In the latest in our ‘Life@Miller’ series, we learn more about Miller’s Charities Committee from Jane Judd and Mary Bowie, and the ways in which they help Miller as a business and Miller colleagues provide support to our partner charities.
Hi Jane and Mary – thanks for taking the time to speak to us today. To kick things off, please could you give us an overview of Miller’s general approach to supporting charities?
Jane: Of course - Miller aims to support employees, the local community and selected clients or insurers in their charitable work. The Charities Committee oversees donations from the allocation of funds we receive from the Miller Group Executive Committee annually.
It’s great to see that the company sets aside money specifically for charitable contributions. How do Miller colleagues help the Charities Committee to raise money?
Mary: The Committee asks Miller colleagues to provide nominations for which charities they would like Miller to partner with. After a colleague-wide vote, four-to-five partner charities are selected and Miller then works with them for two years. The partner charities then share their fundraising opportunities and Miller allows all staff one MAD (Make A Difference) day each year to support these, or their chosen charity, either through volunteering or taking part in a fundraising event. Staff fundraising for any registered charity is matched up to a certain limit and 10 bursaries per year are available for non-charitable fundraising.
Corporate Social Responsibility at Miller
Colleagues being empowered to vote for the charities they want to see supported – brilliant. Have there been any particular fundraising successes you’d like to highlight?
Jane: The last 12 months has obviously limited physical fundraising opportunities, and in past years we have supported staff doing all sorts of fundraising activities, from running marathons and hosting coffee mornings, to jumping out of planes or taking on a swimming/cycling challenge. However, we have still been able match the donations raised by one of our colleagues shaving their head for charity, and continue to support our staff with bursaries as well. Also, as part of a one-off fundraising initiative for separate charities with a pandemic/COVID-19 focus, we’ve helped create Miller’s very own ‘e-cookbook’, which saw colleagues provide recipes for a virtual cookbook we then helped to compile. Once ready, colleagues could buy the whole cookbook, with donations being provided to the selected charities. We also held a virtual silent auction, enabling people to bid for a one week stay at a three-bedroom apartment in France, with every pound raised then matched by the company and donated.
Sounds like an exciting year of fundraising! Thanks for sharing both, and good luck for the year ahead!
Jane and Mary: Thanks!