Driven Charitable Support
2008In 2008 we are pleased to continue our charitable support and have selected two main charities with whom to work.
Great North Run
www.justgiving.com
Last year Steve ran the Great North run, this year Darren has also taken up the challenge and so on the 5th October 2008 both Darren and Steve will be running the 13 and a bit miles for Marie Curie / Driven Worldwide. They have both started training for this though Darren is probably a little bit ahead of Steve on his training right now, though that could all change on the run up to the big day.
Anyway, if you fancy sponsoring us, please feel free to donate using the 'Donate Now' button below.
 
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Marie Curie Cancer Care
www.mariecurie.org.uk
It is with great pride that Driven Worldwide has in 2008 become an Official Corporate Partner of Marie Curie Cancer Care in this their Diamond Anniversary year.The programme is a new one and involves the Company entering into a partnership of fundraising and sponsorship over a two year period.
Marie Curie Cancer Care is one of the UK’s largest charities, providing nursing care to around 27,000 terminally ill cancer patients in the community and in hospices, along with support for their families free of charge. The Marie Curie Research Institute and Palliative Care Research and Development units are also at the forefront of cancer research and a broad spectrum of issues relating to palliative care.
As the first such Official Corporate Partner, Driven Worldwide is the charity’s official car provider. We were, for example, delighted to sponsor the cars to transport the celebrities to the recent London “Brain Game”.
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| Chris Tarrant | Sally Gunnell |
The event saw some 29 corporations pitting their wits against each other in a lively quiz hosted by Chris Tarrant which raised £135,000 which will cover the cost of some 812 nursing shifts, allowing Marie Curie nurses to care for more terminally ill people in their own homes.
Driven was also pleased to transport Sir Ranulph Fiennes on his press tour to launch his recent incredible Everest Challenge.
RIPPLE Africa
www.rippleafrica.org
In February of 2008 we were delighted to view the now completed nursery school at Mazembe in Malawi for which we had donated funding in 2007.
Ripple Africa is visibly altering lives in Africa and in 2008 we have decided to continue our support by donating a further £5,000.
The monies will be split between funding two ambulance bikes, an incredibly simple idea which in rural areas enables the transportation of patients, particularly pregnant women, to the nearest healthcentres, the provision of toys and other supplies to equip the newly-built nursery school, and the remainder to start the construction of a second nursery school.
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| Nursery School at Mazembe in Malawi | Ambulance Bike |
2007
Earlier this year, we decided we really weren't doing enough to support charitable causes so we introduced a simple policy, which sets aside a fixed percentage of our profits to be donated to charitable causes that are selected by everyone at Driven Worldwide.
For the financial year end March 2007, we donated a total of £20,000, split equally between four different charities that represented people's favourites from a short list of suggestions. We limited the number of potential recipients to four to ensure our donations would make a worthwhile difference and we also checked all the charities' financials to ensure that our donations are not swallowed up in admin costs..
This year's charities of choice are as follows:
Marie Curie Cancer Care
www.mariecurie.org.uk
Marie Curie Cancer Care is a charity that provides nursing care to terminally ill cancer patients at a hospice or hospital close to their family. This choice is particularly relevant for several of us here at Driven who lost close relatives to cancer during 2007 and who benefitted from the dedicated and sensitive care provided by Marie Curie.
A total of £1,500 has been donated to Marie Curie on behalf of us all.
RIPPLE Africa
www.rippleafrica.org
“Recognizing Individual Potential & Promoting Local Education in Africa”
RIPPLE Africa is a charity working in Africa. This charity is involved with education, environmental projects, and healthcare in Malawi, Africa.
Darren came across this charity after a frantic search during a day off earlier this year – our auditors told us we needed to make the donation before the financial year end so it was all a bit of a rush!!
What appealed to us about RIPPLE is that it is a relatively small charity to whom our modest donation could make a substantial difference. The £5,000 we donated to RIPPLE will completely fund the construction of a children’s nursery school in Mazambe, Malawi and we felt very excited about seeing such a tangible result that will help provide an education to hundreds, if not thousands of children during its life.
The following link will take you to the RIPPLE page regarding the project and RIPPLE have told us that the local community started to mould the bricks in early August and that construction of the school is due to begin around now.
http://www.rippleafrica.org/ripple_funding_nurseryschool.htm
The charity is run buy a couple, Geoff and Liz Furber and they achieve a huge amount on a limited budget. Of the four charities we worked with this year, RIPPLE was by far the most passionate and excited about our contribution and we look forward to supporting them further during other projects. We receive regular updates from them and we are intending to send a couple of members of the Driven team out to Malawi later this year to see how they are progressing and maybe pick up a paintbrush!!
Demelza House
www.demelza.org.uk
Demelza provides hospice care for over 450 children with life-limiting illnesses. Most of their work is providing respite care to children and their families but Demelza also provides children's nurses who offer respite care at home, palliative care and bereavement support.
Make-A-Wish Foundation
www.make-a-wish.org.uk
Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK grants magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening illnesses. Since being established in the UK in 1986, we have granted over 4,500 wishes.
Make-A-Wish has no cures to offer and all too often some of our endings are sad but, during desperate times when there seems to be no hope, Make-A-Wish steps in and provides positive and uplifting relief. Most of all, a wish granted brings a time of magic and joy for the special children and families we serve.
WWF
www.wwf.org.uk
WWF and the Panda logo are globally recognized symbols of conservation and sustainable development. Much of their work is in areas where the most critically endangered wildlife and the least protected habitats are found. However, the origins of many environmental problems lie in developed countries, including the UK, and in our attitudes and behaviour - for example, our consumption of natural resources. That is why WWF-UK not only directs some 70 per cent of its conservation expenditure towards its global programmes but also seeks to influence global environmental issues through responsible actions in the UK.
