Baker Labels makes festive charity donations to local charities.
As is becoming a Christmas tradition at Baker labels, we have once again made cash donations to local charities. With the addition of various contributions and staff fundraising events throughout the year the total donated to charity in 2019 reaches £22,691.50
As a family business, Steve and Mandy Baker from Baker Labels have always looked to support local charities and encouraged their staff to do the same. In 2019 Baker Labels has held bake sales, wearing pink days, jeans for genes days and sponsored events such as obstacle courses and running races. On top of that, after another successful year in business Steve Baker felt it was only right to share some of the success with local charities. All members of staff have been involved in one way or another and all have contributed to the near £23,000 total donated.
£3000 to SNAP (Special Needs and Parents)
A charity that helps Essex families with children and young people who have any special need or disability by providing a variety of services such as activities for children of all ages, support and advice. The SNAP Centre has plenty of space including a training room where they deliver many courses and activities and a children’s activity hall with a soft play corner and a multi-sensory board and plenty of room for active children to play. Their aims are to inform, encourage and support parents, so that they can grow in strength and knowledge and become better equipped to give the best possible help to their children.
The SNAP centre is a short walk away from Baker Labels’ factory in Brentwood and has become a favourite charity among Bakers’ staff. In the summer staff from Bakers volunteered to help out at the Sibs4Fun week when the focus was on the brothers and sisters of the children SNAP cares for. A whole week of fun activities was arranged with a final party day that saw Bakers’ staff serving fruit mocktails, racing inflatables and singing karaoke with the children.
“To receive a £3000 donation of unrestricted funding at this time of year is such an incredible boost to all of us working at SNAP and for the families we support. I can’t thank Steve and Mandy Baker enough for their generosity”. Rob Dennis, SNAP.
Left to right: Mandy Baker, Nicola Hitchcock, Sara Clifton & Robert Dennis from SNAP, Steve Baker.
Kids Inspire helps disadvantaged young people turn their lives around and gives them back their future. They support young people across Essex who are at an educational, social and/or economic disadvantage resulting from trauma or emerging mental health issues. For example they may have experienced sexual or domestic abuse, separation anxiety or significant loss.
As a volunteer mentor for Kids Inspire, Chief Happiness Officer at Bakers Mandy Baker has been a keen supporter of the Essex charity for a number of years. The need for the services that Kids Inspire provide continues to grow each year so a donation of £3,000 of unrestricted funds will make a big difference to the daily costs the children’s charity faces.
“Thank you to Bakers for their generous donation and their continued support, which allows us to help the most vulnerable children in our community, especially during the festive season.” Paula Ashfield from Kids Inspire.
Left to right: Mandy Baker, Rachael Basset from Kids Inspire and Steve Baker.
Brentwood Foodbank was established in 2011 as a partnership between Breakthru Church and Dodd Road Community Church. Brentwood Foodbank works with a number of frontline care agencies to provide food parcels to the most vulnerable members of our community.
On Thursday 12th December members of staff from across all departments within Baker Labels were involved in delivering groceries including food, toiletries and Christmas goodies to the Brentwood Foodbank. This was the third such delivery this year and Managing Director Steve Baker was hands on in buying the goods when he stacked trolleys at local wholesaler Bookers this week. Different members of staff have made the deliveries on each occasion so as many as possible have had a chance to see first hand the difference the foodbank makes and the value of the hard working volunteers.
“Supporting the Brentwood Foodbank with large donations of food and essentials feels like the right thing to do. We’re in a position to help so it’s important to do so. Each time we do it, different staff members make the trip so everyone gets an an opportunity to see and hear about the difference it makes and they come back feeling good that the company they work for is helping people and making a positive difference.” Mandy Baker, Chief Happiness Officer at Baker Labels
Retired husband and wife Bonnie and Gerry along with an organised team of volunteers run a tight ship at the warehouse and following the guidelines set by The Trussel Trust, must weigh and record every item donated before storing it in clearly labelled containers stacked floor to ceiling. Goods are rotated to ensure they’re sent out before their best before dates and nothing is wasted. Stock is then taken from the warehouse to the Brentwood foodbanks at Doddinghurst Road Community Church and the Breakthru Church in Hutton where anyone with a voucher can collect several days worth of food. Volunteers at Foodbanks are often meeting people at their lowest point, never imagining that they would have to ask for parcels to feed their families and as Christmas approaches the challenges just increase and the demand will grow.
“There are so many families that need the extra help at this time of year and thanks to Baker Labels donation we’re able to ensure that we can give even more people the food and essentials they need. They’ve delivered at the perfect time too as many mums won’t come to the foodbank once the schools break up because they don’t want their children to know that they’ve had to use a foodbank. We’ve recognised that and try and give them extra the week before and the week the schools go back. Baker Labels’ donation is greatly appreciated.” Bonnie Minihane, Brentwood Foodbank
Baker Labels’ support of local charities, events and good causes is a key part to the company’s core values and wellbeing at work program. It also contributed to being recognised at Brentwood’s Overall Business of the Year in November and our intention is to continue to increase support and involvement in 2020.