Member Article

Special flower arrangement boosts charity appeal

Employees from a Sunderland customer services centre have taken part in a special fund raising effort for Marie Curie.

EDF Energy staff Karen Sawyer and Susan Roberts, who are both from Sunderland, brought some extra flower power to Asda on Leechmere Road in Sunderland when they sold iconic Marie Curie Daffodil pin badges as part of an ongoing fundraising drive by the energy company.

The fundraising was supported by EDF Energy’s Helping Hands scheme, which allows employees to take time out of the office to support local community and charity projects in the region.

Susan, 44, who lost her father to cancer in 2008, said: “We volunteered through the EDF Energy Helping Hands scheme to help raise funds for Marie Curie and to support the excellent work they do. The day was very successful, lots of shoppers bought daffodil pin badges to support the charity, which made it really worthwhile, and we are grateful to Asda for supporting us with the event.”

EDF Energy announced a three-year charity partnership with Marie Curie in May 2013. As well as supporting the charity through volunteering, the energy company aims to raise £600,000 for Marie Curie over the period of the special relationship. This includes EDF Energy match-funding its employees’ fundraising by up to £100,000 each year.

In less than a year EDF Energy employees have raised over £180,000 for Marie Curie, almost doubling its annual target.

Karen Sawyer,34, said: “I have had quite a few family members and friends who have been impacted by cancer and sadly not all have survived. It is something which affects so many people, so Marie Curie needs all the help it can get with donations to help those suffering and to support families and loved ones.”

Marie Curie provides nursing care and support to people with a terminal illness, supporting them in their own home or at one of the charity’s nine hospices. In County Durham, Marie Curie nurses provided more than 14,000 hours of care and supported more than 400 terminally ill patients in 2011/12.

Employees from a Sunderland customer services centre have taken part in a special fund raising effort for Marie Curie.

EDF Energy staff Karen Sawyer and Susan Roberts, who are both from Sunderland, brought some extra flower power to Asda on Leechmere Road in Sunderland when they sold iconic Marie Curie Daffodil pin badges as part of an ongoing fundraising drive by the energy company.

The fundraising was supported by EDF Energy’s Helping Hands scheme, which allows employees to take time out of the office to support local community and charity projects in the region.

Susan, 44, who lost her father to cancer in 2008, said: “We volunteered through the EDF Energy Helping Hands scheme to help raise funds for Marie Curie and to support the excellent work they do. The day was very successful, lots of shoppers bought daffodil pin badges to support the charity, which made it really worthwhile, and we are grateful to Asda for supporting us with the event.”

EDF Energy announced a three-year charity partnership with Marie Curie in May 2013. As well as supporting the charity through volunteering, the energy company aims to raise £600,000 for Marie Curie over the period of the special relationship. This includes EDF Energy match-funding its employees’ fundraising by up to £100,000 each year.

In less than a year EDF Energy employees have raised over £180,000 for Marie Curie, almost doubling its annual target.

Karen Sawyer,34, said: “I have had quite a few family members and friends who have been impacted by cancer and sadly not all have survived. It is something which affects so many people, so Marie Curie needs all the help it can get with donations to help those suffering and to support families and loved ones.”

Marie Curie provides nursing care and support to people with a terminal illness, supporting them in their own home or at one of the charity’s nine hospices. In County Durham, Marie Curie nurses provided more than 14,000 hours of care and supported more than 400 terminally ill patients in 2011/12.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by EDF Energy .