Cumbrian accountancy firm Dodd & Co has donated £2,000 to charities instead of sending Christmas cards.
Staff nominated charities they would like to benefit from the donation and Dodd & Co said nominations flooded in, especially as so many charities had gone above and beyond during the pandemic, and all were deserving.
The final four charities chosen were The UK Sepsis Trust; Penrith and Carlisle foodbanks and Hebron Church which provided Christmas hampers for local families facing difficulties.
With COVID-19 restrictions in place and the majority of staff working from home, staff were unable to carry out their usual Christmas activities, including the Doddie Christmas bake-off, festive breakfasts and Santa sandwiches.
These fundraising activities play a huge part in helping to raise money for the charities and so the staff had to get creative with new ways to stay connected and raise awareness.
They launched the decorate your desk competition – and this went down a storm with staff creating winter wonderlands in the offices and at home.
Dodd & Co also made a donation of Christmas selection boxes to Carlisle Youth Zone.
As patrons, the firm usually contributes to Carlisle Youth Zone’s Christmas party day, however CYZ were delivering gifts to children in the local area instead.
Staff also donned their best festive knits for festive Friday and took part in the CFM Cash for Kids Christmas Jumper Day, donating a total of £150.
Heidi Marshall, partner at Dodd & Co, said “We are delighted to be able to support such wonderful charities again this year, and really give back to these amazing organisations for their persistence through an unthinkable year.
“We very much hope that our donations will have a real impact on these amazing charities, and we cannot thank them enough for the work that they do.”
