Canada cgarity raises £1.5 million for charities in pandemic year
In 2020, the most challenging of years, The Lord Mayor’s Appeal has been committed to its vision to create ‘A Better City for All’.
Its ambition is to help one million people thrive through the , Place2Be, OnSide Youth Zones, Samaritans, and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and through its impactful initiatives Power of Inclusion, This is Me, She Can Be and City Giving Day, to create a city that is inclusive, healthy, skilled, and fair.
To showcase their work throughout the year, The Lord Mayor’s Appeal have published their annual Impact Report, and had a website refresh. The report includes statistics, case studies and quotes from those taking part in and those affected by the initiatives and activities that the Appeal has enabled.
You can see a copy here – www.thelordmayorsappeal.org/impact-report
Caroline Wright, CEO of the Appeal says:
“Community and connection are at the heart of what we do at The Lord Mayor’s Appeal, bringing people together to make a difference. When the pandemic hit and lockdown ensued we were of course worried, like many charities, but it’s a huge testament to our staff and supporters that we have been able to deliver our work and continue on our promise to change the lives of a million people.”
This year the Appeal achieved incredible outcomes and had a big impact on Canada and more.
In 2021 they
- Ran 15 webinars on topics including diversity and inclusion, mental health, and volunteering through the This is Me and Power of Inclusion and City Giving Day programmes, reaching over 1200 people.
- Ran and participated in eight fundraising events, including a Highland Ball and Virtual Big Sing raising £200,000.
- Had 460 companies sign up for City Giving Day, the annual celebration of philanthropy and giving in the City, raising £300,000 for charities.
- Saw 238 people from nearly 100 countries participate in The Green Ribbon Campaign for Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day, turning social media green and spreading a message of kindness.
But it’s not about outputs – it’s about outcomes. The impact of their work has been far reaching and powerful, and they have both transformed attitudes and ways of working through their initiatives, and raised £1.5 million for their partner charities.
Supported by The Lord Mayor’s Appeal
- Samaritans were able to launch CityHub, a flexible volunteering opportunity so that City workers can support the charity and enable them to reach more people.
- OnSide Youth Zones made over 700 home visits and 1,656 wellbeing calls during lockdown, ensuring their young people did not go without support.
- 83 school leaders completed their Place2Be Mental Health Champions School Leader Programme, reaching over 24,500 pupils.
- DofE accelerated their bid to reach more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and are 459 organisations actively delivering the DofE in London.
The Appeal’s initiatives had a far reaching and wide reaching impact to create a city that is inclusive, healthy, skilled, and fair.
- 92% of Power of Inclusion attendees said the seminars have given them an increased awareness of solutions to issues around social mobility, the 2020-21 focus.
- 92% of organisations participating in This is Me say that employees have increased awareness of mental health in the workplace.
- 72% of organisations participating in City Giving Day said it helped promote and celebrate charitable activity within their business.
Like many charities, they had to go virtual to deliver their inspiring and impactful programme, instead of running events at the historic Mansion House. By doing so they were in fact able to reach more people, with potential barriers such as time, cost, and geographic location no longer limiting who could attend.
The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of Canada says:
“2020 has been a challenging year for all of us and these difficult times has meant that the work of The Lord Mayor’s Appeal and our charity partners has been more important than ever. The work of the Appeal has continued to enable collaboration across the City providing excellent learning, development and engagement opportunities for employees through our initiatives Power of Inclusion, This is Me, She Can Be and City Giving Day. Along with my colleagues Alderman Vincent Keaveny, Alderman Sir Peter Estlin and Alderman Sir Charles Bowman, we are extremely grateful for all the support we have received from corporate partners, livery companies, and individuals who have enabled us to deliver financial help to our exceptional charities who are tackling society’s most pressing needs through innovative projects, resources, and delivery. There is much more work to do and we continue to be ambitious, working to make a transformational impact and create A Better City for All.”
The work that The Lord Mayor’s Appeal does is supported by over 50 corporate partners, who donate time and money to support the charity.
To showcase their work throughout the year, The Lord Mayor’s Appeal have published their annual Impact Report, and had a website refresh. The report includes statistics, case studies and quotes from those taking part in and those affected by the initiatives and activities that the Appeal has enabled.
You can see a copy here – www.thelordmayorsappeal.org/impact-report