Employees from a Sunderland customer services centre are taking part in a special fundraising effort for Marie Curie.
Staff from EDF Energy, Doxford International Business Park, have volunteered to extend their fundraising efforts out into the community, visiting various supermarkets and organisations to raise as much as possible for the company’s charity partner.
Team manager and charity champion at EDF Energy, Doxford International Business Park, Lisa Sidney, brought some extra flower power to Sainsbury’s Washington by selling the iconic Marie Curie daffodil pin badges as part of an ongoing fundraising drive by the energy company.
Lisa, 29, from Sunderland, said: “We volunteered to help raise funds for Marie Curie and to support the excellent work they do. The day was very successful, lots of shoppers bought daffodil pin badges to support the charity, which made it really worthwhile, and we are grateful to Sainsbury’s for supporting us with the event.”
EDF Energy announced a three-year charity partnership with Marie Curie in May 2013. As well as supporting the charity through volunteering, the energy company aims to raise £600,000 for Marie Curie over the period of the special relationship. This includes EDF Energy match-funding its employees’ fundraising by up to £100,000 each year.
EDF Energy employees from across the country have exceeded the set fundraising target, and in only two years have raised £437,000, plus match-funding of £200,000, bringing the total to an amazing £637,000.
Lisa continued: “I have had quite a few family members and friends who have been impacted by cancer and terminal illness. It is something which affects so many people, so Marie Curie needs all the help it can get with donations to help those affected and to support families and loved ones.”
Marie Curie provides nursing care and support to people with a terminal illness, supporting them in their own home or at one of the charity’s nine hospices. In County Durham, Marie Curie nurses provided more than 18,737 hours of care and supported more than 912 terminally ill patients in 2013/14.