William Hill bookmaker gets stuck into charity work!

This involved employees from eight different countries, across four continents, volunteered for local charities to help out where they could.

This was all part of William Hill’s ‘Close to HOME’ community and social initiative. In what is a nicely thought out and simple concept, it means that William Hill staff looks to support the local communities and voluntary organisations where its business properties are located.

A Worldwide Initiative

Australia, UK, Poland, USA, Israel, Philippines, Gibraltar & Bulgaria, all saw William Hill employees volunteer their time to local communities and charities.

Some charities which were supported in the UK included the Retired Greyhound Trust in Canterbury, and KIND in Liverpool (read more on this below). In Haringey, the bookmaker’s retail staff spent some time painting and decorating at 2 different local charities, MIND in Haringey and Bikes for Good Causes.

In Australia, the William Hill staff cooked meals for those in need in Sydney, while in the USA, Nevada to be precise, they assisted with the sorting of books for Spread the Word Nevada, an organisation aimed at improving literacy in schools. A team in Manila, the Philippines, organised football for kids from a local charity.

A Huge Success

Bill South, William Hill’s Group Director of Security and Community Affairs, commented on his firm’s social initiative: ‘It’s been a fantastic International Community Week for the company with so many colleagues taking part. Throughout the week our William Hill colleagues worldwide have demonstrated outstanding commitment and passion to supporting their local communities with a huge range of inspiring projects.’

Merseyside Focus

The Merseyside staff of William Hill scaled new heights for charity with a climb up Moel Famau - which at 1,821 feet is the highest hill in the Clwydian Range - between Denbighshire and Flintshire.

Merseyside shop managers Matthew Calveley, Julie Blaize, Samuel Hemming, Sara Suckley, David Stephenson, and Danielle Sayers strode out for local children in need alongside Liverpool-based KIND. The charity works with more than 40 community groups throughout Liverpool to reach out to families most in need and was selected by William Hill staff for support as part of this initiative.

That’s not all, however! At the weekend, William Hill staff staged a charity race night at the Ship Inn in Hoylake, Wirral, which raised a further £1,352.65 for KIND and they are expecting the overall fundraising figure to pass £2,000! Fantastic work!

Merseyside Area Manager, Alexandra Freckleton, who has helped organise a lot of the fundraising in William Hill’s first International Community Week, said: “It has been a privilege to be involved in our International Community charity drive and here in Liverpool we are supporting KIND, who do a tremendous job for needy children.
“We are hoping to raise as much as we can for this fantastic charity, not just this week, but through the many more fundraising events we have planned for the rest of the year.”