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Nominating and supporting a charity of the year is easier than you think according to the experience of the employees at the AA in Basingstoke, who voted to support Naomi House Children's Hospice during 2007.
The AA asked its employees to vote from a list of charity categories at the end of each year, to give a common theme and focus to the company's charity activities. Then at each of the AA's six offices, charity champions organisedthe second round of voting - either for a national charity.
The AA provided matched funding of 50p for every £1 raised to. During 2007 a total of £14,384.46 was raised for Naomi House and there's still money coming in!
To keep up the momentum, the Basingstoke AA charity champions had a theme for each month to raise awareness and promote their charity of the year, Naomi House, on a regular basis to employees.
"For example, in January, we held a Christmas presents amnesty to help re-stock Naomi House's shops, February and March saw us use Valentine's Day and Easter respectively, to raffle a selection of prizes such as a lovely dinner for two and an enormous Easter egg" explained Cathy Billett, Group Internal Communications Manager of the AA. "Then in early summer we hosted a School Sports Day and in late summer, the charity champions staged a BBQ for all employees in Fanum grounds with all ticket proceeds from both events going to Naomi House." She continued.
Cathy describes how the initiative was also good for the business, "It helps relationships between colleagues. We have been delighted with the level of support shown for Naomi House by employees who have volunteered through a variety of initiatives from team building activities at a departmental level to doing the South Downs run. An added bonus is that all these activities give us great stories for our intranet and in-house monthly newspaper.
"Everybody joined in. The AA's Business Services department donated some hospitality tickets and we set up an auction on our intranet so employees could bid for events such as concerts or Wimbledon tickets.
"We have also discovered some excellent cake baking skills and soon learnt that food sells very well here in aid of charity!! One of the last events the charity champions organised was a couple of Christmas parties for over one hundred children of employees with ticket proceeds going direct to Naomi House
"We thoroughly enjoyed our involvement with Naomi House. They provided us with fantastic support and ideas throughout this year - its proved a great partnership for both of us and we are delighted to have supported them during their 10th anniversary year" said Cathy Billett.
Helen Lovell, Coporate Fundraiser fro Naomi House was delighted with the support Naomi House received from the AA. Helen described the positive outcomes, "It was great for us at Naomi House too - we were able to build up a good relationship with a lot of people who were so kind and energetic in raising a huge amount of money for us. We find that this sort of support works at many levels - for us, for the company and for the people who work there - and it's becoming more and more popular."