It's for Charity... it's just about the giving, or is it?

We really shouldn't be embarrassed to admit that Charity activity within a business does actually deliver a lot more back than a warm feeling for doing the right thing and a bold tick in the CSR box.

Team moral, cohesion and a sense of pride are all quite tangible benefits. Go a step further and establish a group within the business to drive charity activity and you unleash something quite special.

Driven by our ‘Charity Team' (volunteers from each department), we're part way through developing a Community Cook Book - one of their many ideas - all profits to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital Charity.

In doing so, we've created a community of local restaurants, businesses, retailers, stylists, bloggers, media, printers... who have all thrown in their support along with our creative team. We've made new friends and contacts, even met a few potential new clients, and all had the chance to demonstrate our talents and share them alongside a real 'good news' story.

The team launched a small Kickstarter campaign to offset the now vastly subsidised external costs and were subsequently promoted to a 'Project they Love' on Day 1. Along the way, they've had great fun and plenty of Cake!, documented, shot, tweeted and shared, and creating a real buzz, both inside and outside the agency. 

Media and local personalities have latched onto the project to show their support, even including the odd Corrie star - all in the name of supporting a good cause. 

It’s the team that have done this, the ‘Heads of…’ have just given them the challenge and the time. First and foremost it is about supporting a worthy cause, but if you can have fun and thread it into your wider business outreach, learning & development, team building etc… don't be uneasy with it, do more of it. 

Very proud of what the team have achieved and the breadth of talent they have corralled into the project. Can't wait to see what they dream up next...

'It's Cooking Good' featuring the finest of Ancoats & the Northern Quarter cuisine goes on sale next month. A big thank you to everyone who has supported the project so far.

If you want to support the project, or pre-order your copy - the Kickstarter campaign closes at midnight on the 31st. http://goo.gl/ytEppy