The Nottinghamshire-based Gusto Community Fund has raised over £30,000 for 36 crucial local charities, projects and initiatives in the East Midlands.
The Gusto Community Fund was launched by Steff Wright, Chairman of Gusto Group, four years ago, and in that time has donated over £130,000 to the local community.
Gusto Group is a purpose-driven group of B Corp accredited companies in the manufacturing, construction and architecture sectors, including: Gusto Construction, Gusto Homes, Rototek and Studio-G.
Gusto Group employees and residents of Gusto Homes are invited to nominate good causes, projects or initiatives that benefit the local community. Once approved by Fund Administrators, employees and residents have the opportunity to each assign £250 to one of the nominations via an annual vote. There are no administrative costs, allowing 100% of the annual grant to be allocated to local community initiatives.
Wright is passionate about empowering local causes close to employees’ and residents’ hearts, rather than donating large sums to individual charities each year.
Speaking about the Community Fund, Wright says: “We’re incredibly proud of the Gusto Community Fund, a unique initiative that empowers our 160 employees across Gusto Group as well as our recent Gusto Homes homeowners.
“The Community Fund gives every team member the chance to nominate charities or local projects that hold a special place in their hearts for us to support. This year, we’re delighted to have donated an amazing £30,000 to help support our local communities.”
A wide range of local charities will benefit from this latest fundraising effort, including children’s hospices, sports clubs, animal rescue charities, ambulances, food pantries, church communities and primary schools. You can find the full list at the bottom of this release.
Earlier this week, the Gusto Community Fund team welcomed representatives from the 36 incredible charities to the Rototek factories and Gusto Group offices to celebrate their inspiring work.
Adam Casserly, a Gusto Group employee who nominated Stepping Stones Charity, said:“Hearing the personal stories and connections behind each chosen charity was deeply moving, a reminder of the positive impact these organisations have, not just on our team, but on the wider community’.”
Phil and Jennifer Salathiel, Gusto Homes homeowners who nominated Wildline Wildlife Sanctuary, said: “It was really heartwarming to see all the worthy organisations being able to benefit from such a hugely successful and generous scheme. So glad we were able to be part of it and wishing everyone concerned continued success.”
Kate Baxter, Chief Executive, Children’s Bereavement Centre, added: “The Gusto Community Fund supports smaller charities in the heart of our community. We are so grateful to the fund and the staff that nominated the Children’s Bereavement Centre, to receive an award which will help to make a vital difference to local grieving families”.
Ian, key volunteer at Men in Sheds said: “The old boys at Worksop Men in Sheds were incredibly grateful to receive a donation of £1000 from Gusto at their Worksop Rototek factory. We usually feel under the radar and yet, thanks to Cory who works there and his workmates we can buy additional tools and equipment so more of us can make more things to sell. At the same time improving our own skills and well-being.”
Paul Hawkins, Individual Giving Fundraiser at Bluebell Wood said: “We are so pleased to receive £2,000 and would like to say a big thank you to the Gusto Community Fund for thinking of us.
“We need to raise around £6.5m each year to keep our doors open and the hospice only receives 16% statutory funding. Awards like this mean so much to everyone at Bluebell Wood, especially the families we support in Sheffield and beyond.”
Benefiting charities include:
Beaumond House Hospice
Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice
Children’s Bereavement Centre
Collingham Food Pantry
Collingham Pre-School
Collingham Village Care
Dementia UK
Halfway Home Dog Rescue, Collingham
In Sam’s Name
Jerry Green Dog Rescue
Kingsmill Hospital Butterfly Room and Child Bereavement
Lincoln Cat Care
Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance
McMillan Cancer Support
Newark Dementia Carers Group
Newark Emmaus Trust
Newark Hockey Club
Newark Mencap – The Avenue
Newark Sea Cadets
North Clifton Primary School
Reach Learning Disabilities Care
Rossington Juniors FC
Shine Lincs
St Barnabas Hospice
Stepping Stones
On Freedoms Wings – Lancaster Bomber A46
Collingham Methodist Church
Newark Community Support
The Well Homeless Support, Newark
Valley Young Person’s Centre, Worksop
Wildline Wildlife Sanctuary
Winthorpe and Coddington Tigers Youth Football Club
Worksop Men In Sheds
About the Gusto Community Fund
The Gusto Community Fund is administered by the Collingham Community Trust (CCT) and is uniquely distributed through the nomination of recent buyers of a new Gusto Home, and the nominations of the Gusto Construction employees who helped to build them and all other Rototek and Gusto Group employees.
The CCT processes the nominations as they are made, invites applications from eligible beneficiaries and, once approved, makes the grant payments. No administrative costs are involved, allowing 100% of the annual grant to be allocated to local community initiatives.
About Gusto Group
Founded in 1992, Gusto Group comprises manufacturing, construction, and architecture companies, a plant-based football club, and a coworking space.
For 25 years Gusto Group has been pioneering and implementing sustainable practices that are innovating the hard-to-abate sectors in which it operates. From Gusto Construction being one of the first companies in the UK to make sustainable housing commercially viable, to the acquisition of rotational moulding leader Rototek in 2010 and its vision to innovate with electrically powered smart manufacturing processes, the Group is committed to enriching the communities that it serves.
Gusto Group achieved B Corp status in November 2023 as part of this ongoing commitment to people, planet and profit, rather than purely profit. The employees were all issued with share options in June 2024 as part of the company’s transition to become 100% employee-owned in 2027 through an employee ownership trust.
