Societe Generale raise £200k for Mind
Financial services firm Societe Generale has already raised an incredible £200,000 against their £600,000 target for Mind, since their two-year partnership began in March this year.
These funds will support the partnership’s ‘Advice to Action’ campaign, helping people with mental health problems to get back on track. The funding will enable Mind to answer tens of thousands of queries to their Infoline, offering information and advice so that people can access support and take the first steps towards better mental health.
Hundreds of Societe Generale staff have been involved in fundraising for Mind so far. Events have ranged from Bake Offs and staff quizzes to Dragon Boat Races and the JP Morgan Challenge. At the start of September a team of trekkers even conquered Mt. Snowdon under the cover of darkness, ascending at midnight and raising over £21,000 in the process.
Several events during Societe Generale’s Diversity week in September also supported Mind. The multicultural network organised an international food fayre with attendees making a donation to Mind in return for a vast array of culinary delights, and the LGBTQ network held a lunch and learn session delivered by Mind and PACE to find out more about the research and work that is being carried out with the LGBTQ community in relation to mental health.
Societe Generale’s partnership has gone beyond fundraising; they have also donated thousands of pounds worth of stock for Mind’s network of charity shops. Their summer stock drive resulted in over £6,000 worth of stock being donated. Eight teams of colleagues took on the Mind Retail Challenge in late September, aiming to increase their shops takings by the highest percentage to be crowned Retail Challenge winners. In addition, a group of interns from Societe Generale carried out a research project to help shape Mind’s work in sport and mental health.
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind said: “Raising £200,000 after only 6 months is a fantastic start to Societe Generale and Mind’s partnership. We are so grateful to everyone who has been involved in fundraising and raising awareness of Mind at Societe Generale during this time. A huge thank you to everyone who has helped the partnership to get off to such a great start.”