Page 25 - PWM2025_JUNE EBOOK

BETTER BUSINESS

good work and the effects of charity pany will instead sponsor a water-ski-
can be. He details what it has meant ing event in 2025 where 10 to 15
to him – personally. families will “have a day out to
“It is not until you experience remember”.
something that you realise how lucky He’s doing this because, with
you are. In our situation, our son was Christmas gifts to customers, “there
very poorly and spent quite of bit of are only so many bottles of wine one
time in hospital when he was very person can drink at Christmas” and
young. We realised very quickly that
although he was unwell, he would the event “will give families the gift of
get better. But he was surrounded by something to look forward to into the
young children for whom hospital new year when times for these fami-
was like a second home and they lies can be so tough”.
would need care continually Other examples of giving that
throughout their childhood and into Marsh mentions include an event
adult life.” that raised more than £18,000 for
This for Marsh was, as he says, “a the NSPCC through sales of a charity
wake-up call for us; my wife and I print, and helping to fundraise,
decided we should help where we through the Knights Foundation, to
can.” build a school in Nepal. And
Marsh tells how while at the hospi-
tal the steps they took were “as sim- TheMPC staff welcome what the
ple as ensuring that other parents company is doing in this sphere. As
had adequate respite and ensured Marsh comments, “they are very sup-
they took care of themselves”. They portive of the charities we support
helped organise food and accommo- and love to get involved where they
dation for those parents who didn’t can. We take our staff to a number of
know this was available or who were the events so they can see first-hand
just too exhausted. how we as a business look to support
But when back at home the couple this very important charity in our
decided to do more and that is when local community”.
his relationship with The Knights In finishing, Marsh reckons that if
Foundation started. The foundation
is a platform for others to see these charities – there are 800 of them that sit was chosen, says Marsh, precisely a firm can help then it should. But he
on desks and 12 charities get a month in front of our customers. We promote because the founder of the charity says that “it’s important to ensure
each month’s ‘why’ via our social media channels.” covered the costs of running it via his you can afford to do it, not only from
Charitable work for CIM, Baker explains, “shows that we are not all about own businesses. “We know all of the a financial point of view, but also in
money and financial gain. The team knows that we do it for reasons that are money we donate goes directly to terms of time”. He says this for good
credible”. As for the charities themselves, Baker says that “they are thank- those who need it,” he says. reason: “When you can see what an
ful... there are so many charities, and they are all fighting for funding to “You hear so many stories about impact you are having first hand, you
make a difference to others”. organisations where the salaries are will want to do more and more.”
He adds that the company is a “flag flyer in appreciation for what they do”. huge. We aren’t providing support to
He continues: “We make signs and are good at that, we don’t have the pay salaries; we do it to help those in Summary
skillsets for some of the amazing, challenging and at times soul destroying our community who need it most.” Charity is not about being ‘holier
situations some of these people have to deal with; without them there would In terms of the assistance given, than thou’ or taking the moral high
be far more pain in our society.” Marsh explains that as patrons “we ground. Rather, it’s about doing the
In his view, firms looking to do some good should “do what makes [them] provide a regular donation plus we
feel happy, make the decisions based on what [they] can afford and why are always the headline sponsor of right thing and caring for others. So
[they] want to be involved.” the bi-annual Children of Courage it’s good to be charitably minded. It’s
He makes the point that “we are on this planet once, so are a few more awards. We also aim to provide sup- good for the soul, is great for work-
digits in the bank going to make you that much happier, or is doing some- port all year round working with the place morale and teambuilding, and
thing nice for someone else more rewarding?” For Baker, charity doesn’t charity to use our knowledge and let’s be clear, it’s excellent to give
have to mean a large donation – it can often be something simple. marketing expertise to think of inno- more to society than we take. And it’s
vative ways to raise funds”. one of the little things the differenti-
TheMPC He tells how instead of giving ates a civilised society from one that
Paul Marsh, managing director, understands just how valuable to society Christmas gifts this year the com- is both selfish and anarchic.

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