Access will be supporting the charity in its mission to provide children, young people, and their families with the emotional, financial and practical support needed. This helps them find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them.
Every year, Access employees nominate causes they'd like to support and an employee vote decides which charity partner the business raises for globally through a calendar of events. Access then matches every pound raised and the charities receive an additional grant from the Access Foundation. During the last financial year, the business and its employees raised almost £1m for Magic Breakfast, a charity that works to deliver free breakfasts and support to over 200,000 UK schoolchildren in disadvantaged communities who face hunger every day.
Megan Rogers, project manager at Access, commented on the new charity of the year: "I am absolutely thrilled with this announcement. This charity is very close to my family’s heart, as my younger sister Hannah was diagnosed with grade four terminal brain cancer two years ago. Young Lives vs Cancer has supported both Hannah and our family. We are delighted that this partnership will help the charity raise awareness and funds so they can continue supporting others."
Rachel Kirby-Rider, chief executive at Young Lives vs Cancer, said: “We are delighted Access has chosen Young Lives vs Cancer as its next UK charity partner. We look forward to working together over the coming year to help raise vital funds for children and young people and their families facing cancer. The team already has so many incredible fundraising ideas, so we’re looking forward to seeing all the events and challenges staff take on.
“This will not only be an incredible opportunity to raise much-needed funds but our partnership with Access will bring opportunities beyond fundraising as they bring their expertise to work with us and share their knowledge to develop our systems and processes, which helps us build the best experience for children and young people with cancer and their families.”
Access is committed to positively impacting the lives of the communities it works in worldwide. In addition to Young Lives vs Cancer, the business will support charities across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Romania, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the US and Malaysia.
These charities include The Alzheimer Society of Ireland - the leading dementia-specific service provider in Ireland. The ASI works across the country in the heart of local communities providing services and support, advocating for the rights and needs of people living with dementia and their carers.
The Access Group will also support the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). NORD is a charity in the US that builds a community to create a lasting impact by improving the health and well-being of people with rare diseases and driving advances in care, research, and policy.
In Vietnam, the chosen charity is Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. The charity aims to end the trafficking of Vietnamese people by rescuing children from the dangers of the streets. Once they are safe, the charity provides counselling, accommodation, health care and long term educational and vocational support for them to heal, rebuild their lives and thrive.
In Sri Lanka the chosen charity is Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind which was established in 1912 under the ZENNA Mission. Since its inception, the institution has remained steadfast in its commitment to providing free education and comprehensive amenities to visually, speech and hearing-impaired students.
Access will also be supporting Beyond Blue in Australia, SUKA Society in Malaysia, Sir John Kirwan Foundation in New Zealand and United Way in Romania.
For more information on the charities, visit our Giving Back charity web page.
About The Access Group
The Access Group is one of the largest UK-headquartered providers of business management software to small and mid-sized organisations in the UK, Ireland, USA and Asia Pacific. It helps more than 100,000 customers across commercial and non-profit sectors become more productive and efficient. Its innovative cloud solutions transform how business software is used, giving every employee the freedom to do more of what’s important to them. Founded in 1991, The Access Group employs approximately 7,000 people. www.theaccessgroup.com