Community & Charity

Since its foundation, Aberdeen has been an active supporter of the communities in which we operate, both in the UK and around the world. We concentrate our efforts on smaller charities focussed on children, health and supporting older people. We endeavour to engage locally with the communities in which we operate, to maintain a number of national charity relationships, and to increase our contribution to international development. In addition to financial support, we offer assistance in kind where possible, such as printing services, auction prizes, equipment, and the use of our office facilities.

Volunteer Leave: We have established a Volunteer Leave programme enabling all permanent employees to take up to two days per annum for voluntary work.

Give As You Earn (GAYE): Through this scheme we will match all regular monthly employee contributions up to a maximum of £1,000 per month (UK).

Matched funding: Employees taking part in personal participative activities, such as a marathon, are eligible to apply for up to £100 in matched funding.

Principal UK charities we support:

Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres

We have developed strong links with Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres which provide support for people affected by cancer, their families, carers and friends. There are currently ten centres in the UK and a further three are planned. We are working with the charity on plans for the centre at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Parkinson’s UK

We were very pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the recruitment of an information and support worker, based in Aberdeenshire, for people with Parkinson's Disease, their carers and families. This is a five year commitment, which will lead to significant benefits for those in the area who are affected by the illness.

Women's Aid

We remain long-standing supporters of Women’s Aid, the UK charity working to end domestic violence. The charity helps up to 250,000 women and children every year and supports more than 500 domestic and sexual violence services across the UK.

Aberdeen's international engagement:

EveryChild

EveryChild has an outstanding record in providing families in developing countries with healthcare, education and support through sponsorship programmes and we continue to support its work with some of the world's most vulnerable children.

To find out more about EveryChild's work watch the BBC's Lifeline Appeal.

International Disaster Relief

In April 2011 Aberdeen donated US$100,000 to the Japan Tsunami Appeal of the British Red Cross. The donation will support the Japanese Red Cross Society in its work to help those affected by the earthquake and the tsunami.

In 2010 we contributed $25,000 to the US Disaster Emergency committee appeal for Haiti and made an initial donation of $5,000 to the Oxfam Emergency Appeal after the Pakistan floods.

Education:

Herriot Watt Risk Academy

As part of our desire to work more closely with the academic community, Aberdeen was one of the five financial services organisations to join forces with Herriot-Watt University in Edinburgh to establish the UK’s first Financial Risk Academy. The academy will focus on quantitative risk management, a specialist area that is coming under increased scrutiny by governments, national and international regulators and the public as a consequence of the global financial crisis.

www.sfra.ac.uk