Our fundraising for incredible local charity Julian House

Over the past 12 months, our Bath office has raised just shy of £1,000 for the charity Julian House, through a range of fundraising activities, including sales of retired IT equipment, quizzes, breakfast club meetings, and other networking events.

This most recent fundraising effort is part of our larger, ongoing charity initiative across Monahans’ offices. Through our volunteering policy, every employee is given paid time off to support a charity of their choice. On top of this, we match donations raised through our employees’ fundraising efforts.

As part of our approach to environment, social and governance (ESG) we are committed to doing everything possible to ensure that people and the planet thrive. Charity initiatives like this, along with past efforts such as sponsored walks, beach clean-ups, and food donations, are all part of our continuous commitment to the local communities in which we operate.

Martin Longmore, Partner at Monahans, has managed the Bath office since 2006 and has been helping to organise local charity partnerships. He said: “Extending our impact beyond the office and into our local community is both incredibly important and rewarding. As a business, we recognise the growing number of challenges facing society today, and we want to help where we can. By supporting local initiatives, we hope to contribute towards creating a community which fosters growth and provides opportunities for everyone.”

Julian House is a remarkable charity with services that are invaluable to tackling the epidemic of homelessness in the UK. The Bath team visited one of its initiatives - the Bike Workshop - which is just one example of how they create spaces for the more vulnerable members of the community.

Across the UK, 42% of employers admit that they would seek to terminate an employee's contract if they discovered they were homeless. A further 58% suggest that these circumstances would also decrease the likelihood of their job application being successful. Instead, Julian House encourages those with a history of homelessness, tackling these negative stigmas and helping them feel included in society.

A few of the charity’s services include free accommodation, food, and shower facilities at the Manvers Street Hostel in Bath, and outreach services. Teams are out on the streets five days a week to support anyone sleeping rough, offer accommodation and spread information on how to seek help.

Last year 2,467 people took part in the Julian House Build-a-Bike scheme run by its Bike Workshop. Participants worked alongside a mechanic, learning how to repair and refurbish bikes, gaining a qualification, confidence and the skills needed to progress into employment. The scheme demonstrates how the inability to work is not often fuelled by a lack of motivation, but a lack of opportunity.

Grace Dearson, Senior Fundraiser for Corporate Partnerships at Julian House, stresses how much donations like ours can make a significant difference to the charity, adding: “We are very grateful to Monahans for naming Julian House as its Charity of Year, raising £970, and for its ongoing support during a challenging 12 months. It is only through the consistent generosity of our supporters that we can keep local initiatives running. We look forward to working with Monahans again in the future.”

Our donation has come whilst Julian House launches its annual Christmas Appeal in which the local charity warns that its future funding is at risk. The public’s response to this will make all the difference to its projects.

For more information about the Julian House Christmas and how you can support our mission, please visit https://www.julianhouse.org.uk/christmas-appeal/

At Monahans we take pride in our employees’ enthusiasm for giving back and are always on the lookout for new opportunities to make a positive impact. Julian House is just one of the brilliant charities that we support. Read about our other fundraising efforts here and follow us on socials to stay updated on our community initiatives.

Sophie Austin