Darlington pay a monthly direct debit to our Covid-19 Recovery Fund , and are looking to grow that .
“ EMG Solicitors have a with-profits model , where five per cent of profits go to their fund at the foundation .
“ Banks Group make a donation for every wind farm they get permission to construct .
“ This money goes to funds they hold at the foundation to spread around the community , so in this way , they ’ re almost outsourcing their corporate social responsibility to us and we distribute those funds to good community causes in places where it is needed most .
“ What would be great for us in the North-East is if businesses everywhere tweaked their mindset a little , so they were aiming at being entrepreneurial people who are there for their community .
“ Each business is unique , and I understand that .
“ When a business comes to us we like to build that relationship slowly , find out what makes them tick , and help them tailor their giving accordingly .
“ So many businesses want to give back , but by the time they ’ re up and running and turning a profit , work has overtaken them and they might feel a bit lost with so many good causes out there .
“ Giving through the foundation is a way of easily identifying what your business cares about , and then handing the fiddly bits over to us to take care of .”
At the time of Wear Business going to press , Michelle was still waiting to hear when she , husband , Stephen , and their 10-year-old daughter Lucy will get the chance to rub shoulders with the Queen .
But you suspect while she ’ s in London , she might be tempted to pop down the road to Number 10 , or better still , Number 11 Downing Street , to have a word .
“ I fear for what ’ s around the corner for charities in 2021 after the challenges always created by Christmas spending , the potential repercussions of Brexit and Covid-19 still hovering ," she admits .
“ I think it needs the government to sort that out in the Treasury Spending Review , to look at the UK Shared Prosperity Fund , the money which replaces the European Regional Development monies and funding to truly address the ‘ levelling up ’ agenda talked about so much during the election .
“ In the meantime , though , the business community of the North-East can play a huge role in ensuring charity begins at home .”
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