FEATURE
Commitment – CF is proud to be an MFC Foundation Diamond Partner.
Endurance – sponsored events have included a coast-to-coast cycle challenge and the Three Peaks and Whitby to Saltburn coastal walks.
strategic plans to support and positively impact the Tees Valley community. By supporting the work of the foundation, CF recognises the opportunity to achieve its philanthropic goals with a strategically aligned partner.
With football and a love for the Boro mostly uniting Team CF, the beautiful game has brought colleagues and contractors together to fundraise for the foundation through their corporate charity football initiatives.
With family and friends in attendance, this year’ s game raised an incredible £ 14,164 in total. CF is proud to be an MFC Foundation Diamond Partner and will continue working to leverage further support across pillars such as STEM education to maximise their combined impact.
CF’ s IRG Special Challenge subcommittee has also fundraised with purpose in recent years, focusing on local community advancement and healthy food access.
In taking on a coast-to-coast cycle
challenge, walking the Three Peaks and undertaking the Whitby to Saltburn coastal walk, it has raised vital funds to support the work of the Billingham and Stockton Borough Foodbank and Teesside Mind, while also prioritising and improving their own wellbeing.
With the IRG’ s support, the team is proud to have donated nearly £ 20,000 to these deserving causes.
Building relationships The great thing about the IRG is that value and impact is measured in different ways by different beneficiaries. Some requests are one-offs, and a donation can resolve an immediate challenge that would stretch a school PTA budget or where funds simply don’ t exist.
But where possible, CF looks to build relationships and lend its support to causes, charities and groups where the local community benefits and prospers, and where the business can learn and become better educated as well.
The Teesside Charity and Daisy Chain are two such examples, giving CF the chance to extend the breadth of its reach and engage with service users and staff.
And it’ s not just people that CF supports. With a mission to produce clean energy to feed and fuel the world and an aim to decarbonise its business by 2050, environmental sustainability is high on the agenda.
It has supported the work of the Billingham Environmental Link Partnership( BELP) since its inception and the environmental sub-committee continues to reach out into the community to identify and support other local projects, both flora and fauna.
The wider business is also committed to litter picking to help preserve the boundaries of its Haverton Hill Road and Portrack sites.
Beyond Teesside The IRG is a business-wide initiative and with its selling, general and administrative expenses function based in Chester, CF’ s support extends into the North-West. Continuing the theme of relationship building, CF has a burgeoning partnership with SHARE Chester, a charity that supports families in crisis and people who are homeless in North Wales and Chester.
Each month a group visits the SHARE centre or volunteers on community projects, in addition to regular collections and fundraisers. By their own admission, this pushes you out of your comfort zone, but as their colleagues on Teesside will testify, it’ s only by going out into the community that you truly appreciate the“ why” and“ how”.
When CF talks about reflection, this is what it means. Supporting those less fortunate or being involved in projects that can sometimes be overlooked is humbling and rewarding in equal measure and reaffirms the importance of the IRG.
And the insight and knowledge that comes back into the business influences more than just the charity budget allocation. Whether it’ s in a social deprivation or business context, it’ s ultimately about understanding, treating people with kindness and supporting their needs as best you can.
* Tees Valley Economic Assessment, 2022
The voice of business in the Tees region | 63