Thanks to the generosity of the grocery industry Caravan, the industry charity, has ended its financial year (April 2008 – March 2009) by spending a record £1,756,341 on the provision of welfare services to its growing number of beneficiaries.
It has been a challenging year for the grocery industry with the economic downturn taking its toll on both large corporate companies and smaller independent businesses. Yet, despite the effects of the current climate, Caravan has continued to drive the awareness of the charity and boost the number of people they are supporting.
This year the charity helped 1849 people thanks to a growth of over 12% on welfare expenditure. The charity reported a record income of £2,239,228 all thanks to the generous support from the industry.
There has also been a huge growth in companies running their own fundraising events and raffles in aid of Caravan, which has increased the donations figure by 27%.
Gillian Barker, Caravan Director General comments: “We have seen a fantastic growth in the number of people the charity has helped this year, a reflection of the genuine support and generosity of our co-workers across the grocery industry. Not only has the total number of people we help increased, but also the scope, with the youngest beneficiary being 28 years old and the oldest 100.
“I would like to extend my thanks to all involved for their dedication to the charity which has allowed us to increase the number of beneficiaries, and the quality of the support we are able to offer them. We understand the impact that the current climate is having and are extremely grateful to all who continue to support the charity whether it is through donations, organising fundraising events or giving your time to join a regional branch.”
“With the Caravan Achievement Awards programme moving into its third year, we are confident 2009/10 will be even stronger and we can once again improve the scope and scale of support we provide to our ex-colleagues in need across the UK.”
Source: Caravan
