Feature RAILWAY CHILDREN
Bottom-line aside, there is much more to be gained than the reputation of the organisation. The difference that a charity like Railway Children is able to make with donations from the rail industry is staggering. Railway Children work with vulnerable street children all over the world who, without the ongoing support from organisations who pledge their time and money, would not receive the help they so desperately need. Organisations that get involved and offer support are creating a lasting legacy, and can be proud that they are having a direct impact on the life of a young person who is urgently in need of their help. For any organisation this is an impressive legacy to leave for tomorrow’s CEOs, and hopefully will encourage the next generation of bright sparks within the industry to continue the good work and help charities, like Railway Children, carry on making a difference.
Employee benefits
Whilst clients are an important part of any business, another vital element is maintaining a good relationship with employees. As well as helping improve reputation within the industry, charitable involvement can have untold benefits to internal relationships.
It is human nature to want to help others, however many people never get involved on an individual basis. Making employees aware that their company is taking an active role in charitable work is a great way of making them feel good about the contribution they make, by default, and in turn makes them look more favourably towards the organisation. This can play a large part in staff retention, and recruitment, with more people wanting to work for a socially responsible organisation that is committed to giving something back.
Most employees look upon team building and training as a task to be endured rather than enjoyed. Some organisations have found that using charity volunteering as an employee engagement and team building tool helps remove the negativity, and provides an excellent method to help employees develop essential leadership and management skills. By working together, employees are working towards a common goal – raising money for the charity – and having fun doing it. Events, such as Railway Children’s Make A Difference (MAD) Day, offer employees at all levels the chance
to organise fundraising events within their workplace, encouraging team members to work together on tasks such as project management, marketing and promotion– all essential tools for a strong management team. Organisations such as Network Rail have found that fundraising and encouraging employees to take part in events has helped with team building, even bringing teams together from all over the country who might not otherwise have been involved with each other. Robin Gisby, Director of Operations and Customer Services at Network Rail feels strongly about the organisation’s partnership with Railway Children and the positive impact it has had on employees, saying: ‘With a large number of employees spread over such a wide geographical area, taking part in Railway Children events throughout the last ten years has helped bring Network Rail people together in a really enjoyable and rewarding way.’
Utilising a charity partnership as an effective team building and training method is different from the traditional, but just as effective and has the added bonus of helping raise thousands of pounds nationwide for Railway Children!
Brand promotion
A strong brand identity is paramount to the ongoing success of any business and most organisations are very clear in the message that they want their brand to portray.
Railway Children has been the adopted charity of the rail industry for almost 20 years and has a strong brand identity within the sector. With a presence at key events and in the press, the charity is a well known ‘face’, with great awareness and affinity. With this in mind, any businesses aligning themselves with the cause are likely to benefit from the charity’s marketing campaigns.
The Quattro Group is happy to partner with Railway Children and offer support where possible for events such as the recent Three Peaks Challenge, where they sponsored the climbers t-shirts. In donating money as a sponsor, the Quattro Group’s logo was printed on the t-shirts and in the event
brochure, generating positive publicity for the organisation. Managing Director John Murphy said of the opportunity: ‘Of course we were delighted to help out with the sponsorship, but it was not entirely selfless. As well as being able to donate money to a very good cause, it also got the Quattro branding out to a selection of people from the rail industry that might not otherwise have been aware of us, and brought us back to the forefront of those who were. Brilliant advertising and helping out a good cause at the same time, why would you say no?’
Including the charity details on corporate information such as websites, brochures, advertising and event promotions is also great marketing practice. A comprehensive marketing strategy that ensures that all methods of communication are utilised presents a cohesive message to both customers and employees. Using social media to highlight fundraising activities, sending out press releases with information about joint projects and even using internal newsletters to promote activities, every method of promotion helps get the word out and benefits both parties - helping build the reputation of the organisation and assisting with raising awareness for the charity.
In addition to marketing opportunities, working with a charity provides many positive PR prospects. Fundraising events always generate publicity within the media, as sector publications are usually keen to support the charity by offering coverage. Any organisation that is involved, either through offering financial support or as a facilitator, are usually mentioned in such press releases and articles and in turn receive positive publicity and media opportunities.
With so many organisations fighting for space in today’s saturated market, it is vital to make sure that you stand out from the crowd. Getting involved with a charity like Railway Children is a great way to tick every box, and not only single your business out from the competition, but also leave a legacy and make a sustainable difference – not only in your industry, but to millions of people who really need your help.
For more information on how you can get involved with Railway Children visit
www.railwaychildren.org.uk or call 01270 757 596.
RailCONNECT
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