We strive to be a good corporate citizen by actively supporting the local communities within which we work. Here are a few highlights of our charity initiatives:

• Every year publishing employees vote to support a designated charity for the year and commit to raise more than £10,000 through various fundraising events. Last year employees raised over £12,000 for Kids Company, which the Group rounded up to a total donation of £23,000. This year we are working with The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture.
• We run regular fundraising events for charitable initiatives such as Comic Relief and Breast Cancer Awareness, as well as sponsoring individual staff in their fundraising efforts. Our distribution sites run monthly book sales, with all proceeds donated to charities chosen by staff.
• We offer a facility for staff to donate to a charity of their choice through the Give As You Earn scheme.

We also have a number of volunteering initiatives which we encourage staff to get involved with:

• In 2006 we launched a volunteer reading scheme with Volunteer Reading Help and primary schools across London, giving staff time off and the appropriate training to develop the literacy skills of children who either lack confidence or don't have access to reading opportunities at home.
• In 2008 we introduced a volunteering policy to give all permanent employees the entitlement to one paid day of leave every year in which to undertake volunteering activities.
• We also have a school governor policy, which allows staff to take paid time off to act as school governors.
• In the last few years we've organised a number of volunteering activities, including:
  • an all-day workshop on 'How a book is made' at Westminster Primary School;
  • a careers morning for 6th form students at Pimlico school to talk about the publishing industry
  • a 'Fun Day' for schoolchildren at Copenhagen Primary School in Kings Cross
  • mock interviews for Year 11 pupils at Featherstone High School
  • a careers talk at Lillian Bayliss Technology School
  • a trip with children from Kids Company to the Science museum
  • a 'Breakfast Club' at Lillian Bayliss Technology School, where volunteers read through the papers and discuss topical issues with groups of 13-15 year olds.