantaged communities the hardest, with increasing numbers of children and young people that would not have previously been identified as vulnerable, now moving into thresholds of higher need.
“Unemployment is increasing, loneliness, food poverty, issues relating to emotional health and wellbeing are all on the rise, which create additional demand and pressure on public services. “It’s great to see so many businesses getting behind this idea and helping to raise much needed funds.”
Businesses and charities alike have been taking to Twitter using the #XmasPartyHeroes hashtag to share their support. Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis has called the initiative “a great idea”, and comedian Joe Lycett said it was “neat”.
More than 200 charities of all sizes and that fundraise for a variety of causes have joined Xmas Party Heroes and voiced their support for the initiative.
Laura Woodcock, Head of Community Relationships, Central, at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “In these difficult times young people with cancer face uncertainty and isolation like never before. It’s refreshing to see campaigns like Xmas Party Heroes which aims to unite organisations in coming together to support charities at a time when they most need it. The current pandemic has had a huge impact on our ability to raise funds. Every pound pledged for Teenage Cancer Trust via Xmas Party Heroes is vital in supporting our specialist services for young people aged 13-24 with cancer.”
Rachel Laycock, Senior Corporate Fundraising Manager at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We’ve lost a number of fundraising events this year but we’re hopeful the generous support of businesses across the UK could help us turn things around. We fundraise for vital treatment, research and care projects for the children’s hospital and that funding benefits the 280,000 young patients our hospital sees each year.
“Anyone who wishes to support us through Xmas Party Heroes can be assured their donation will make a significant difference to our young patients – not just at Christmas, but throughout the year.”
Tess O’Callaghan, Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager at the NSPCC, said: “We’re really excited to be part of the #XmasPartyHeroes campaign. This year has been really tough for children and young people across the country, with the coronavirus restrictions turning their lives upside down. The NSPCC has remained here on the front line to help vulnerable children and their families, but we need your support to ensure that we can continue to provide that lifeline over the Christmas period.”
Paul Jackson-Clark, Director of Engagement at Parkinson’s UK, said: “It is fantastic to see an initiative like Xmas Party Heroes encouraging companies to support charities like Parkinson’s UK by donating the funds that would otherwise have been spent on Christmas parties. The coronavirus pandemic means that the festive season may be a little different this year – but there are still plenty of opportunities like this to support good causes.”
Mark Hawthorn’s charity campaign has already spawned international sister movements. CanadaHelps, the largest platform in Canada for donating and fundraising online, is helping to funnel donations direct to one of Canada’s 86,000 registered charities. A version of Xmas Party Heroes has also been launched in Norway.
For further information, visit http://www.xmaspartyheroes.co.uk or follow @XmasPartyHeroes #xmaspartyheroes on Twitter.
