We recently caught up with Paul McDonagh from ASM Auto Recycling and spoke to him about why they have partnered with Heart of Bucks for their corporate giving.
Tell us about how your business is involved in supporting the local community.
We have two main businesses – ASM Auto Recycling and ASM Metal Recycling – and historically, we have always contributed to charitable causes to varying degrees on an ad hoc basis. Our involvement with Heart of Bucks goes back some 15 years and during that time we have supported many local organisations through our partnership. We now give monthly to their Community Investor Fund which makes grants to a wide range of good causes, and in addition, we also offer financial support through ad hoc corporate sponsorship. We are also active supporters of several other local activities. We love sport and have been the main sponsors of Thame United Football Club for 12 years, the gold sponsors of Chinnor Rugby Club for numerous years, as well as key sponsors of the Owen Racing Team for eight years. We also support the local Thame fireworks display, donate the town’s Christmas tree every year, and we were proud to show our support for the NHS and the Florence Nightingale hospice during the pandemic. A huge number of people worked so hard during this extremely challenging period, and we felt compelled to contribute to show our heartfelt appreciation.
Why is giving back important to your business?
We are a family run business, and we always try to keep that ethos at the very heart of what we do. We know that our employees value working somewhere that takes a genuine interest in the communities we are based in. As a business it is, of course, important to make money and be successful, but we have always had a good moral conscience and have always tried to “do our bit” whenever and wherever possible. Giving back to the community is now a fundamental part of ASM’s corporate ideology and getting positive feedback about the impact of our donations for local people and local causes makes it ever so rewarding.
Why does working with a Community Foundation suit your business?
Our partnership with Heart of Bucks is now well established and has always been a very positive and rewarding experience. There are so many great and deserving causes out there that it can sometimes be hard to know where to give most effectively. Heart of Bucks knows the local charity landscape better than anyone, so they are perfectly placed to identify where the need is greatest. We like knowing that we can support multiple charities and activities through one local organisation.
What would you say to other businesses thinking about giving back to their local community?
Just do it – everyone’s a winner! I would strongly recommend talking to Heart of Bucks to advise you about the options available for local giving. It’s very straightforward and you can be confident that your donations are being put to great use within your local community.
If you’d like to find out more about how Heart of Bucks can assist with your charitable giving please get in touch: giving@heartofbucks.org
