Member Article

Greggs graduate scheme shakes up charity

MEMBERS of the Greggs Graduate Scheme have taken on a challenge to shake up a charity initiative by setting up an innovative pop-up milkshake bar at the Forum Shopping Centre, Wallsend.

Earlier this year, north-east based national charity Changing Lives launched its `Put 5k to Work’ initiative which calls on corporate teams to borrow up to £5,000, loaned from the charity over a period of six months, and use it to generate as much profit as possible for the charity to reinvest in to its Employment Service.

The Changing Lives Milkshake Bar, which opened last week, will be open Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9.00am – 5:00pm. There’s a variety of exciting milkshake flavours on offer, including Oreo, Skittles and Jaffa Cakes and the Greggs Graduates will be open to suggestions for new flavours from members of the public, too.

Milkshakes will be priced at only £2, with all profits going to Changing Lives.

Liam Fell, one of the graduates involved in the scheme said: “We were all really enthusiastic about the ‘Put £5k to Work’ challenge. It’s a great way for us to work together outside our roles within the business as well as challenging and testing our entrepreneurial skills, and all for a great cause. We decided that a pop up shop would be the core idea for this project which we would then subsidise with smaller fundraising activities.”

The business challenge will help raise vital funds for the charity’s innovative Employment Service, which is delivered across the North East in conjunction with Business in the Community’s national ‘Ready for Work’ programme. The service helps people with some of the biggest barriers to the job market to get employment-ready and secure sustainable jobs.

Over the past three years, with the support of businesses such as Sage, Virgin Money, BettaKleen, PwC, M&S and Greggs plc, over 700 people have used the employment service to gain employment skills such as confidence building, work placements, further education, CV writing skills and interview techniques. Hundreds have gone on to secure full time, sustainable jobs.

Stephen Bell, OBE, chief executive of Changing Lives believes ‘Put £5k to Work’ is a great way for businesses to build their CSR credits, while developing the creative skills of their staff to raise funds for a worthwhile cause.

He said: “Put £5k to Work is a unique fundraising initiative which gives businesses the opportunity to make their ideas a reality - as long as it’s decent, fair and legal, the business teams can use their imagination, strategic brains and business insight to maximise up to £5,000 worth of investment. In return the organisations can spot future leaders, identify superstars and hit those important corporate social responsibility targets.

“Not only will the initiative help to raise the profile of businesses in the region, the overall fundraising aim is to raise much needed funds for our employment team to continue their ground-breaking work finding long-term meaningful jobs for vulnerable people.”

Sue McArdle, head of business assurance at Greggs Plc, said: “Greggs is delighted to take part in this exciting initiative, not only to raise funds to sustain the work of Changing Lives, but to also provide an opportunity for some of our brightest young talent to work together and develop their business acumen.”

Changing Lives Employment Service delivers a powerful support package to help clients from a range of backgrounds and with a variety of skills and experiences get back in to work. Changing Lives work with people over the age of 18 years old who’ve experienced homelessness and other forms of disadvantage.

For further information about Put £5k to Work and to enter a team, please contact Val Nevin on 0191 256 2913 or email val.nevin@changing-lives.og.uk or visit www.changing-lives.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Narrative Integrated Communications .