To boost the outcome and generate awareness of the campaign, Chestertons turned each of its high street branches into donation points and worked with clients, staff, local community groups and businesses. This year, the branches had to work particularly hard to secure donations as the cost of living crisis resulted in many people not buying new coats and therefore not wanting to part with their old ones.
To further maximise collections, Chestertons’ branches also worked with local schools such as Mill Hill School, Holy Cross and Halstow Primary School who raised hundreds of additional coats. Many Chestertons employees, including the agency’s newly appointed CEO John Ennis, volunteered over the final campaign weekend to sort the donations ready for distribution to charities. The donations have now been distributed to over 30 charities and shelters across the capital, including Crisis at Christmas, Little Village, Smartworks, Suited & Booted, Hestia and several food banks across the capital.
Giles Milner, Marketing Director and a Trustee of The Chestertons Foundation, comments: “It’s wonderful to see all of the innovative ideas and approaches that Chestertons employees come up with to raise more and more coats every year for our Calling London Coat Drive. We are very pleased to have collected so many coats and I’m enormously thankful to all of Chestertons’ staff, clients, friends - and the local communities we worked with - for their generosity.”
Frances Manthos, Founder of Calling London, said: “With the cost of living crisis and rising energy bills impacting on so many households, the need for donations has been particularly high this year. The support of Chestertons, its clients, suppliers, and business partners has been extraordinary and will make an immense difference to so many people in need.”
