Launched in 2024, the 1% for Communities initiative goals to assist native causes and foster worker engagement whereas underscoring the agency’s ambition to be recognised as essentially the most rewarding accountancy agency within the UK for shoppers, staff, and communities alike.
In its first 12 months, Bishop Fleming exceeded expectations by not solely elevating substantial funds but additionally participating in environmental and community-focused initiatives. These included actions resembling skydives, charity quizzes, and a charity marathon, along with sponsoring the Nice West Run, which noticed 125 of its staff take part.
The agency’s environmental efforts have been additionally noteworthy, with staff participating within the Surfers In opposition to Sewage Million Mile Clear, the place over 125 miles of shoreline have been cleared, eradicating 162 kilos of waste.
Different neighborhood occasions included bake gross sales, netball tournaments, and conservation efforts at Paignton Zoo, illustrating the agency’s dedication to a variety of charitable actions. Moreover, over 100 staff held exterior positions resembling trusteeships and board roles, serving to to contribute skilled abilities to a wide range of neighborhood causes.
Commenting on the success of the initiative, Fleur Lewis, Accomplice and Accountable Enterprise Lead at Bishop Fleming, mentioned:
“We’re so happy to have reached the bold goal we set for our 1% for Communities pledge. It’s a testomony to our shared perception at Bishop Fleming that enterprise success ought to go hand in hand with social impression. The 1% for Communities pledge has given us a transparent framework to measure and focus our efforts, and hitting our goal within the first 12 months reveals what’s attainable when there’s each construction and dedication behind the work.”
As a part of its neighborhood outreach, Bishop Fleming additionally launched annual partnerships with six regional charities in 2024. These embody well-established causes resembling St Richard’s Hospice Basis, Longfield Neighborhood Hospice, and Southmead Hospital Charity, all of which have made substantial contributions to their respective communities.
The agency’s charity partnerships will not be solely supposed to lift funds but additionally improve visibility and assist for these organisations.
Lucy Fairclough, Accomplice at Bishop Fleming in Birmingham, expressed pleasure in regards to the agency’s new partnership with Let’s Feed Brum, a charity centered on tackling homelessness and meals insecurity.
“With our rising presence in Birmingham, it’s incredible to welcome Let’s Feed Brum into our charity programme. Their work is making an actual distinction, and we stay up for supporting their mission via fundraising, volunteering, and visibility,” mentioned Fairclough.
Wanting forward, Bishop Fleming has set an bold £100,000 fundraising purpose for the approaching 12 months, pushed by the success of its first 12 months’s efforts. Along with its ongoing neighborhood work, the agency will proceed its programme of wellbeing initiatives and is planning new occasions such because the Bristol Bridges Problem, which can convey staff, shoppers, and local people companions collectively for a 13-mile stroll throughout 29 of town’s bridges.
The agency may even sponsor Run Cheltenham once more, aiming to extend the variety of members from final 12 months’s 70 runners.
Ewan McClymont, Head of Accountable Enterprise at Bishop Fleming, famous:
“The brand new £100,000 fundraising goal is one other bold purpose, however we’re actually excited to begin working in direction of it, constructing on the momentum of our first 12 months and persevering with to make a significant distinction within the communities we’re a part of.”