Green Light Trust, in Lawshall near Bury St Edmunds, receives boost from accountancy firm Gascoynes as it looks to create more long-term partnerships
An environmental and mental health charity has received a £6,944 boost from one of its long-term partners and has highlighted the ‘reciprocal value’ of such support.
Green Light Trust has worked with accountancy firm Gascoynes since the pandemic to support each other’s aims and development.
Staff from the firm, in Fornham St Martin, presented the charity with a cheque following a sponsored team climb up Snowdon last August and a quiz night.
Green Light Trust, which has its headquarters in Lawshall, runs woodland-based support programmes for marginalised and disadvanatged groups, with nine sites across Suffolk and Norfolk and plans for another five by 2025.
Chris Reeve, who runs Gascoynes, met Tom Brown, CEO of the charity, through their involvement in their sons’ football team and said it made sense to grow both organisations alongside each other.
The firm provided Green Light with pro bono payroll services and office facilities, which saved it £5,000 in costs this year alone and reduced their joint environmental impact through more efficient use of building space and energy.
Mr Reeve said: “We have seen many benefits to the partnership, both at an individual and organisational level. I see Green Light Trust as an integrated part of our business and have personally welcomed having Tom, as a peer CEO, to discuss ideas and problems with.”
Mr Brown said: “For us, partnership with business is about reciprocal value.
“Money is of course very welcome, but there is so much more to it than that.
“We seek to develop relationships that are long enough to achieve tangible outcomes.”
The charity can provide woodland team development days for businesses.
Mr Brown said that it was part of their strategy to build more long-term partnerships with businesses across the region as the charity expands.
It also works with Barenbrug, Notcutts, Birketts and Videndum.
“If there are other business owners interested in talking about how partnership can benefit their organisation, as well as help our charity and the people we support, then I would be happy to talk with them,” he added.
