‘It’s good business to support local charities and communities’ – this will be the message to Halton firms at the launch of a new partnership, the Halton Foundation, on Wednesday 24 February at Runcorn’s Heath Business Park.

All firms, small and large, who are interested in developing links with local charities and community organisations, are invited to attend the launch event, hosted by Halton Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise.

The aim of the new Foundation will be to forge better links between local voluntary groups, who need help, with local businesses who may be able to provide it. This is not just about fund raising and grants but in-kind support too, such as free professional advice, transport, equipment or website design.

The partnership will be led by Halton Chamber, Halton Borough Council and Halton & St Helen’s Voluntary and Community Action (VCA), assisted by Cheshire Connect, Business in the Community (BITC) and Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside (CFLM).

Chamber chief executive Paula Cain said: “Many large companies have well-established corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies but we want to tell smaller companies – you can make a huge difference to your local communities too.

“Very often it’s not about money but about providing a wide range of support. Employees could be encouraged to adopt a local charity or a company may be able to provide a particular service or expertise.

“No business exists in a vacuum and it actually makes good business sense, as well-as delivering a feel-good factor, to give something back to the local community in which you operate.”

Keynote speakers at the event will be Halton Council chief executive David Parr, Chris Bliss, Liverpool One estate director and chair of the North West Philanthropy Fellowship and Richard Bamber, who owns Runcorn family coach company, Anthony’s Travel.

Richard & Dawn Bamber – Anthony’s Travel

Richard Bamber has twice won the Cheshire High Sheriff’s Enterprise Award for CSR and also the Trinity Mirror CSR Business Award in recognition of the enormous contribution Anthony’s Travel has made to the local community.

Founded by his mother and father thirty years ago, the firm has always had a strong community ethos and supported such charities as Halton Haven Hospice, Widnes Special Olympic gymnast Omar Haddad, Victoria Music and the Mark Gorry Foundation. This has sometimes been in the form of grants but often in-kind with the provision of free transport. He and his wife Dawn and their three children have all got behind the charities’ fund-raising activities, even completing the annual sponsored walk up Mount Snowdon for the Mark Gorry Foundation.

He said: “Our motto is – Think globally act locally. The big blue chip companies may win on finance but nobody can beat us on passion. We care about the area we trade in.

“It’s not just about money but about sharing resources, contacts, local knowledge. We enjoy a personal relationship with each of the causes we support and we like to see where our money is being spent.

“Anthony’s Travel is at the heart of Halton, not just a faceless organisation so that has been good for business too.”

Halton Foundation will be launched at a special two hour event in the lecture theatre at the Health Business Park on Wednesday 24 February, starting at 8.30am. To book a free place, please contact Nicola Holland, email: events@haltonchamber.co.uk.

For more information, please contact Lynn Pegler, Pegler Communications
On behalf of Halton Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise
Tel: 01928 789042. Mob: 07783 686246. lynn@peglercommunications.co.uk