Business Charity Awards Launched to Reward Charity Work of British Leisure Businesses

The awards are designed to recognise leisure companies that have shown leadership and commitment in forging relationships with the voluntary sector, ranging from conventional partnerships and challenge events to innovative projects such as employee engagement and social investment. 

Stephen Cook, Editor of Third Sector, said:” There are hundreds of leisure businesses in the UK that do fantastic work for charity and we thought it was time to celebrate and honour their achievements. Judging is based on a range of criteria so I really would encourage businesses of all sizes to enter.”

Lindsay Boswell, the Chief Executive of the Institute of Funding, said: “These awards will help raise the profile of leisure businesses that do good things for charity and both parties will benefit as a result.

Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive of Mandate Communications, said: “We know through our work with businesses and charities that companies are making a huge contribution to the voluntary sector, and we are thrilled that their hard work will be recognised.”

Businesses can enter one or more of 15 categories, including:

• The Business Charity Champion award for the business leader who has done the most to harness corporate support for charity
• The best Employment Scheme for the company that has done the most to help a charity through training and work experience
• The Outstanding Individual award for the employee who has devised the most innovative or productive way for his or her company to support a charity
• The Donate, Don’t Dump award for the company that most effectively implemented the scheme, devised by Mary Portas, in which businesses encourage staff to bring unwanted clothing to work for donation to charity shops
• The best Event for the company that has organised or sponsored the fundraising event which has done most to benefit charity
• The Employee Engagement award for the company that has done the most to engage its workforce with the voluntary sector

To enter, go to www.BusinessCharityAwards.com. The deadline for entries is March 11, 2010.  The winners will be announced on June 29, 2010, at a black-tie dinner at the Hilton Park Lane.