Member Article

Astley Signs partners with Macmillan Cancer Support to great success

Over the last year Astley Signs has raised £8,468 for Macmillan Cancer Support despite experiencing the pandemic with all its restrictions.

The firm has four sites including its head office in Team Valley, Gateshead and chose Macmillan Cancer Support as its charity of choice at the start of 2020 and was almost immediately plunged into the Covid-19 public health crisis.

Along with the rest of the Astley team HR Manager Linda Lee Cooper when she joined the business in early 2020 was determined that the health and wellbeing of staff was paramount and the team’s commitment to Macmillan continued despite the circumstances. This has been supported by the Astley board committing to match funding donations and achieving the £8,468 total.

Linda said: “The management team and the staff in general are all committed to supporting Macmillan and it meant we just had to be more creative about how we went about fundraising. We have also decided to extend our partnership with Macmillan until at least the end of this year because of the disruption.

“Five years ago, I lost my mother-in-law to cancer and many years ago my grandma also lost her life to this terrible disease, so I’ve been personally involved in fund raising for Macmillan over a long period.

“I know that there are many people within Astley who have had similar experiences with loved ones or have faced their own diagnosis and are equally as motivated to not let difficult times get in the way of our fundraising momentum.

“Macmillan and the amazing support it gives, and the services it provides family and friends as well as those living with cancer comes up in discussion time and again. We are only too happy as a team of people to give something back.”

Staff threw themselves into fundraising initiatives prevailing restrictions permitting such as Brave the Shave, cake sales, virtual challenges, Easter Egg raffles and many other imaginative approaches to fundraising whilst restrictions are in place have happened over the last year.

“We’ve even entered the Better Health at Work Awards to encourage a healthy environment for employees to continue their fundraising challenges. We’ve left it entirely up to the individual what they might want to get involved with as we are conscious this has been a stressful and difficult time for everyone and we don’t want to put undue pressure on our people. The response has been amazing!”

Erin Farley Relationship Fundraising Manager for Macmillan in the North East said: “We are so grateful to the Astley Signs team and their commitment to us through such a difficult year has really made a difference.

“Anyone in need of cancer support can call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, which is open 7 days a week, 8am-8pm, or visit Macmillan’s Online Community.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by 2B Communications Limited .