Our charity commitment: from beating cancer to funding education

Our ever-growing charitable commitments are unique to every country. They range from donating blood to raising money for cancer research but every initiative brings a wealth of benefits to the local community.

To coincide with international day of charity on September 5th, we look at a handful of partnerships from our offices across Europe which are enhancing the lives of people in their country.

1.    Relay around the world

As part of Brother’s annual international Golden Ring Project – local offices take part in races to raise money for cancer charities.

Last year, over 4,000 employees from 20 Brother bases across the globe got involved. As part of this initiative, 23 employees from Brother France participated in the 17th Odyssea Paris and raised money in crucial support for Gustave Roussy (a leading cancer-research institute). The funds went towards developing personalized treatments for breast cancer. Overall, the race attracted 37,500 participants and raised a total of 520,000 euros.

This year, employees from Brother’s European headquarters took part in a 24-hour relay race taking turns of walking and running all day and night. The team clocked up nearly half a million steps and raised over £4500, surpassing their £2000 target.  

2.    Donations that saves lives

According to the World Health Organisation, 90% of people who are eligible to donate blood are not currently doing so. Brother Industries Slovakia and Brother’s team in the Czech Republic are playing their part in tackling this problem by hosting blood donation events for their staff and the local community. Working with a hospital in Brno, team provided well deserved raffle prizes for blood donors.

Brother Industries Slovakia has worked with the Slovak National Transfusion service for 11 years. They continue to host 3 to 4 blood drives each year. The sessions can accumulate 30-50 pints of blood per session.

3.    Orphanages

Brother’s team in Russia makes donations to local orphanage houses twice a year. The donations provide children with a safe home and access to everyday essentials.

Brother Russia works particularly closely with Fond Vera, a charity fund for the terminally ill. They have provided hospice equipment (including care products for bed-ridden individuals and transportation equipment) as well as Brother products such as printers and ink cartridges. The local Brother staff also get involved as volunteers and regularly collect household items, confectionery, snacks and donations.

4.    Graduation opportunities

Brother Ireland is in its third year of sponsoring Dublin City University’s Access Program. They provide underprivileged young people with the chance to earn a university degree free of cost.

5.    Together for a Cooler Earth

For over a decade, Brother Europe has been supporting Cool Earth, a UK-based non-profit organisation working to protect and preserve natural environments in the Amazon.

This partnership conserves the rainforest, protects the endangered species and makes a significant contribution to the reduction of CO2 levels.

Also included in the initiative are Brother’s European sales offices. They collect and recycle used ink cartridges and toners to promote the “Cool Earth Eco-Rewards Initiative”. This provides funding for activities focused on preventing global warming.

6.    Creating careers

Brother Switzerland teamed up with Welcome to School, a non-profit organisation that helps young refugees integrate into their communities. This in turn supports them in launching their careers.

The office donated a new Brother printer and CHF 1,000 which allowed additional teachers to be hired for 60 students, leading to a provision of 10 more classes a day.

7.    Charity goals

With football being the most popular sport in Europe, it’s no surprise that it plays a significant part in many CSR initiatives.

Brother Italy supports Playmore, a not-for-profit charity which provides sports facilities and classes to encourage girls and boys with disabilities to participate in sports. In 2018, Brother employees teamed up with the boys’ football team to go head-to-head in a football tournament.

Brother Industries UK sponsors Wrexham Football Club, which helps keep the club running, as since 2011 it has been owned by its supporters. 

8.    Sewing skills for future generations

Brother Industrial Machine Handling in Germany provided sewing machines to a local secondary school that was lacking the budget to buy high quality equipment. The school wanted to launch a fun sewing course to teach young people the lifetime skill of sewing. With Brother’s help, this became a reality.

9.    Perfect harmony

Together, Brother International Europe and Brother UK are long-term supporters of Manchester’s prestigious Hallé Concerts Society. The orchestra, which was founded in 1858, ranks among the UK’s top symphonic ensembles and has a distinguished history of acclaimed performances around the world.

These are just some of the many activities across Europe. Our charitable partnerships are hugely varied, reflecting the individual personalities of our offices across the continent. We are truly proud of the passion and creativity our colleagues demonstrate in support of so many good causes.

Together we’re making ‘At your side’ much more than a motto.