We are on a mission to use the success of our business to help improve lives, protect nature and make the environment around us a better place to live.
This year we made a promise to donate at least 1 per cent of our profits to charitable causes or awareness campaigns, and launched our internal Clarity Cares committee who help us decide where to direct our funds.
We have already donated to some wonderful charities and causes. In our first quarter, we are proud to have provided a total of £7,500 to a range of charities chosen by our staff.
One of those charities was StreetVet, who received a donation of £1,500. StreetVet delivers free veterinary care to the pets of those people who are without a home. They vaccinate, microchip, treat for fleas, prescribe pain relief and even perform surgeries. Sometimes they just sit and listen.
Our hometown of Brighton is said to have the second highest homeless population in the country, so it is no surprise that the charities that help are close to our hearts. Managing Director, David Honcoop, explains more about why he put forward this inspirational charity.
“I think I first saw the charity mentioned on Breakfast news. Half the time the news goes over my head as I am eating cereal. But this immediately struck a chord.”
“The cause in general. Living on the streets is tough. If I see homeless with dogs sat outside my supermarket, I always pick up some dog food and chews and give it to them. I am genuinely concerned for the dogs welfare. And this charity tackles the welfare of the dogs head on.”
“In many major cities, the problem is huge and growing. The homeless have to endure all kinds of hardships and this means that their loyal canine companions have to endure them too. If there is not enough resource to obtain food, drink and in some cases drugs, the needs of the dog may be overlooked. StreetVet provides essential medical and emotional support for the dogs.”
“But it also goes a little deeper for me. I understand that many of the homeless are there because of mental health issues and in particular trauma. It could just be the trauma of a relationship breakdown and losing a home. It could be as a result of childhood experiences.
It is not surprising that many of the homeless are ex-military who are experiencing PTSD. PTSD can happen for many reasons, but all too often it is not handled correctly and can go on to destroy the person. I am very lucky that I have the resource and support network to deal with mine on a day to day level. So, my level of empathy to the homeless runs very, very deep.”
“Oh, where to start? I do not have any children so dogs take that role. I desperately wanted a dog as a child but never had one, so at the first opportunity I jumped in and to be honest it was feet first. The breed was entirely inappropriate and the training was minimal. And boy did I suffer.
Since then, the approach has been completely different, I have found a breed that suits me and my lifestyle. This is key, all too often, people go with a breed because it is in fashion or it looks nice without doing any kind of research.
As a puppy, exposing them to as many experiences as possible is paramount and then as much training as possible. Dogs latch onto your emotional state so creating a loving calm environment is key.”
“On the streets, the dogs are picking up on every emotion too, so many will be living in a state of “loyal” terror.”
“It fits perfectly with our Mission and Values. It feels good to support a cause that really means a lot to me. Unfortunately, this problem is huge and growing so whatever we provide, it will never be enough.”
“SteetVet is an amazing cause. Many of us know how expensive a trip to the vets can be and for these vets to give their time and resources for free is just fantastic. And donations are enabling the team to work in more cities around the UK.”
Working with dogs is said to have many benefits to the health and productivity of a workforce. At Clarity we are extremely lucky to have Stanley and Ella, two beautiful Labradors helping the team out in the office full-time.
StreetVet operate across a variety of locations in London, Brighton, Bristol and Cambridge and are expected to expand. You can donate or you can help them out by purchasing from their Amazon Wish List.
It isn’t just our employees that can recommend a charity, by using our online form we welcome recommendations from our customers, suppliers and partners too. We will discuss your suggestion in our future Clarity Cares donation committee meeting and will get in touch as soon as possible.
For more information on our Clarity Cares committee, continue here. Or to stay in the loop with the latest in news from Clarity Environmental subscribe to our mailing list.
