The Kier Foundation launched in 2012 as an independently registered charity to support charities and local community groups. The Kier Foundation was set up to give our charitable activities focus and provide colleagues an opportunity to come together and make a positive impact in the communities where we live, work and play.
The Kier Foundation supports both Kier’s charity partner, currently Alzheimer’s Society, and other charitable causes close to the hearts of our employees and the communities our businesses operate in. Since forming, Kier colleagues have raised over £870,000 for The Kier Foundation by fundraising and gaining support from family, friends, colleagues and our supply chain, and we are truly thankful to them for their continued support. Since launching we have had hugely successful charity partnerships with Barnardo’s and Macmillan Cancer Support, raising £750,000 for them over four years.In July 2016 we launched a new charity partnership with Alzheimer’s Society and have enjoyed working with them to help change the dementia landscape.
Choosing our charity partner is a very difficult decision and to help us make this choice we look closely at which charities our employees hold close to their hearts. We do this by looking at which charitable causes Kier employees have applied for additional sponsorship for through The Foundation’s employee support funding scheme. The scheme, which allows colleagues to receive an additional £200 in sponsorship for any UK-registered charity after fundraising in their own personal time, is immensely popular and received over 550 applications last year alone.Alzheimer’s Society was among the most popular charities The Kier Foundation received applications for employee support funding for, and when they came to present to the board of trustees, it was decided they were they were the best for the company and our colleagues. Speaking at the launch of our charity partnership, our Chief Executive Haydn Mursell said:
“At Kier, we are hugely excited about the potential for our partnership with Alzheimer’s Society. Nearly half our colleagues are likely to know someone with dementia, and so we are looking forward to working together to change the dementia landscape”.
Over the next two years, we will be increasing awareness of dementia amongst our Kier colleagues, and advising them on how they can gain access to the advice and services that Alzheimer’s Society offer. This partnership gives us an opportunity to raise vital funds which will help Alzheimer’s Society continue to provide care for people living with dementia today, and research a cure for tomorrow.”
In addition to supporting the care and research that Alzheimer’s Society offer for the 850,000 people living with dementia today, The Kier Foundation also supports over 300 UK registered charities, and has donated over £250,000 to charities nominated by employees.
The 2020 Challenge is in response to the £10K Board Challenge set by our Chief Executive, Haydn Mursell, which encourages each board of directors within Kier to generate at least £10,000 per year by holding a fundraising event. This is the first time we have worked collaboratively across all of our UK construction businesses and have set ourselves the ultimate challenge of raising £200,000 for The Kier Foundation.
These funds will help The Kier Foundation ensure that every penny we fundraise is going to the best possible causes through the key methods of donating funds:
- Supporting our employees in their own fundraising activities.
- Supporting our businesses in carrying out community projects.
- Supporting our charity partner Alzheimer’s Society.
For more information on our charity partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, why not take a look at our video:
To get in touch with The Kier Foundation please email: info@thekierfoundation.org
Kier and Alzheimer’s Society - Together, changing the dementia landscape’
