The 5th of September is International Charity Day. Nine months into 2024, Pentland Brands has hit our yearly target of supporting 100,000 people through working with charities. By 2032, we are aiming to have improved the lives of 1 million people, as part of our 100-1-0 strategy.
Our brands have worked hard to contribute to this target – including donating over 85,000 products to various charities. Here’s what else they’ve been doing this year, and the amazing causes they’ve been supporting.
ellesse
Towards the end of 2023, ellesse announced their partnership with the Graduate Fashion Foundation (GFF) to launch the GFF x ellesse Tailors Programme. The Graduate Fashion Foundation is a charity which aims to bridge the gap between fashion education and employment.
The GFF x ellesse Tailors Programme invited fashion students to curate a collection that resonated with the brand’s contemporary streetwear line, ‘SARTORIA’. Out of 96 entries from across the globe, three winners were picked to bring two pieces of their collection to life. These pieces were shown on the catwalk at Graduate Fashion Week and the winners will also receive mentoring and work experience placements with ellesse.
Kickers
This year Kickers is the proud sponsor of the music category in the Show Racism the Red Card National Schools Competition. Kickers has worked with Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC), which is the UK’s leading anti-racism educational charity, for the past few years, supporting their mission to challenge racism in society through education.
The SRtRC school competition encourages participants to produce their own work which promotes positive social change, through whatever media they see fit. This year Kickers sponsored a new music category. Judged in the middle of September at the Wolverhampton Wanderers FC grounds, the winners of the category will be awarded facilitated music classes with The Noise Academy.
Endura
Endura continue to sponsor Trash-Free Trails’ A-Team programme. Trash Free Trails’ mission is simple: to remove single use plastic from outdoor spaces, by providing communities the tools and resources they need.
The A-Team programme supports a group of volunteers, who devote their time to being ambassadors of the organisation. They support the programmes, helping to deliver projects, informing actions that Trash Free Trails take, and running clean up events.
Canterbury
Canterbury has continued the excellent work their FWD fund have been doing since 2022. As a brand dedicated to grassroots rugby, Canterbury launched the FWD fund to provide support to grassroots women’s rugby players, coaches and clubs with kit, equipment or funding.
This year Canterbury has supported five clubs, mostly through providing kit and equipment. They worked with one rugby to create a social media campaign which aimed to help recruit for and promote their club, sending one of their ambassadors over to launch the club’s walking rugby sessions, providing a more accessible way to participate in the sport.
Speedo
Whilst Speedo has had a busy 2024 supporting their athlete, their Swim United initiative has still been hard at work. Swim United runs programmes worldwide to ensure that children leave school being able to swim, as learning swimming teaches life saving skills which everyone should have access too.
In January, Speedo’s Swim United initiative presented a report to the UK Parliament, providing details of its innovative pop-up pool programme as a way to get more children learning lifesaving swim skills. Speedo also made a one million dollar product gift to USA swimming, supporting the next generation of swimmers and removing barriers.
Mitre
If you read our International Women’s Day story, you may remember Mitre announcing their partnership with Miss Kick’s Foundation, established to support girls participating in football on and off the pitch.
The partnership sponsors 10 girls to achieve their dreams of becoming football coaches, as well as donating equipment. Since the announcement, recruitment has started for the aspiring coaches, with training to start in October. Mitre also took four lucky winners from Miss Kick’s community to the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium earlier this year.
Berghaus
This year, Berghaus announced their support of Outward Bound’s new Women’s Outdoor Instructor Development Programme. Outward Bound host outdoor adventures for young people, allowing attendees to learn about the outdoors and themselves. Over 80% of attendees receive funding to go on their courses, meaning everyone can take part.
The Women’s Outdoor Instructor Development Programme aims to make the outdoor sector a more inclusive and welcoming place, as there are currently significantly fewer women working in the industry than men. The course will run from mid-September and provides an exciting chance to participate in a course designed by women for women.
Brands that make life better are at the heart of what we do. To keep up to date with our brands visit their websites, Instagram pages and X feeds, linked below:
Canterbury – Website, Instagram, X
Bergahus – Website, Instagram, X
ellesse- Website, Instagram, X
Kickers- Website, Instagram, X