Ways to support

There are many opportunities for your company to get involved and support Acorns.

Charity of the Year

Choosing Acorns as your charity partner can have real benefits for your team inspiring greater team work, motivation and loyalty and demonstrating your commitment to your local community.  Our corporate charity partners are provided with:

• A dedicated and experienced fundraiser to support them and help maximise their fundraising
• A diary of exciting and high profile events and challenges throughout the year
• Sponsorship and corporate hospitality opportunities
• Access to our highly successful in-house press and PR team
• The chance to get involved and volunteer at one of our Hospices and at our Head Office, help at an event or perhaps help open one of our new shops.
• Marketing and merchandising opportunities

Sponsorship opportunities

Acorns have a wide range of unique sponsorship opportunities capable of delivering outstanding results which will help your company’s marketing budget work even harder for you.

From our flagship outdoor events such as the Birmingham Midnight Walk, Santa Runs, our Triple Run in the Three Counties and our prestigious Gala Dinner Dances and Balls, we have the high profile activities that can give your company enormous brand exposure with “more bang for your buck!”.

Additionally for local companies there are opportunities to sponsor an event in the heart of their community and cost effectively publicise their commitment to it.

Partnering with Acorns through sponsorship of key publications and high profile events is an effective and visible way of meeting your CSR policy aims, whilst also providing great opportunities for PR and promotion of your organisation.
     
Acorns is one of the largest charities in the West Midlands and surrounding counties, with a loyal supporter database. Bringing a strong brand and over 20 years as an established charity, we can work with you to create the right proposition to the public.

Fundraising

There are lots of ways to support Acorns at work. A few ideas are listed below or contact our Fundraising Team on 01564 825000 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out how you can get involved.  You can also download a fundraising pack packed with ideas and tips.
 
Employee fundraising: Have fun in the office! Whether it’s a dress down (or dress up!) day, dares in the office or an ugly tie competition, employee fundraising is a fantastic way to raise money for Acorns while having a great time too!
A company outing or away day can be the perfect opportunity for an easy bit of fundraising. Lunchtime is enough time to run a small fundraising sale or raffle

Acorns Children’s Hospice can give you all the tools you need to get your fundraising off the ground.  Collection boxes and buckets, blank Acorns posters, sponsorship forms, balloons and even t-shirts for a larger event

Some of our companies match the money raised by staff, which not only multiplies the donation but raises employee participation and morale within the company! To register your event with Acorns or to request a pack full of fundraising ideas, please call our Fundraising Team on 01564 82 5000 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Gifts in Kind: alongside the volunteering opportunities that exist for our corporate supporters and their staff there are other ways that businesses can help with gift in kind donations.  Gifts in kind help to generate income for Acorns and we welcome these whether they are prizes for auctions or raffles, providing venues for events or even company shares.
Perhaps you or your company have a particular expertise or service you could provide to Acorns to help us raise money or reduce costs? Or maybe you could help us promote the
fragile lives appeal through a staff newsletter or company website? Please contact 01564 825000 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any offers of support you can provide.

Payroll giving:
Did you know you can make regular donations to Acorns directly from your salary? It is a hassle free way of supporting local life limited children and their families throughout the year. It is also tax-free - the donation is made after National Insurance, but before tax. This way, instead of the tax being sent to the government, it is sent to Acorns. For example, as a standard rate taxpayer, if you pledge £5.00 from your gross salary each month (£1.25 per week) it will only cost you £4.00 but Acorns gets £5.00 thanks to HM Revenue and Customs not taking their share.

If your employer doesn’t have a scheme then information about payroll giving is at www.payrollgivingcentre.org.uk or contact Dawn Pawlett at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01564 82 5000.

If you are an employer and would like to find out more about the benefits of setting up a scheme and how easy it is then contact Dawn Pawlett as above.
 
Employee Volunteering
As well as our own staff and dedicated volunteers, we have tremendous help from corporate volunteers with teams from HomeServe (pictured), HSBC and Serco giving up their time recently to help out. Areas around the hospice including offices, the conference and library area and specific areas used by the children, including the activities room and the adolescent lounge, were transformed. Families and staff commented on the new colours and fresh feel to the building.

In addition to all the work inside, efforts also continued outside the hospice with sprucing up the garden areas. One volunteer commented “Acorns Children’s Hospice and its staff make a huge difference to the lives of many children and families across the region. We are very proud to play a role in helping its fantastic work.”