From the Heart of the Factory to the Heart of the Community
A record-breaking year for the Toyota Manufacturing UK Charitable Trust has seen more than £305,000 handed out in donations to good causes in communities close to Toyota’s manufacturing locations in Derbyshire and North Wales.
In 2016 the trust raised a total of £305,407, which has been shared among 30 groups and organisations local to TMUK, with a further 15 benefiting from grants of up to £5,000 thanks to the active involvement of TMUK staff. Representatives from many of the organisations recently visited TMUK’s Burnaston car plant near Derby to celebrate the fund-raising achievement.
Among the beneficiaries is the cancer support charity Macmillan, which received £50,000 as the final instalment in a three-year partnership with TMUK. Gini Smith, Macmillan’s senior fund-raising manager for Derbyshire, said: “We are delighted that Toyota Manufacturing UK chose to support Macmillan, raising funds of more than £139,000. We would like to thank them for helping Macmillan fund grants for people affected by cancer in Derby, Burton-on-Trent, Loughborough and Deeside and to meet our aim to reach and improve the lives of everyone affected by cancer.”
Tony Walker, Trustee for the Charitable Trust, and TMUK Deputy Managing Director added: “It is a privilege to be able to support local people working in fantastic organisations doing so much good work and making such a difference in the areas around our plants. At Toyota it is important to us to be able to contribute to our local communities, and support our members’ interests in this way”.
Most of the money was raised through Lean Approach seminars, in which delegates from any organisation can visit TMUK’s car plant, learn about the Toyota Production System and the company’s corporate philosophy and be given in-depth training on a related subject of their choice.
The good causes benefiting from Toyota grants include: Macmillan Cancer Support, Sporting Futures, Burton Albion Community Trust, Circus Starr, Ace Youth Trust, Citizen’s Advice Broxtowe, Think Children, Refuge, Careline, The Vineyard Arches Trust, Treetops Hospice, First Steps, SV2, We Are Here, Derbyshire Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance, Derby Hospitals Charity Kite Team, Derby Hospitals Charity Air Arts, Burton &, District MIND, The SOLID Association, When You Wish Upon a Star, Staffordshire County Council Road Safety Education, Derbyshire Blood Bikes, Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children, CHICKs, Sandiacre Town Youth Football Club, Ilkeston Rutland Cricket Club, AFC Hilton, Tamworth 6th Scout Group, Burton Hockey Club, 1st Chellaston guides, Derbyshire Disabled Cricket Club, Hilton Harriers Football Club, Mansfield Pentecostal Church, Willington Football Club, Burton Venture Trust, Abbey Hilton United Football Club, Cannock Photography Society, Portway Infant School (volunteering), Alvaston Community Junior School (volunteering).
Charities benefiting from Toyota grants in Flintshire and the surrounding area include: Macmillan Cancer Support, Welsh Air Ambulance, NE Wales National Cycle Network, The Child Accident Prevention trust (CAPT), Circus Starr, Your Space (Marches) Ltd. , Spinal Injuries Association, The Movement for Non-Mobile Children (Whizz-Kidz), New Brighton Bowling Club, Awyr Las
