Over the last 6 years we’ve raised an incredible £1.4m for our charity partners and donated to good causes, including Coram Beanstalk, the Black Stork Charity, Claire House, Alder Hey, Whitechapel and the Booth Centre and we want to do a lot more.
With just one in three aged between eight and 18 saying they enjoy reading in their spare time, the National Literacy Trust aims to help inspire a love for reading. The independent charity works with schools, communities and partners across the UK to support children, young people and adults with literacy skills through a whole host of initiatives, including community events, book-gifting and resource packs.
With just 25% of children reading daily in their free time, Coram Beanstalk aims to equip people to help children engage with books and become confident, independent readers. By creating a reading community, they’re bringing together parents, kids and volunteers to prove that reading is for everyone.
213,749 children helped since 1973
£640,000 raised by Very to fund one-on-one reading support for 40,000 children
97% of schools said their reading helpers helped children to increase their enjoyment of reading
98% of schools said their reading helpers helped children to increase their confidence in reading
Our colleagues have done some amazing things to help support our charities.
One of our colleagues challenged himself to run 52.1 miles over 6 days to raise money for Coram Beanstalk and survived to tell the tale!
We’ve been working with Radio City Cash for Kids Mission Christmas to donate toys and gifts to vulnerable children and young people in the local area
Some of our team set about logging their exercise mileage aiming for 25,000 miles and raised money for Coram Beanstalk at the same time!
Another colleague who likes to rack up the miles took part in the Landmarks half-marathon to raise cash for Coram Beanstalk. It’s definitely a different way to sightsee!
Here are some of the ways we’ve been supporting local and wider communities.
We brought in some special helpers to join our story time sessions, giving kids and parents the chance to settle in for a tale or two and encouraging them to explore with thinking activities.
During the pandemic, we worked with our amazing NHS hospitals to deliver packages to key workers of the things they needed to make their shifts a little bit easier.
We sent out bundles to Coram Beanstalk supported schools close to our locations with essential educational kit including laptops, printers, books and crayons.
We came together with a host of celebrities to host a pop-up to empower kids from families that might otherwise struggle by providing new uniforms and school supplies ahead of term.
We donated on behalf of our business and customers to The Black Stork charity, which helps to raise funds and facilitate the Defence and National Rehabilitation (DNRC) Programme, which supports the rehabilitation of injured service people.
A dreamy range of bedding and pyjamas inspired by Roald Dahl worlds and stories and we’ll be donating all profits (at least 30% of the purchase price) straight to Coram Beanstalk.
We’re always looking for ways we can support each-other and work better.
We’ve changed the way we work to a hybrid of at-home and office based working.
