Charitable giving

Businesses within Alliance Boots provide funding to support small local projects through regional, national and international activities. We are very aware of our responsibilities at both a local level to the communities we serve and at the national levels where we operate.

Charity begins at home

Boots Charitable Trust is an independent registered charity in the UK wholly funded by the Group. The Trust provides financial support to charities and voluntary organisations working in the areas of health, education, community development and social care, in Nottinghamshire, the home county of Boots UK. Since the early 1970s, the Trust has donated over £9 million in total. With donations of over £220,000 in 2007/08, organisations receiving major grants included the “Nottinghamshire Hospice”, “Think Children”, a charity aiming to improve the emotional wellbeing of young children and the “Wheelbase Motor Project”, which works with young people who have been or are at risk of exclusion from school.

“Eve Appeal” and “Breast Cancer Care”

Around 80% of our UK Health & Beauty customers and employees are women and the things that matter to them matter to us too. That is why we chose to work with two of the UK’s leading charities dedicated to the women’s cancer cause. “Breast Cancer Care” provides information, practical assistance and emotional support for anyone affected by breast cancer. The “Eve Appeal” is the only charity in the UK which funds research into all four gynaecological cancers. Our “Be Gorgeous Ball”, held at Lenton House in Nottingham and attended by a large number of suppliers, got the campaign off to an excellent start by raising approximately £200,000. We have also developed a special range of “Breast Cancer Care” products and “Eve Appeal” counter-top products for sale in Boots outlets. Over the course of the year we raised over £620,000 for the “Eve Appeal” and over £600,000 for “Breast Cancer Care”.

Alliance Boots volunteer at the earthquake site in Peru

Peru earthquake

A member of our Spanish wholesale business found himself in Peru when the disaster occurred and he personally gave the Alliance Healthcare España cash donation to local authorities in Peru. Alliance Healthcare España sent information to all employees on how to help victims in Peru. An internal campaign was organised in order to collect clothes from all the Alliance Healthcare España warehouses across Spain. They collected a total of 11 pallets containing clothes and first aid items that were then sent to Lima.

Tony Foreman handing over the keys for a new coach to Hazel School

Bring me sunshine

Children at Hazel School, a school for pupils with learning difficulties in Eastbourne, UK, could not wait to board their new coach. The team running our Almus generic medicines brand recently joined forces with the “Variety Club of Great Britain” and raised approximately £30,000 at a charity golf day to buy the coach.


What we support
for the year ended 31 March 2008
Sector £’000
Education 1,269
Health 2,561
Social welfare 891
Other 427
  5,148
Where we contribute
for the year ended 31 March 2008
Sector £’000
   
Local 658
National 4,112
International 378
  5,148

“Supporting local and national activities”