Dressing-down for employees gives £4k boost to charity

20 February 2020

TWO years of wearing casual clothing to work has resulted in a generous donation to charity from Leek United...

Every week, colleagues pay £1 each to leave their smart business uniform at home and take part in ‘dress down Friday’ at the Society’s Customer Service Centre in Leek.

And the money collected since 2017 – more than £4,300 – has now been presented to the Staffordshire and Shropshire Branch of the British Heart Foundation*.

Marketing Administration Assistant Fiona Rider, who helped to set up the ‘dress down’ days, said: “Everyone loves taking part; no-one really needs any encouragement to come to work in non-business wear, and it’s a great way of raising money for a good cause.”

Andrew Healy, Leek United’s Chief Executive, presented a cheque for £4,301.51 to Warren Appleby, of the British Heart Foundation, at Leek United Customer Service Centre in St. Edward Street, Leek.

“Employees across all departments voted as to where they would like the ‘dress down’ proceeds to go; the British Heart Foundation was their favoured choice, and we are delighted to be able to make this donation to the charity,” said Andrew.

Warren, the charity’s community fundraiser for Staffordshire and Shropshire, added: “This is an incredible achievement by Leek United employees over such a sustained time period. We are so appreciative of that ongoing commitment and this valuable donation will be a significant contribution to our current heart research funding at Keele University.”

*The British Heart Foundation funds over £100 million of research each year into all heart and circulatory diseases and the things that cause them. Heart diseases. Stroke. Vascular dementia. Diabetes.

Leek United Chief Executive Andrew Healy (front, left) presents the Society’s ‘dress down Friday’ cheque for £4,301.51 to Warren Appleby, of the British Heart Foundation, along with staff at Leek United’s Customer Service Centre.