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Partner with us

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

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Partner with us

Embrace and support your local community 

Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR, centres around embracing and giving back to your local community. Companies throughout the UK are reaping the benefits of making a difference and engaging with their local causes, plus raising their profile whilst doing so.

Why should you get involved?

  • You can make a positive impact in YOUR area
  • 100% of money raised goes directly back into local communities.
  • You can join us for one of our Buddy Bag Brigades or host one of your own.
  • Strengthens relationships with your customers
  • By supporting your local community, this will have a huge positive impact on your customer relationships, showing them you care.

  • Our social presence is felt within the community and online via our social media channels.
  • Encourages employee engagement and attracts potential employees
  • In helping local causes, it will make your company desirable to potential employees and your current employees will be proud to be giving something back.

  • See some of our case studies from the companies we have worked with through our Corporate Partnerships below.
  • Enhances client relationships
  • Just like your employees, giving back to your local community shows you in an extremely positive light to your client base.

  • Be part of something which makes a real difference to children in emergency care.
  • Creates fantastic exposure of your brand
  • What better way to strengthen your brand by associating with a worthwhile cause?

  • We have the incredible help and encouragement of all our supporters.
  • Helps to build your team, boosting self improvement for all
  • Playing a vital part in our bag pack events helps communication, compassion and self fulfilment for the whole team.

  • Our Buddy Bag Brigade events welcome all ages & abilities, showing how working together can make such a difference!
A pretty fulfilling, but humbling, experience this week taking part in Amazon's global month of volunteering here in London. Packing bags for children fleeing domestic abuse makes me realise just how lucky I am and how lucky my own children are. I urge any company who wants to connect their employees with a cause for real good to get in touch with with The Buddy Bag Foundation.
Stuart Jackson
Stuart Jackson
Global Communications Director, Amazon

What our partners say

When we heard about the compassionate and heart warming work being carried out by this local charity, we were keen to support. The Buddy Bag Foundation plays a significant role in restoring security into a child’s life during traumatic times and I’m really proud of the team here for getting involved in the bag pack and making the job a huge success.”
Amazon favicon
Amazon
Rugeley
Volunteering is a great way to make new friends and connect better with your own community, it helps to strengthen those relationships. Being seen doing something like this, especially as we did it in the canteen, I hope made onlookers think they would like to do something similar, rather than painting fences or shaking a tin.”
Vodafone favicon
Vodafone
Stoke on Trent

How to get involved

There are a variety of ways your company can get involved:

Reap the benefits of partnership together and help make a bigger impact to help make a difference to children in emergency care in the UK.

What you can do

  • Choose us as your charity of the year with a regular donation

  • Simply complete the monthly direct debit form to contribute a regular donation which will make all the difference to children who vitally need your help.

  • Host a Buddy Bag Brigade Bag packing event

  • This is a half day event in which 180 Buddy Bags are packed by six teams of between 20-180 people, creating a highly valuable and rewarding team building event.

  • Hosted at a venue of your choice, one of our Buddy Bag Ambassadors will attend to talk through the cause as well as providing support during the event.

  • This event supports your local community as the bags you pack are delivered to refuges in your area. This means you have a direct impact to change lives.

  • A Buddy Bag pack event boosts staff morale, gives staff positive perceptions towards you, the employer and provides  your team with the opportunity to work together in a fun and incredibly worthwhile environment.

  • Take part with a Buddy Bag Kit

  • The Buddy Bag Kit is a unique opportunity for businesses to support a local cause, whilst also providing a fun and engaging team building opportunity.

  • Choose how many bags you would like to pack and we will send you a Buddy Bag Kit which will include rucksacks and all the items required to pack the Buddy Bags.

  • This is a great team-building activity by helping local causes and employees will be proud to be giving something back.

  • Playing a vital part in the challenge helps communication, compassion and self-fulfilment for the whole team.

  • Fundraise
  • Each Buddy Bag costs just £25, imagine what a fundraising event could achieve and how many bags you could raise money for?

  • If you need some ideas, view our A-Z Fundraising Ideas Guide.
  • Donating Items
  • We work with a range of people who donate or discount the items for the Buddy Bags. If you are able to donate any of the following, please let us know: Rucksacks, pyjamas, underwear, children’s books, toiletries, photo frames, colouring books, pencils and pens.
  • Donate your services
  • 100% of donations go directly to the cause, meaning that we rely on donated services. Can you help us with design, marketing, distribution, storage, PR, writers, web development? If you have skills you would like to donate then send an application. 
  • Become a Buddy Bag Foundation Angel
  • For just £100 per month, you can become one of our much loved angels, contributing to developing our community whilst promoting your business through our website, ceremonies and trustee meetings.
  • Payroll Giving

  • A simple scheme that enables individuals to donate to a charity of their choice each month, directly from their pay check, making donations both quick and cost effective. Making a donation couldn’t be simpler.

  • Choose from one off or monthly donations at the bottom of this page or contact us directly to discuss your own requirements. 

Places for People - Places Foundation

Places for People, the UK’s leading social enterprise, has proudly provided Buddy Bag Foundation with £9,000 of funding from their charity – Places Foundation.

The funding will help to issue over 360 backpacks to children across the country. To celebrate the donation and boost awareness of the Buddy Bag Foundation, over 35 Places for People colleagues volunteered their time to join a “Buddy Bag Pack”, and pack 360 bags to give to children this month.

Marcus Hulme, Director of Places Impact at Places for People commented: “We are proud to have been working closely with Buddy Bag Foundation and have seen first-hand the positive impact these backpacks can have on young people entering our emergency care supported accommodation services. The backpacks are vital in helping to restore a feeling of safety and security to a child in these difficult times. Through our independent charity, Places Foundation, we are delighted to be able to support incredible initiatives like the Buddy Bag Foundation with our time and funding.”

CSR resources

BBF factsheet

Download PDF
BBF Angels Download

BBF angel investors

Download PDF
Corporate Brochure

BBF corporate brochure

Download PDF
CSR Accreditation badge

Doing good is good for business

Social responsibility should be for every organisation 

It is now more important than ever to show that we are doing everything we can to be a responsible business.

CSR-A has established a new standard for social responsibility which states that:

Social Responsibility allows you to enrich the quality of lives for all by investing in social value as an essential part of an organisations culture. This provides purpose and impact and will ensure a sustainable and profitable business. It will help to build a better world for future generations by improving the environment and ensuring a cohesive community to live and work in.

By supporting The Buddy Bag Foundation,  you will be nominated to become a CSR Associate and this will contribute towards a CSR Accreditation. Needless to say that CSR-A has nominated The Buddy Bag Foundation to become a CSR Associate.

BBF Team Building Events brochure
Download the PDF

Our charity partners

Click on the logos to find out more about our charity partners.

Four Oaks

Financial Services
Gowling WLG logo

Gowling WLG

Law Firm
National Express

National Express

Coach Travel
Sydney Mitchell logo

Sydney Mitchell

Solicitors
Intelligent SME

Intelligent SME

Membership
Pickfords

Pickford

Solicitors
Gateley Group

Gateley

Legal Group
Live Laugh Love logo

Live Love Laugh

Utility Warehouse
Amazon favicon

Amazon

Online Retailer
CSR

CSR

Accreditation
Ashurst Law Firm

Ashurst

International Law Firm
Investors in Community

Investors in Community

Digital Platform
Adams Moore

Adams Moore

Accountants
B1G1 logo

B1G1

Business for good
The Pallet Network logo

The Pallet Network

Pallet Distribution
Nurture Network

Nurture CIC

Community
Trowers and Hamlins

Trowers and Hamlins

Law Firm
Original Biscuit Bakers

Original Biscuit Bakers

Gingerbread Bakers

MGAC Birmingham

Consultancy

Switalskis

Law Firm
mfg solicitors

mfg Solicitors

Law Firm

Our case studies

Follow the latest on social media 

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Your chance to make a difference to a child in emergency care

Your donation provides essential items to children. 100% of your contribution goes directly to the cause.

Make a donation

Make a difference and change a life.

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Four Oaks Financial Services

Four Oaks is an established award winning firm of qualified Financial Advisers providing local financial advice to clients in Tamworth, Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield and across the UK.

They help their clients focus on and achieve their goals through a very personal, but structured approach and review service, we call this lifestyle financial planning.

We are very proud to support the Buddy Bag Foundation, which is locally based but works throughout the UK. Buddy Bag Foundation helps children who have to flee their homes because of abuse or violence, often in the middle of the night, with nothing but the clothes they are wearing.

At Four Oaks we support Buddy Bag through fundraising activities and we also help to pack the Buddy Bags. Restoring a sense of safety and security into a child’s life during a time of trauma is one of the first steps to their recovery and the aim of the Buddy Bag Foundation is to help their transition into their new surroundings which is often a women’s refuge.
Martin Ward, Managing Director Four Oaks Financial Services

Chris Williams

Chris is a coaching and training professional with more than 30 years’ experience of growing businesses and developing people.

“I’m a loving partner to Tina, proud dad to three wonderfully positive and goal directed young adults and recently a new dad to my youngest daughter Libby.

My philosophy is to Live life on purpose, Love understand and help others achieve their goals, and Laugh because happiness is achieving your goals with a smile."
Chris Williams
Chris Williams
Co-Founder

Gowling WLG UK

Gowling WLG UK chose The Buddy Bag Foundation as their charity in 2019.

Since then the have raised a whopping £57,000 through staff fundraising events including cake sales, an annual 'Big Quiz' and performances by the firm's choir.

In addition to the fundraising efforts, more than 150 staff have helped out at 4 Buddy Bag Brigades in Gowling's offices.

There was an extra special Buddy Bag Brigade at the firm's annual Festive Fair in the run up to Christmas, where friends and family of Gowling staff also had the opportunity to pack bags for the charity.

Gowling WLG's Corporate Responsibility Manager, Katie Rothwell, said: "It has been a pleasure to support and work with the Buddy Bag Foundation. The charity does amazing work for children who are taken into emergency care, and our people have very much taken the charity to their hearts. Raising more than £55,000 over 12 months is a recent record for us, and just shows how much our people have loved supporting the charity, not to mention how much they enjoyed getting involved with the Buddy Bag Brigades."
Gowling WLG logo
Gowling WLG UK BBF angel and partner

National Express

"We want to make coach travel more convenient and with even greater value in 2021" - Chris Hardy, Managing Director of National Express UK Coach

We've redesigned our network, looking at locations, routes and frequency of services.

A new full UK-wide timetable will offer quicker journey times, increased punctuality and improved connectivity. Plus, new schedules will make major UK holiday destinations more accessible than ever.
National Express
National Express Coach Travel

Sydney Mitchell LLP

Sydney Mitchell is an award winning top tier legal 500 firm based in the West Midlands.

Providing client focused support they understand their clients and their businesses and this approach ensures they can provide specialist legal support and advice based on the best strategy.

"We are really pleased to be able to support such a worthwhile charity helping vulnerable children during difficult times in their lives. Thank you so much for being there for the children and their families and we are pleased to be recognised in the Virtual Awards as runner up in the 'Corporate Partner of the Year' category in 2020."
Sydney Mitchell logo
Sydney Mitchell LLP BBF Angel and Partner

Intelligent SME

Intelligent SME (INSME) is the fastest growing membership organisation in the UK.

Unlike other organisations such as the IPSE and FSB we are free to join, and members only pay for premium services if they choose.

With over 25 years’ experience in providing benefits and services for membership organisations, they decided to offer our services via Intelligent SME. Services include utilities, merchant services, compliance and the auditing of existing and often miss-sold commercial agreements.

We work with our partners to achieve a progressive and mutually beneficial partnership to all.
Intelligent SME
Intelligent SME Organisation Membership

Pickford Solicitors

Pickford Solicitors based in Birmingham specialise in residential and commercial conveyancing as well as business law.

We want to play our part in making a difference and take our responsibility as a business seriously.

We consider the social, ethical, and environmental effects of our activities on our communities, colleagues and our customers.

We support The Buddy Bag Foundation, a charity making a difference to children in emergency care. The charity provides children entering emergency accommodation with Buddy Bags to restore a sense of safety and security in their lives. Our support of this charity is very new, so we are thinking of lots of ways in which we help.
Pickfords
Pickford Solicitors

Gateley Legal & Professional Services

Gateley gives to the communities in which they operate; the people who work within their business; and the cities in which they operate.

Gateley Gives because people and places matter. Where we’re based and the people that we work with are a vital part of conducting our business.

Ruth Armstrong, head of CSR at Gateley and national head of the company’s Regulatory team, said: “Every year our staff nominate the charities they care about and everyone within the business is able to vote. The Buddy Bag Foundation was selected as Birmingham’s charity of the year and it is a great feeling to know we are going to be able to help children in emergency care, who may have very little to call their own. “The charity will be the focus of our fundraising efforts throughout the year, which will include dress-down Fridays, auctions and raffles amongst other things.”
Gateley Group
Gateley Group Legal & Professional Services

Live, Love, Laugh

Discover how you can earn a lifelong income with Utility Warehouse by helping people get an all together better deal on their Gas, Electricity, Landline, Broadband and Mobile services.
Live Laugh Love logo
Live, Love, Laugh
Utility Warehouse

Amazon

Associates at Amazon’s Rugeley site have taken time out to help support a Staffordshire charity with a bag pack of essential items for children who find themselves in emergency accommodation due to complex family situations.

The team at Amazon in Rugeley chose to support the charity with a £1,000 donation towards much needed items for the bags while hosting a ‘team pack’ at the 700,000 sq. ft. fulfilment centre.

General Manager of Amazon’s Rugeley fulfilment centre, Mark Hemming, commented: “When we heard about the compassionate and heart-warming work being carried out by this local charity, we were keen to support. The Buddy Bags Foundation plays a significant role in restoring security into a child’s life during traumatic times and I’m really proud of the team here for getting involved in the bag pack and making the job a huge success.”

Now proud to support The Buddy Bag Foundation as a Charity Partner.
Amazon icon
Amazon Online Retailer

CSR Accreditation

CSR-A is a leading UK based company delivering a global standard for social responsibility.

It is now more important than ever to show that we are doing everything we can to improve the world for future generations, by reducing the negative impact we have on the environment and by building a better and cohesive society. It is amazing what many of us are already doing that we don’t talk about.

CSR-Accreditation provides the perfect opportunity for you to tell your positive story and is a charity partner for The Buddy Bag Foundation.
CSR
CSR Accreditation Good social responsibility for businesses

Ashurst Law Firm

Global law firm Ashurst supported The Buddy Bag Foundation at their London office by packing 180 ‘Buddy Bags’ to help support the 48,000 children a year in the UK, who find themselves in emergency care after fleeing violent situations at home.

The event provided a unique opportunity for Ashurst volunteers to get to know each other better, whilst also supporting an important cause.

The event was organised by Ella Blakesley, Ashurst’s Social Impact Manager. Ella shared the below feedback after the event:

“Our volunteers thoroughly enjoyed taking part in this event and volunteering their time in such a meaningful way for a wonderful cause. In my role, I am often asked for suggestions for large team volunteering projects involving 20+ volunteers and it can be challenging to find meaningful projects for these numbers. The Buddy Bag Foundation was the perfect option for us. Karen did an excellent job facilitating the event and sharing how our support would positively impact the lives of children who find themselves in emergency care after fleeing violent situations at home. We were very moved by the stories that Karen shared and we are looking forward to supporting the charity again in the future“.

Now proud to support The Buddy Bag Foundation as a Charity Partner.
Ashurst Law Frim Global Law Firm

Investors in Community

Investors in Community seeks to connect all of those in our society, organisations, and individuals, with charities, community groups and not for profit organisations.

It's a way of connecting organisations, individuals, charities, and community groups to show that by working together they can evidence social impact.

Charities and individuals can use the Investors in Community platform for Free. 100% of the money donated through our platform stays in the charity sector.

Investors in Community is a charity partner of The Buddy Bag Foundation.
Investors in Community
Investors in Community BFF Charity Partner

BNI

BNI Premier – meet every Thursday at 6.45 am at Moor Hall Hotel, Sutton Coldfield support Buddy Bag Foundation as their chosen charity.

BNI members, on average, increase their business 20% the first year. The BNI Premier in Sutton Coldfield is a dynamic, committed group of business people who know how to refer business to each other.

BNI Premier supports The Buddy Bag Foundation as a charity partner.
BNI Premier Sutton Coldfield
BNI Premier Sutton Coldfield

B1G1

You can support the Buddy Bag Foundation through B1G1 – a global platform that helps you bring new purpose, meaning and relevance in your business by embedding giving right at the core of what you do.

Giving with B1G1 is easy and 100% of your giving would go directly to the Buddy Bag Foundation.

By associating your brand with the work we do at the foundation you are able to strengthen your brand image amongst customers, employees, and clients as they will recognise the positive impact you’re having beyond your core business focus.

Help us to make a difference to even more vulnerable children entering emergency accommodation.
B1G1 logo
B1G1 Business for good

The Pallet Network

TPN offers an efficient, cost-effective palletised freight delivery with unbeatable service levels. They have 120 Partner companies, with 130+ depot locations around the UK.

TPN contributes significantly to the UK logistics industry. It enables regional distribution specialists to provide a first class national service to UK business customers. However, it is also progressing and developing models of collaborative logistics which could significantly improve the carbon impact of freight movements; the stability and longevity of their partners as local employers; and posits that sustainable business means excellence, fair pricing and the principle of mutual benefit.

Now proud to support The Buddy Bag Foundation as a Charity Partner.
The Pallet Network logo
The Pallet Network Pallet Distribution

Nurture

Nurture, is a non-profit inclusive community whose mission is to bring people together from all walks of life.

At Nurture we collate live community data to help connect, support & develop families within our network. It takes a village to raise a child and we have created Nurture to support that village.

Nurture are a vital part of The Buddy Bag Foundation and a charity partner.
Nurture Network
Nurture Community CIC and charity partner

Trowers and Hamlins

Trowers and Hamlins is an international law firm with over 160 partners and more than 950 people located across the UK, Middle East and Asia.

As a firm that prides itself on understanding and supporting the communities we live and work in, corporate social responsibility is an important element of their business at Trowers.

To focus their efforts they have a structured CSR framework in place. They have three broad aims - supporting children and young people, building links with local communities, and ensuring fairness and access to justice. The teams across their offices all work to keep these locally relevant and of real benefit.

Taking part in CSR activities is voluntary and many Trowers people dip in and out according to their own personal and professional workloads. Trowers are aware of the positive benefits to wellbeing this can make, and we do make sure that their efforts are recognised and rewarded.

Now proud to support The Buddy Bag Foundation as a Charity Partner.
Trowers and Hamlins
Trowers and Hamlins International Law Firm

Original Biscuit Bakers

Original Biscuit Bakers is a family business established in 1987 through two brands – Original Biscuit Bakers & Billington’s Gingerbread. A supplier worldwide with hand iced gingerbread creations and award winning heritage gingerbread.

It was in 1987 whilst having a successful bakery business based at The Bread Bin, in Market Drayton that Tim and Sarah Hopcroft, the founders of Image on Food first had the idea of decorating Gingerbread shapes. After weeks of trialling different mixtures the secret (and much loved!) recipe was developed and the gingerbread range was born.

Original Biscuit Bakers are delighted to get involved with The Buddy Bag Foundation as their charity of the year.

Now proud to support The Buddy Bag Foundation as a Charity Partner.
Original Biscuit Bakers
Original Biscuit Bakers Gingerbread Bakers

MGAC

Founded in 1958 as Hart Gilmore Associates, MGAC’s Birmingham office provides project management, cost management, and health + safety services across the West Midlands region. Originally known for its roots in manufacturing and its wider industrial heritage, Birmingham has evolved into an internationally recognized multi-cultural city, home to some of the UK’s leading universities.

MGAC Birmingham are proud to support The Buddy Bag Foundation.
MGAC Birmingham

Switalskis

At Switalskis, responsible business conduct is very high on our agenda. We firmly believe in the positive role businesses can play within their communities. As part of the integration, we established a CSR committee that includes representatives from all business areas, to refine our approach to corporate social responsibility.

Switalskis are proud to support The Buddy Bag Foundation.
Switalskis Law Firm

mfg Solicitors LLP

mfg is proud to be a socially aware firm of solicitors and as such we have developed a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy outlining what we do to increase the positive effect and reduce any negative effect we have on our communities, the environment and the people that work with us.

We believe that our CSR is integral to the long-term sustainability of our business and we try to be responsible in our interactions with our environment, clients, suppliers, employees and the wider community.

Many of our partners are involved in advising and assisting local charities as well as acting as honorary secretaries, Trustees and Governors. We are proud to support The Buddy Bag Foundation.
mfg solicitors
mfg Solicitors

Make a difference to a child in emergency care

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100% of money donated
goes to the cause.

Donate

If you want to donate to us directly, you can send your donation to our Lloyds bank account:
Sort code 30-64-10
Account number: 34186868
Account name: Buddy Bag Foundation
Reference: Your name

  • If you click 'donate', we’ll send you to JustGiving to complete your donation.