Wooden Spoon
“Despite the economic downturn we have generated our biggest ever single donation to Wooden Spoon – a remarkable achievement – and one that takes us ever nearer to our £3 million target.”
Tim Robb, Divisional Director, TNT Business Solutions
TNT is the biggest single benefactor of the children’s charity, Wooden Spoon. Generous of thought and deed, the company’s employees have generated in excess of £2.8m since 1997 and had a profoundly positive impact on the lives of tens of thousands of youngsters.
Spoon is TNT’s principal charity with 98% of all funds going directly to frontline projects to benefit the children. A volunteer-based charity with its origins entrenched in the sport of rugby, Spoon provides great networking and business development opportunities for TNT.
As well as fundraising, TNT employees are encouraged to witness how the money they raise is put to good use via the ‘Seeing is Believing’ (SiB) programme – an initiative where they take time out of their working day to visit children at Spoon-supported projects.
Launched in 2003, a total of 2,400 employees had experienced a SiB visit by the end of 2010, forging a stronger bond with the charity and ‘making it personal’.
The remarkable generosity of TNT employees was reflected in
a record-breaking donation of £305,137 during 2010, despite the economic downturn and challenges within the business.
The sum – the largest ever received by Spoon – edged TNT ever closer to its target of £3 million. It was celebrated courtesy of two 44ft linehaul vehicles, emblazoned with a transfer of a giant cheque, which visited TNT depots, hubs, offices and other locations the length and breadth of Britain.
The year also marked the most audacious fundraising bid ever undertaken by TNT when a seven-strong team attempted to swim the English Channel. A valiant effort saw the swimmers cover 29 miles – more than the distance between Dover and Calais – and yet still fail to land on French soil. Atrocious weather saw the 16-hour attempt called off just four miles shy of France, but Spoon still benefited by £17,000.
TNT’s charitable prowess received Royal recognition when Tom Bell, recently retired, Regional Managing Director was awarded the OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List for his – and by definition – TNT’s services to charity.
Record-breaking roadshow (shown above) – two TNT specially decorated linehaul vehicles undertook a nationwide tour, through the wintry conditions, to celebrate the company’s biggest ever donation to Wooden Spoon