How your business can support your local hospice

Corporate social responsibility – what’s in it for you?

• Partnering with a local charity such as St Barnabas House or its sister hospice, Chestnut Tree House, helps your staff feel that they are working together for a common good. It’s great for morale and staff engagement, as well as making employees feel proud of the place that they work for their commitment to supporting a local cause.
• CSR doesn’t just have to be about fundraising – you could meet different targets by giving your time, expertise or services. You can even ask staff to donate unwanted goods to our charity shops.
• There’s nothing stronger than word of mouth! You can support us by helping us to raise awareness of the work we do with our local communities and help people access hospice services should they need them.
• Of course, supporting a well-loved local charity will increase your profile in the local community. You can gain positive PR from sharing your fundraising initiatives with the local press which can also boost your brand and show your commitment to supporting the local community.
• There are plenty of marketing opportunities available with supporting a local charity, and sponsorship is a big part of that. You can support us by sponsoring one of our main projects, such as our remembrance event, Light Up a Life for St Barnabas House and our exciting art trail, The Big Hoot, which arrives in Chichester & Arundel in Summer 2024, in aid of Chestnut Tree House.
• You can also take advantage of networking opportunities with other like-minded businesses by getting involved with our events, such as Chestnut Tree House’s Snowman Ball. 

Above: Volunteers from Goring Hall helping in our gardens

Corporate Partnership Case Study

When Barratt Homes Southern Counties announced Worthing hospice St Barnabas House as their 2023 Charity of the Year, they wanted to shine a light on palliative and end-of-life care. But at the time, they didn’t realise how many of the people they worked with had been touched by the hospice and its work. They certainly couldn’t have predicted the sum they would end up donating – a record-breaking £138,982.

Managing director Julian Hodder said: “I’ve spoken to sub-contractors at events, and everybody has their own story about St Barnabas House. They have all been very positive in terms of their experience. It was a senior member of staff who made the nomination, and she had a personal connection to the hospice. But in addition to that, we have a site literally five minutes down the road, so we knew we would see the benefit.”

Julian and the team had a creative approach to fundraising, with each department being allocated a month to fundraise, and coming up with their own exciting ideas on how to raise money. They held pub quizzes and barbecue, ran marathons and even held a mini-Olympics! The whole business also got involved in larger-scale events including a golf day and charity auction.

For Barratt Homes, supporting local causes doesn’t being and end at just fundraising. With all staff members having two paid days each year to volunteer with any charity, several members of staff have helped in our shops, and others volunteered with the gardening team.

“Of course, CSR is also about engagement,” says Julian. “It’s good for Barratt Homes to be seen as a force for good in the community, but it’s also brilliant for staff morale. For me, the highlight has been seeing the guys really throw themselves into it.”