Here at TopCashback we pride ourselves on being generous. Not only in terms of getting the highest cashback rates for our members, but also with regard to doing our bit for the community and making contributions to causes that really matter to us.
That’s why annually, we vote to decide on a charity the company will support and then hold numerous fundraising events and initiatives throughout the year to raise money for these causes.
In spite of a global pandemic, our drive and enthusiasm to make a difference hasn’t wavered this past year – in fact, it’s spurred us on to do more. We’re proud to announce that in 2020 we raised and donated over £24,000 for a number of fantastic causes. Naturally, we’ve had to think outside the box (or rather inside a computer) when it comes to fundraising though – here are just some of the ways we did it.
Over the Pond - A very lengthy sponsored walk
Back in February 2020 we set out to walk the distance from our office in New Jersey to our office in Bangalore via our offices in London, Bolton, Stafford and Berlin. It was no mean feat but we managed to collectively walk a whopping 10,945 miles (only 800 miles off our target - but who’s counting.)
This was fun for all involved and came with the additional benefit of helping us to get outdoors, but most importantly, it raised £1,152 for our selected charities.
Lockdown Donations
Then, as we all know, in March 2020 the UK went into lockdown. As a company we recognised that we were very fortunate in that our staff could work from home and our business model meant that no one had to be furloughed either. Unfortunately, this was not the case for so many others.
That’s why we began to buy tinned goods to donate to local food banks and PPE to donate to local care homes. As well as this we made cash donations to these facilities to help them continue offering the same amazing services to those in need. In total we donated over £7,000 to local charities such as Chase Coronavirus Support Network, Bolton Sunday Street Kitchen and Furloughed Foodies London.
Home Schooling Equipment Donations
The closure of schools was incredibly difficult for all parents but for those children without access to computers or the internet, learning became non-existent overnight. That’s why we rounded up our pre-loved hardware that needed a new home and donated it all to IT Recycling Rebate who then refurbish and pass much needed equipment onto schools or charities. We also made a cash donation of £186.
Sponsored Sing-alongs
Over the Summer two of our employees hosted different sing-along events with the aim to raise money for different charities. Dan from our Customer Service team created a ‘Virtual Acoustic Festival’ live on Facebook in the name of NHS Together. This really raised people’s spirits and even better, Dan managed to raise £200, which we then matched. This meant Dan was able to donate £400 in total.
Zoe from our Marketing team along with her partner Josh hosted a ‘12 Hour Karaoke Marathon’ live on Facebook to raise money for Age UK. She collected requests, kept us all very entertained and ultimately managed to raise £200 which was then matched by ourselves as well.
Movember
As November rolled around we knew what we had to do. It was time to grow a mo in the name of charity. We had some cracking entries and managed to raise £150. For all those that didn’t want to grow a mo we encouraged them to sign up and Move for Movember, we donated £1 for every mile walked by those that signed up. In total they walked 488 miles, meaning we raised £488.
Christmas Jumper Day
It wouldn’t be a year of charity fundraising without a Christmas Jumper Day and although we were all sat at home, we decided it was a must regardless. In true lockdown fashion, we took selfies of our Christmas jumpers, and submitted them virtually for everyone to admire! We raised £130 to donate to our chosen charities off of the back of this, and we obviously look fabulous in the process.
