On Friday 6th October, we held our first-ever Collinson Fundraising Concert — a brilliant example of how colleagues can bring an employer’s social impact ambitions to life through an evening of music, community and fundraising.
In 2024, Collinson established the Collinson Foundation to create opportunities for those who need them most. Through global partnerships, local programmes, grants, volunteering and matched giving, the Foundation supports three key areas: people in crisis, access to education and employment, and entrepreneurship and innovation.
It sparked an idea: why not bring colleagues together to perform, while raising money for a great local cause?
I’ve been involved with Ensemble Reza for more than ten years, playing in their community orchestra and enjoying their concerts locally, so I already knew the difference their work makes for children in our community. Supporting Ensemble Reza’s schools programme felt like a natural partnership, perfectly aligned with the Collinson Foundation’s focus on access to education. By supporting the cost of putting on the event, Collinson ensured that every penny from ticket sales, raffle and the bar went to the charity.
Together, we raised an amazing £2,273 in support of Ensemble Reza’s music-in-schools project, which reaches more than 5,000 children across Sussex.
Alongside the fundraising, it was wonderful to perform with my colleagues and to share the experience with so many others in the audience. It felt like we reached new audiences, many of whom may never have experienced such a diverse range of music genres performed live.
A huge thank you to everyone who came along, bought tickets, donated raffle prizes and helped make the evening such a success.
