Three rewards first donations to relaunched Community Fund

At the start of this year, we relaunched our Community Fund, designed to give our people the opportunity to nominate a charitable organisation or group that means a lot to them, their family, or community. Each quarter, a minimum of five causes are awarded donations from Three ranging from £500 to £2000.

Q1 Winners

There were some very strong applications from across the business for our Q1 entry window. Juliet Callaghan, Director of Corporate Communications, who leads the judging panel, said: “We had so many worthy applications that it was a very difficult decision. In the end we gave two bonus winners as we had such strong applicants. We intentionally chose charities with a variety of purposes, from mental health and education to sports and Alzheimer’s. I am really pleased with the causes that won, they were obviously very meaningful for the applicants and I know that they will make a real difference to their communities.”

Here are our winners from our 2024 Q1 round:

NishkamSWAT– Awarded £2000

Sukhjeev Phugada nominated NishkamSWAT, a charity he has volunteered at since 2017 at the Reading outreach centre. The charity helps the homeless as well as those who are struggling with the cost of living crisis, providing hot meals six days a week. They serve meals to up to 250 people a week in the town. On Sundays they don’t serve food due to resourcing, so the donation will fund 10 weeks of pizza slices on Sundays.

Electric Eels– Awarded £1000

Harry Harris nominated Electric Eels Swimming & Synchro Club, a family orientated club specifically for children and adults with Down’s Syndrome, the first club in Great Britain to have a synchronised swimming team for people with Down’s Syndrome. Harry’s son has been swimming with the club since he was young, his father is the Club’s membership secretary and his daughter also volunteers, so it is a big part of Harry’s family.

The Forget Me Nots Crawley– Awarded £1000

Kris Wilson nominated The Forget Me Nots Crawley, set up in 2013 to support the carers of someone with Dementia. Kris sadly lost his Grandmother to the disease and his mother helped to set up the charity shortly after. The group meet twice a week, provide home cooked meals, social work input and help with form filling, guidance on what is available and how to access support. The charity don’t have their own premises and currently base themselves from a community centre. The donation will go in to the Forget Me Nots building fund.

Giddo’s Gift– Awarded £500

Satish Krishan nominated Giddo’s Gift, a charity set up to improve the lives of teenagers and young adults suffering with cancer, in Wales and North West England. The charity is set up in memory of Jordan Giddins, who passed away in 2017 from Ewing’s Sarcoma aged just 18 years. This charity is close to Satish’s heart after they helped a family friend.

St Mary’s Support Group- £500

Sarah Maugham nominated St Mary’s Support Group, which supports her daughter’s school and Sarah is group secretary. The donation will go towards a new sensory area for pupils with special educational needs and also for children to use when they need some a calming space.

Back Onside– Awarded £500

Lee Gillies nominated Back Onside after they recently supported him. The charity provides mental health support through sport, with workshops and classes that team life skills with group sports activities. They also provide counselling, 24-7 crisis support, and educational courses.

Babies in Buscot Support (BIBS)- Awarded £500

Samantha Harris nominated BIBS. Buscot is the neonatal unit at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading and BIBS supports the babies and their families. Sam is the parent of a Buscot graduate and is now a Trustee of the charity. BIBS is currently fundraising for a new incubator.

How to Apply

If you’re a charitable organisation or group that would like to be considered for a Community Fund donation, you will need to be nominated by a current Three UK employee.

Congratulations to all winners and thank you to all our applicants.