Beaverbrooks helps launch charity initiative

In London's BT Tower, Beaverbrooks the Jewellers supported the launch of a new phase of the national Geared for Giving Campaign that is calling for every employer in the UK with more than 250 employees to offer Payroll Giving to their staff.

Currently just 23 per cent of the UK’s largest employers offer Payroll Giving. Donations made through Payroll Giving are tax free, which means that charities benefit by at least 25 per cent more on top of employee donations. When it comes to higher rate tax payers, the benefits are greater still at 66 per cent and 81 per cent more on each donation – maximising the gift unlike any other form of giving.

The campaign is being backed by a group of the UK’s biggest employers, including ASOS, BT, Beaverbrooks, Experian, Linklaters LLP and The Entertainer. The heads of these companies are encouraging a culture of generosity by calling for every employer across the nation to follow their lead and offer Payroll Giving to their staff.

Peter O’Hara, Geared for Giving Founder and CEO says: “We are on the verge of a dramatic transformation in employee giving. Payroll Giving in the UK already raises the annual equivalent to Children In Need and Comic Relief combined but it’s far from reaching its full potential where all employees can make a regular tax free gift, no matter how large or small, straight from their pay to any charity of their choice – from big household names to the smallest community organisations. “There is huge appetite and with the backing of top business leaders and such a large audience to engage with, we are looking forward to growing the supporter base to spread the Geared for Giving message in workplaces across the UK.”