The Lord Mayor has this week announced a new City’s Giving Day which she hopes will raise £350,000 for charities.
The event, which will take place on the 11th July, was announced by Alderman Fiona Woolf at City Action’s annual celebration Going for Gold in Volunteering.
The Lord Mayor said the City’s Giving Day will be: “An opportunity for us all to make a very big noise about our community partnerships, and their immense, long-term value, for business.”
The event is described as a celebration of the positive effect of the City and the financial, maritime and professional services sector in transforming lives through their philanthropic and responsible business activities.
The Lord Mayor hopes to raise £350,000 by everyone who works under the "City" brand to give £1 on the day. The money raised would go to four charities; Beating Bowel Cancer, Princess Alice Hospice, Raleigh International and Working Chance.
Events including fundraisng by retailers, collections in City tube stations and a City Treasure Hunt will take place on the day.
During her speech, the Lord Mayor also asked firms to step forward and get involved in all aspects of a community organisation, to help lift its overall capacity in a sustainable way.
This week's event saw City Action, the free volunteering brokerage service within the City of London Corporation, announce its plan to make capacity-building CSR volunteering a major focus over the next year.
Alderman Fiona Woolf said: “The long-term goal is to build a strong, healthy society – promoting the best of British trade and industry, nurturing talent, and helping those most in need.
“So I am very proud of City Action – a programme which has united businesses and beneficiaries around community engagement, for over 15 years.”
Alderman Fiona Woolf added: “Healthy communities mean healthy business – the two are interdependent.
“If we want to ensure the long-term success of our firms, we must create long-term value by harnessing the energy of our workforce, investing in the next generation of talent, and supporting our clients, customers and communities.”
A new category in the Lord Major’s Dragon Awards, which recognises community engagement in London, was also announced. The “Strengthening the Third Sector Award” will celebrate capacity-building volunteering initiatives.
The Lord Mayor said the award will highlight initiatives which have a powerful “multiplier effect”, for example businesses helping charities to improve the infrastructure of their organization. Applications for the Lord Mayor’s Dragon Awards must be made by May 23.
