Dave Richards, Head of CSR at Capital One and Mel Oley, Associate Director of Fundraising & Supporter Engagement at Rethink Mental Illness pictured
Capital One UK associates raise £25,436 for Rethink Mental Illness – and other charities – as part of an internal campaign.
Launched with an ambition to raise £10,000 for charity, Capital One UK’s first ever Charity Week went ahead virtually and saw associates get involved in some unique challenges.
From getting associates involved in Capital One’s take on Gogglebox – a popular Channel 4 show – to going vegan, virtual physical challenges in the form of walking, running or cycling, to craft challenges, associates had an array of fundraising activities to choose from to support the good cause. All activities which were launched through an internal communications campaign also focussed on enhancing associate’s mental and physical wellbeing.
The choice of fundraising activities have proved that despite a national lockdown, it is still possible to come together, even when apart, to raise money for a great cause. It is hoped that this success story offers some inspiration for businesses in how to get creative when it comes to fundraising when faced with restrictions.
On top of individual associate’s efforts, different departments were also tasked with a Community Champions Challenge, which offered the opportunity to receive a further £2000 for their departmental chosen charity. Activities here saw charity books clubs, team yoga and raffles. All the activities were so brilliant that the internal judging panel decided to give all 6 of the charities an extra cash boost.
As another fundraising incentive, associates were encouraged to claim up to 5 Rethink Mental Illness rewards badges during the week. For each badge collected, an additional £20 was donated to Rethink Mental Illness, per associate, with the total doubling to £200 if all 5 badges were collected. The badges were collected by attending relevant sessions throughout the week, taking part in the activities or simply by donating money to the cause.
Associate’s fundraising efforts totalled up to £12,443, which was matched by Capital One’s CSR team, bringing the total amount donated to Rethink Mental Illness to £25,436. Since 2017, Capital One have now raised over £150,000 for Rethink Mental Illness.
Dave Richards, Head of CSR at Capital One led the campaign. He commented: “We’ve been supporting Rethink Mental Illness since 2017, and have proudly raised a phenomenal £150,000 for them, so far. Mental illness is a global health crisis that sadly has no vaccine, and it’s been recently estimated that over 10 million people in the UK will need mental health support as a direct consequence of covid-19.
Charities like Rethink Mental Illness will be at the frontline of helping those who need it most, so need funds more than ever to deliver their services. We wanted to encourage our associates to come together, even when apart, to raise as much as we can for Rethink Mental Illness and our other charity partners.
We are so happy that our associate’s fundraising efforts have been a success as not only did we hit our target of £10,000, we surpassed it.
This year has shown just how important our physical and mental health is, so we are so happy to be able to raise money for a cause that supports this and to help make sure the crucial mental health support they provide continues through tough times.”
Mark Winstanley, CEO of Rethink Mental Illness, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the team at Capital One UK for all their support over the last four years, and especially going the extra mile to support Rethink Mental Illness towards the end of 2020. It’s been brilliant to see such a creative approach to fundraising which brings people together through different virtual challenges and activities, all promoting the importance of looking after our own mental and physical wellbeing.
“All of the money raised will help our work to support people living with mental illness and their carers. It’s a welcome boost for our services at the end of a particularly difficult year for us all, and I’d like to extend our thanks to everyone at Capital One UK for their ongoing support.”
