PwC staff pick Hospice UK and Crisis as new Foundation charity partners

PwC has voted for Hospice UK and Crisis as its new Foundation charity partners.

PwC’s support for the two charities over the next three years will come through staff volunteering their time, raising money from organised fundraising events, and making donations via payroll, with a particular focus on digital skills and transformation.

Last year, PwC’s total community contribution was £8.1 million through a combination of donations, in-kind support and over 83,000 volunteering hours. More than 33% PwC people volunteered their time, benefiting some 33,000 people. 

Hospice UK works with over 210 hospices, who care for 200,000 adults, children and babies with life-limiting and terminal illnesses every year, as well as supporting their families. PwC will help Hospice UK extend its work, helping provide information and support to ease the strain that bereavement and caring responsibilities can have on people’s wellbeing. Immediate plans include developments to their  information service, which has experienced a huge surge in demand due to Covid-19, giving families a place to turn to at times of need.

Crisis works with thousands of people experiencing homelessness at 11 Skylight centres across the UK, helping with education and training, as well as support with housing, employment and health and wellbeing. People experiencing homelessness are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19,  so Crisis has adapted its services quickly to be able to continue supporting clients. The charity has been delivering food and wellbeing supplies and mobile phones to those in need, and setting up an emergency grants scheme for smaller, local homelessness charities so they can continue their work. PwC’s support will help Crisis to expand on this work, as well as giving people better access to digital services, to learn new skills so that they can leave homelessness behind for good.  

Kevin Ellis, chairman and senior partner at PwC, said:

“We’re very much looking forward to supporting the work of Crisis and Hospice UK, two charities that make an important contribution to society by providing support to those most in need. 

“Our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems, and our employees’ choice of charity partners reflects our commitment to addressing issues of social inequality and physical and mental wellbeing. By bringing together the fundraising power of our 20,000 people across the UK we know from experience that we can make a positive impact.”

Tracey Bleakley, CEO of Hospice UK, said:

“Hospice UK are delighted to be chosen as PwC's next Health and Wellbeing fundraising partner, and we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who voted for us. At Hospice UK, we support over 210 hospices to care for more than 200,000 adults and children with life-limiting and terminal illnesses every year, and help their families too. Through our partnership with PwC we plan to strengthen our Information Service, enabling us to support even more people when they need it most. We’re really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together over the next three years.”

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: 

“We’re delighted to have been chosen as one of PwC’s new Foundation charity partners. It’s with the support of organisations like PwC that Crisis is able to continue its work towards ending homelessness for good in Great Britain. 

“Since the coronavirus outbreak began, we’ve all gained a better understanding of the value of home – and the many reasons why it should be available to all. Homelessness is not inevitable and together with the support of organisations like PwC and the public, we will work together so there’s a home for all from now on.” 

PwC supports four strategic partner charities, aligning with the firm’s community strategy focus areas. The other two PwC Foundation charities are long standing partners: Beyond Food and Wellbeing of Women. 

In 2019, PwC moved to the top of the UK’s Social Mobility Employer Index, as a result of concerted efforts to improve opportunities into the firm from people of all backgrounds.

PwC is also a leading voice in challenging taboos around mental health in the workplace, with its continued commitment to the Green Light to Talk campaign launched in 2017. The campaign encourages PwC people to have open and honest conversations about mental wellbeing at work and includes the establishment of a Mental Health Advocate network of partners trained to listen and offer confidential support and guidance.

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