Charity & Community Support at MKM
MKM supports a large, diverse range of charities. Branches support numerous causes and partners. Some have long-standing partnerships with tens of thousands of pounds raised. Some branches pick a different charity each year, and others are more ad hoc with their support. We’re immensely proud of the wide variety of organisations we can help through this community engagement. We are a business at the heart of our local communities, and we want to make a positive impact and difference to the areas where our staff and customers live and work through our CSR initiatives.
Our branches choose the causes they support, and this has led to the teams there raising money for causes that mean a lot to them, volunteering their time to support projects, donating material to create valuable community resources, and more. This approach is summed up by Ryan Brooks, Branch Director at MKM Rotherham;
“I think for the first time Rotherham will have a merchant that genuinely wants to be involved and help in the community at a local level. Don’t get me wrong I have worked at other merchants that have done good work with charities, things I have been proud to be involved in but due to the size of the merchant it has always been bigger, national charities where it’s harder to feel the benefit at home. We want to concentrate on what will benefit locally. Not just in terms of charity but grassroots projects that happen in the town as well”.
There are too many examples to list, but here is a small sample:
David Harari, MKM Warrington Branch Director, received the ‘Paul Harris Fellowship’ award in 2023. The award is given by Rotary Clubs to those who go above and beyond to support and benefit the local community. David and his branch have sponsored Warrington Oktoberfest since 2017, including many shifts behind the bar, helping the event raise over £300,000 for local causes since its inception.
MKM Milton Keynes branch support Willen Hospice each year in their Christmas tree-cycling service by providing use of the branch’s van, and team members volunteer their time to collect Christmas trees from local residents. The trees are chipped to use on public spaces as mulch. The charity suggests a £10 donation for each tree, with an estimated £30,000 raised in January 2024.
MKM Kirkaldy have supported Poppy Scotland as a distributor since 2017, raising over £80,000 over the years, and receiving an award for excellence in Community engagement in the 2019 Fife Business Awards.
Dozens of MKM branches and our Central Support office take part in collecting Bulk Bags of toys and food, that are donated to local children and food banks over the festive period each year. Our customers, suppliers and teams are very generous in their donations, which help to ensure that families get to celebrate Christmas no matter what their personal circumstances.
Sport
MKM branches sponsor a huge range on local sports teams, from football, rugby, cricket, or boxing to netball, curling, shinty or motorsports – over 50 different sports in all! The benefits of sport to our local communities are numerous too – fitness, wellbeing, mental health, team spirit. Sport is such a great way to bring people together and we are proud to be involved in such a diverse range of disciplines, supporting over 200 teams and individuals.
Schools & careers
We work with many schools and colleges to support pupils to learn about careers opportunities at MKM and in the construction sector. We do this through careers talks, attending careers fairs, helping with mock interviews or Q&A sessions, work experience opportunities and apprenticeships. We recognise the importance of these activities in helping the next generation of employees – and employers!
Hull is the birthplace of MKM. We are proud to deliver a range of community support in Hull and East Yorkshire, in addition to the huge amount that our branches do right across England, Scotland & Wales.
Hull Children’s University
We support The Hull Children’s University, a charity that works with children growing up in Hull and East Yorkshire who may not have the same opportunities as others. They do this by providing experiences that broaden horizons and raise aspirations. As a Silver partner we host two Experience days for full classes at our Central Support offices and fund an experience day each year.
For Entrepreneurs Only
MKM is a key partner of For Entrepreneurs Only (FEO), an independent peer group of over 200 like-minded local entrepreneurs representing successful private-sector businesses of all sectors and sizes. FEO aims to help grow the local economy within Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, targeting wealth creation, more quality high paying jobs, more money spent locally and more opportunity for young people to develop their careers locally. It prioritises help, support, and advice for starting businesses and growth. Founded in 2009 by MKM’s co-founder, David Kilburn, FEO received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2022, and David Kilburn received a CBE in 2023 for services to the construction industry and charity.
Tigers Tuck Shop
In 2022 MKM partnered with and Hull City FC to launch Tigers Tuck Shop, and the collaboration has proven to be a great success with teams booked for the 2024/25 season. The programme provides valuable support for numerous youth teams in Hull and East Yorkshire. Participating groups receive tickets to the game along with a pre-stocked tuck shop and sell treats to match-goers before kick-off and during half time. Dozens of players have had their first experience of live professional football through the scheme, and at the same time raised money for their team, with the day’s takings donated to their club.
Macmillan
We have partnered with Macmillan Cancer Support for a number of years, raising money for this unique and much-needed organisation, with one in two of the UK population expected to get cancer in their lifetime. In 2022 we raised over £24,000 for the charity with a silent auction celebrating our 100th branch opening and have enjoyed many coffee mornings and bake sales in our branches and central support offices.
But that’s not all! From booking Rod Stuart to perform in Hull, and donating all profits to local charities, to a regular litter pick in the streets surrounding our Hull offices, to backing the annual Hull running festival organised by Jane Tomlinson’s Run For All. There’s more than we can mention here.
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