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Daniel says…

While I was at our Brent Cross store someone came round and explained all about the scheme and asked which charity I might want to support.

I decided to support a charity that maybe wasn’t quite as well known as some of the others. It’s great that you get to choose.

I give £5 every month to Refuge. They help women and children who are suffering from domestic violence. I think that’s a good cause to support.

Personally, I would rather give than receive, but everyone has to make up his or her own mind. There are lots of people who aren’t as well off, so I tend to think ‘we’re the lucky ones’. But I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.

It’s definitely a good thing if your employer offers this scheme – it tells you something about their attitude. I think all companies should have it.

Lennox says…

This has got to be the best way to give to charity because what you give is tax free. The charity you choose gets more money automatically on top of what you give. I don’t think there can be another situation where the tax man gives away something for nothing like that.

What I like about it is there’s no hassle. You don’t get stopped in the street and you don’t have to fill in a direct debit form.

Your employer does the paper work. I think it’s a sign of a good employer if they have a scheme like this so staff can give to charity.

Being happy at work isn’t just about money and mates. If you feel good at work then you feel good about everything. I don’t think it matters how much you give. You can give a lot or a little – either way your money goes further because it’s tax free.

Leslie says…

Homelessness is about more than having somewhere to sleep; a home provides roots, identity, security, a sense of belonging and a place of emotional well-being.

Our services are designed to help people by providing opportunities to regain confidence, build basic skills and to progress into further education and employment. Crisis offers sustainable routes out of homelessness towards a more secure future.

Crisis is in many ways a traditional charity: we rely largely on voluntary donations and receive little support from the public sector; without the generosity of our supporters none of our work would be possible.

Workplace Giving provides an invaluable source of income and a fantastic opportunity for people to make these donations simply and tax effectively. I would urge more employers to support the Geared for Giving campaign.

Vicki says…

I give £5 each month to Amnesty International because they touch on issues I feel strongly about, like personal freedoms and human rights. I think my travels have informed my view and opened my eyes to the way some of the world treats the rest of the world.

A lot of people I know give to children’s causes or animal welfare, for example, which is great. I reckon half my friends must be running marathons or climbing mountains for medical research.

I wanted my gift to go somewhere with a different compass. I think everyone has to find his or her own connections.

A colleague came round at work to see if anyone was interested in charitable giving. I knew I wanted to find another cause to support and I knew my money would go further donated direct from my salary because the income tax otherwise payable on my £5 gift goes to Amnesty instead of the tax man.

Chris says…

Each month I give £5 direct from my salary to the British Heart Foundation. The bank matches our personal donations pound for pound so my £5 become £10. This means the British Heart Foundation gets £10 which only only costs me £4.

I like supporting my chosen charity in such an easy way. There are heart problems in some of my family, so I want to give something back to this charity for making a difference to the people close to me.

The amount every month doesn’t hurt me much – but it gives you a good feeling that you’re helping other people.

Not long after I joined the bank a lady came round and explained to me about giving in the workplace and I signed up. Hopefully we can get more people to join in if we can make the benefits more noticeable at work.

Lisa says…

At the end of each year I get asked how I want to spend my flexible benefits. So I scroll down a list of on-screen options and select charitable giving. Simple.

It was important to me I choose a charity that meant something to me personally. I had a grandparent who died of bowel cancer so I opted to make a donation each month to Bowel and Cancer Research.

Giving to charity direct from your salary is tax free. And because I’m a higher rate tax payer, my charity actually gets £10 for every £6 I give.

We all have our lists of things to do, don’t we? I guess none of us goes around with charitable giving at front of mind each day. But, yes, I’m grateful I’m in a position to do something positive. It’s great to be able to make a difference – especially when it’s this easy to support a good cause.

Geared up Employers

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David Bennett

Group Chief Executive

Sanctuary Group

As a charitable organisation, our staff understand the importance of giving something back to the community which is why we were keen to support Geared for Giving’s workplace payroll scheme. It provides an easy and tax efficient method for employees to contribute to their favourite charities, and both the organisation and our staff have given the scheme their full backing.

Stewart Prodger

Communications Manager

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

We wanted to encourage payroll giving but didn’t have the time and resources to champion it effectively. Using Workplace Giving made a new impetus possible, and multi-site presentations successfully raised awareness and increased take-up, so everyone has benefited.

Diane Martyn

Chief Executive Officer

Select Group

We’re committed to providing our staff with the opportunity to give something back as individuals and as a company. I am delighted to be in a position to raise the profile of Workplace Giving and would strongly advise other companies to take advantage of this great scheme.

Martin Ott

CEO

Skrill Holdings

We launched Workplace Giving at Skrill Holdings two years ago at the request of our employees. Geared for Giving is an easy way for our employees to give to their chosen charities, which is why the level of participation has been so high. We are delighted to be part of a scheme that enables our employees to give something back in such a simple way.

Jean Morgan

CEO

South Northamptonshire Council

It’s the flexibility which is so excellent, and the small scale regular giving ethos which is really important to charities, especially in this economic climate. Why wouldn’t you put it in place? That’s why we thought it would be a great idea to tell others about it.

Mark Wilson

Chairman

St. James’s Place Foundation

As someone with an assurance background, I fully understand the value a monthly contribution can make to a persons future or indeed in the case of a charitable cause. As Founder and Chairman of St. James’s Place Wealth Management, I am extremely proud that over 80% of its partners and employees give generously to the SJP Foundation through their pay and earnings.

Richard Lowther

Executive Vice President Human Resources

Symbian

Symbian is proud to support the Workplace Giving scheme. The strong participation of Symbian’s employees is testament to a company that lives its values and brand by contributing to its environment as well as its business.