USING OUR LOAF TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

Working from home this year as we navigate the pandemic has required us to make some adjustments; to some of our ways of working, to our mindsets and yes, to our elasticated waistbands.

Full fridges and cupboards full of naughty things we try to ignore have been our desk fellows and we’ve lost count of how many times we’ve playfully remarked on the weight we’ve gained and how relieved we are that Zoom only broadcasts us from the chest upwards.

So, as I reached for my brimming bowl of breakfast cereal and mug of coffee, the TV interview with Welshman Tim Smith on a Wednesday morning in mid-November brought our privilege into sharp focus for me.

Tim is one of around three million people who ‘fell through the cracks’ of financial aid when the furlough system was set up this year. With no income during the first lockdown, his only way to get through the month was to eat every other day. The bitter irony of being a chef who had previously spent his days feeding the hungry mouths of others only made his story harder to stomach.

 In my mind, I tried to trade places, imagining which days of the week I’d be nil by mouth and how I’d distract myself from the nagging pangs of hunger I can instantly gratify at home. After sharing my thoughts with colleagues we vowed to support more people like Tim who would be facing unthinkable choices like this in the communities where we work, and work from home.

 Two and a half thoughts sprang to mind.

One: our much anticipated Splendid pre-payday lunch, an excuse to chow down on delicious fare from local vendors while catching up with colleagues, has been sitting on ice while we ping-pong between office and home working.

Two: we spend our days creating new opportunities for food and drinks brands to connect with real people (and our clients Tesco and PepsiCo already have official partnerships with the Trussell Trust). It was a no-brainer for us to blend these two ideas and donate our un-spent pre-payday lunch money from this year to the same charity.

Giving back to the community and using our creative communications expertise for ‘good’ has never been more important than now, so you’ll see more from us on this topic coming soon.

And the half thought? Well it grew into a challenge. We’ve surrendered to our love of Bake Off again, so we’ll be donning our pinnies and raising more pennies to boost local food bank supplies with a Splendid Festive Bake Off. So if this post has made you hungry, we’d like to think you’ll cook up some more ideas of your own to help those in need.

We’ll be sharing updates on our Trussell Trust donation and also spotlighting the fabulous bakes of the Splendid team over on our social channels (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn), so make sure you give us a follow and keep your eyes peeled. Our DMs are also always open to if you have any other recommendations or fancy making a fundraising bake of your own.