Why is giving locally so important?

16th May 2022

Supporting the local community is a big part of Rickard Luckin’s history. Over a decade ago, the chartered accountants and tax advisers took steps to embed this value into its ethos, ensuring it is part of the business’s future. Gayner Smith, Director at Rickard Luckin, explains how the team did it:

“In 2009, we started working with Essex Community Foundation (ECF) and set up the ‘Rickard Luckin Community Fund’. For those new to the concept,
ECF is an independent charitable trust based in Chelmsford that helps people, companies and public agencies give back to their local community effectively and efficiently.

“It just made perfect sense to us. We liked having our own corporate-named charity through which we could give support to some of the lesser-known local voluntary groups working in areas where our offices are based. Some of them we didn’t even know existed! We wanted colleagues to be involved in deciding who we should support. But we didn’t necessarily know which local organisations would benefit most from our help, and we also needed some assistance in assessing requests.”

Since setting up the Rickard Luckin Community Fund, the company, which has offices in Basildon, Chelmsford and Southend, has given away over
£21,000 in grants to support a wide range of local charities and groups. These include Southend Foodbank, City of Chelmsford Mencap and Autism
and Nature. In addition, the team regularly organises events and has already raised over £53,000 in an endowed fund that secures their support for the local community forever.

Gaynor continued, “It is important to us that our corporate giving remains in Essex as it is where most of our team and many of our clients live, so we want to reinvest back into local communities. We also offer payroll giving, which is a great way for our staff to donate to our Fund (and a method that benefits from tax relief).

“Working with ECF also allows us to help clients who want to discuss how best they can give to charity during their lifetime, or as part of their estate planning and writing their will. We can advise on the various giving options and available tax incentives, but if they want to know more, we are pleased to suggest they speak with ECF as this is their area of expertise. It’s a great partnership that benefits us all.”

It is often the larger, national charities that receive donations. But local charities make up a large proportion of the charity sector and often operate on tiny budgets; 85% of registered charities in the UK have an annual income of less than £100,000 and hundreds more community groups operate informally. By supporting deserving causes closer to home, our people can see what a difference their support makes. Giving to national charities is certainly worthwhile, but nothing beats championing your local community.

To discuss how you can support local charities, call Perry Norton, Head of Development at ECF, on 01245 355947 or email perry@essexcf.org.uk

Republished from Essex Director Magazine.