Gateley in Birmingham names Buddy Bag Foundation as new charity partner

Our Birmingham office has chosen the Buddy Bag Foundation (BBF) as its charity partner for the next 12 months.

The BBF makes a huge difference to the thousands of children entering emergency care each year by providing them with ‘Buddy Bags’ to restore a sense of safety, comfort and security in their lives. The Buddy Bags contain a hand-knitted teddy bear, as well as essentials such as pyjamas, toiletries and books, which can help make the transition into emergency accommodation that little bit easier. Almost 20,000 Buddy Bags have been distributed nationally since the charity was registered in 2015.

Ruth Armstrong, head of CSR at Gateley and national head of the company’s Regulatory team, said: “Every year our staff nominate the charities they care about and everyone within the business is able to vote. The Buddy Bag Foundation was selected as Birmingham’s charity of the year and it is a great feeling to know we are going to be able to help children in emergency care, who may have very little to call their own.

“The charity will be the focus of our fundraising efforts throughout the year, which will include dress-down Fridays, auctions and raffles amongst other things.”

The founder of the Buddy Bag Foundation, Karen Williams, said: “We are delighted that Gateley has chosen the BBF and I’m excited to be working with them on a number of fundraising activities throughout the year. Every penny raised will go back into the local community by providing our ‘Bags of Love’ to refuge centres across the West Midlands, which make a real difference to the children in emergency care.”

To find out more about the Buddy Bag Foundation, and how you can make a positive difference as a business, or as an individual visit www.buddybagfoundation.co.uk.