For many years I've been really keen for Livingroom to make a
meaningful contribution to the community in ways other than in our
core business. Previously I had felt constrained by the limits on
the business to do anything but our new start in 2012 gave us the
perfect opportunity to see this vision through to launch.
In 2011 I got involved with setting up and running a new charity
Young People
Guernsey.
This year Livingroom was able to take this relationship further
and has now integrated philanthropy - principally with YPG - into
our core ethos as a business. Part of this was helping YPG bring
the UK-based charity Barnados to
the island to apply their enormous experience to Guernsey.
Barnados asked us to raise £100,000 in order to be eligible to
have a Barnados centre in Guernsey. They expected us to take a year
to do this. We did it in five months!
Working with the government and related services, it was
identified that children aged between 11 and 16 years old were not
well served on the island. YPG was formed to establish an
information, advice and counselling centre for younger teenagers,
so that they can get the best help and professional support in safe
and neutral surroundings. Children of this age have different needs
to older teenagers, and can also be intimidated by the presence of
young adults at other youth facilities - so they don't ask for
help.
We now have the funds to open the centre but the fund-raising
never stops as we now need to ensure we have £150,000 a year to
keep the centre running.
Can you help? Want to know more? Go for it.
http://www.ypg.gg/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/Youngpeopleguernsey
While YPG remains at the centre of our time and effort we are
also committed to supporting a number of other initiatives in
Guernsey which enhance island life.
On behalf of our clients, and in their name, Livingroom will
donate a percentage for every home sold to a local charity or
community initiative - either YPG or a local initiative of the
vendor's choice.
I'm not writing about this so Livingroom gets some corporate pat
on the back, rather to raise awareness of this charity and how
amazing it is when a group of people come together in such a
worthwhile cause. We'll be looking to do some great fundraising in
YPG's name this year so look out for it and get involved.
