Think Charity Think Local

Established West Midlands family firm Oakland International has formalised its arrangements for supporting local, regional and national charitable organisations, officially launching The Oakland Foundation in June this year. With focus now based on three core areas of Health and Nutrition, Education and Sport  help underprivileged children in the area, and to date the charity has received a number of requests for which they are now considering and some of which they are already working with. “After statistics showed that six wards in Redditch have a higher proportion of children living in poverty compared to the national average, we decided our focus needed to be close to home.” said Michelle Higgitt Oakland International’s Health and Safety Manager “The new foundation’s focus is to support under privileged children in the Redditch and Bromsgrove areas, and we already have a number of initiatives being looked at as well as our support and help with local homeless charities such as Nightstop, the Redditch YMCA and sponsoring the Bromsgrove Sports Awards.” Since Oakland International began operating in 1998, the supply chain specialist in warehousing, distribution and logistics, now has depots both in the UK and Ireland, and has supported a whole host of charitable and community based initiatives in both countries. After a great many debates between the Oakland charity committee and directors putting forward the benefits of supporting this charity or that youth organisation it was finally agreed to set up a company charity with focus firmly based around local issues. As part of their Business in the Community (BITC) agreed community strategy, the Oakland Foundation is also helping to formalise their approach to community volunteering, donation of food parcels, as well as team members offering practical skills and support with job applications, the foundation also offers help with promoting the good work the organisations undertake. HR and Purchasing Director, David Hoey, commented: “We are a family owned local employer, with many of our team recruited locally, and we believe that our team is part of both the Oakland Community and the wider communities in which we live and work. “Creating team engagement in the issues surrounding our local community is one of the most effective ways businesses can provide solutions. For instance, one of the cornerstones of the Oakland Foundation is the encouragement for our people to volunteer their time in community service projects which fit within the Oakland Foundation’s three core focus areas. It’s similar to the view of a village, where you rely on each other for support and advice in times of need, and having supported many local charities over the years, launching the Oakland Foundation means we can continue to drive the passion we have for putting something back in the greater community.” <Ends> Image details: Helping and packing the food parcel initiative, John Cocks, Community Volunteer and Michelle Higgitt Oakland International’s Health and Safety Manager. Editor’s notes: Oakland International is a multi temperature supply chain specialist in warehousing, distribution and logistics which has depots in the UK and Ireland, and encompasses Oakland Distribution. Multi-award wins include the Business in the Community Award for Carbon Reduction, the award for Best Logistics at Ireland’s Checkout National FMCG Awards as well as the UK Business Initiative of the Year award at The Grocer Gold Awards 2011. Key industry associations include; British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), Road Hauliers Association (RHA), Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and a member of the Chamber of Commerce for Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and accredited by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Information sourced via the Child Poverty website. Company details:        Oakland International Limited UK: +44 (0) 1527 596 222 e: sales@oakland-international.com  www.oakland-international.com twitter: @OaklandIntUK For all Oakland International press and media enquiries, in the first instance please contact: Kathryn Watts m: 07970 547469 e: k.watts@evopr.com