Any company who supports Caravan, no matter how large or small, is eligible to enter.
The awards are being launched to recognise that support for the charity comes in many forms and is not always related directly to financial donations.
These are of course a vital element for our charity; however, we want to show recognition to those companies who dedicate time and effort to supporting Caravan’s work in other ways such as supporting the local events, as all contributions to our cause are gratefully received and extremely important.
To be eligible for an award companies must participate in at least one of the five judging criteria.
For a Gold award all five categories must be met which includes committing volunteers to our national committees, supporting both local and regional events, taking part at annual events such as the Windermere Row and the Diamond Ball, identifying potential beneficiaries and also committing to a corporate charitable donation.
The important thing to remember is that even those companies who take the time to support local events but are unable to take part in all five criteria are still recognised through the awards which include Gold, Silver and Bronze denominations.
The judging period for the Awards will run annually, starting from September 2007. The first awards winners will be announced at the Annual Luncheon next year in November 2008, although status updates will be available to participating businesses across the coming year.
Caravan has a stated aim of providing aid and assistance to those in need and who have been involved in any way with the grocery business in the UK. The charity currently assists more than 1,490 former industry workers who, for various reasons, have fallen on hard times, and in the past year has spent more than £1.5m on charitable provision.
Gillian Barker Caravan’s Director General said: “So many companies support our charity and show huge generosity whether it be through financial contributions or dedicating time and effort to support our annual events.
“The launch of the Caravan Achievements Awards enables us to show our thanks publicly through a range of awards, and to demonstrate that every business, of whatever size, can still achieve recognition for their support of Caravan’s work both locally and nationally.”
