Prosper Spring

BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY
Nicklin staff pop into
the food bank to help
Lord helps keep
fliers saving lives
Nicklin to back food
bank in 2023
Halesowen-based chartered accountants
and business advisers, Nicklin LLP, has
selected the Black Country Food Bank
as its 2023 charity of the year.
Plans are now in place to support the
charity with a year-long schedule of
fundraising activities, volunteering
initiatives and events.
Employees visiting the food bank’s
warehouse in Brierley Hill recently
helped to date and pack food ready for
distribution.
Partner at the firm, Mark Howell said,
“As a business we understand the
importance of raising awareness and
helping local charities. We also
recognise the pressure local
communities are facing with the cost of
living, leading to increased need and
rising costs for food banks.
“With the demand for donations
growing, we are committed to support
our local community.”
The escalating energy crisis is having a
significant impact on charities and the
communities they serve, a group of experts
from the sector have said, as they penned
an open letter asking the government to
extend its current energy bill relief scheme.
Hardest hit third sector organisations
include hospices, social care facilities,
women’s refuges and homelessness services.
The letter points out that such providers
cannot reduce their energy use without
compromising services and safety; and
unlike businesses, they cannot pass on the
increased costs.
For every charity forced to cut back on its
services there are people losing that lifeline.
Energy groups must prove their
commitment to people and communities by
meeting with charities and government to
get a grip on this crisis – otherwise charities,
Commercial heating and ventilation specialist Lord Combustion Services has helped
Midlands Air Ambulance Charity save lives by collecting £10,500 at its recent 40th
anniversary charity ball. Last month, the charity welcomed Stuart Smith, managing director
of Lord Combustion Services to its airbase at RAF Cosford to receive the donation.
JJX Logistics launches Easter egg charity collection
It’s fast appoaching that ‘eggcellent’ time of
the year again when we ‘shellebrate’
Easter and indulge in plenty of
chocolate.
And Kingswinford-based
JJX Logistics needs your
help, as the company runs
its annual Easter egg
collection before delivering
them to the Black Country
and the communities they serve, will be left
out in the cold.
One of the co-signatories of the letter,
which was published in the Financial Times
in February, was Toby Porter, former CEO of
Acorns Children’s Hospice and now Chief
Executive at Hospice UK.
He told Prosper: “The UK’s adult and
children’s hospices raise and spend some
£1.5bn annually on palliative and end-of-life
care, directly supporting some 300,000
people and their families.
“We are proud that our services are so
valued by local communities that some 60%
and 80% of adult and children hospice costs
are funded in normal times by donations
and charity shops, with only the balance met
by NHS grants and contracts.
“Hospices have high energy costs, and
this is a huge worry as prices rise. The
Food Bank and Black Country Mental
Health charities.
JJX is accepting donations at its
offices in Kingswinford but is
also happy to arrange
collections.
To get involved, contact
JJX on 01384 221642 or
email edward.martin@
jjxlogistics.co.uk.
Hospice leaders demand action over energy costs
Government needs to recognise that
hospice donors cannot be expected to
make up the shortfalls in our budgets over
the coming years.
“It is therefore surprising that the
Government’s new high energy use scheme
post-March will exclude charities such as
hospices, social care, community, leisure,
women’s refuges and homelessness
services. These providers cannot reduce
their energy use without compromising
services and safety; and unlike businesses,
we cannot and would never seek to pass on
these costs to our ‘consumers.”
Fellow signatories included Sarah Vibert
Chief Executive, National Council for
Voluntary Organisations, Rick Henderson
Chief Executive, Homeless Link, Caroline
Abrahams Charity Director, Age UK, and
Farah Nazeer of Women’s Aid Federation.
38 PROSPER SPRING 2023