We love our clients, and every year we look forward to sending out a little token of our appreciation at Christmas to say thanks for choosing us to help bring their vision to life. However, this year our team wanted to do something different that really lived up to our mission of creating the world we want to live in, so we decided to give our corporate gifts away.
Instead of spending time and money on corporate gifts that our clients can easily do without, each member of our team was given a donation budget and a half-day to volunteer with a charitable organisation of their choice. This decision meant we were able to support vulnerable communities in Merton Wandsworth, Kingston and Newport via donations to Don’s Local Action Group, Newport Foodbank and Feed Newport. Part of our team also spent time supporting the volunteers at Don’s Local Action Group, which three football fans started to help vulnerable people during the pandemic. The network has now become a thriving mutual aid community hub that provides food, furniture, appliances and children’s electronics for the community, and offers space for volunteers to connect and support one another.
Our team in the Midlands treated the incredible staff at Birmingham’s Andrew Cohen House to some delicious chocolates to say thanks for the amazing care they provide for the residents at their home and further south, we served food and drinks at a candlelight charity dinner and carol service at St John’s Parish Church in Digswell, Hertfordshire and fed London’s homeless and needy with Shree Jalaram Temple’s soup kitchen.
Our charitable work was rounded off with a day supporting the Felix project’s warehouse team as they redistribute London’s surplus food to schools and charities, and a donation to Refuge that went towards buying Christmas gifts for women and children fleeing domestic violence.
We pride ourselves on valuing humanity over habit, so this year, when so many people across the country need a helping hand, we wanted to do what we could to make a difference. As a company that ultimately exists to build better connections, the volunteering was the most important part of our Christmas gift-giving, and it’s a commitment many of us have pledged to continue into the New Year.
Choosing to pivot our Christmas gifting strategy was an easy decision because we know our clients share our values and knew they would wholeheartedly support our decision to give their gifts away to make the season feel a little brighter for others. Actively supporting the incredible people who uplift, protect and sustain our communities has been one of our most rewarding moments as a company and in 2023, we’ll be looking for more ways to continue doing that directly, through our work and with our clients.
Merry Christmas from Team JW. 🎄
