At World Duty Free, our commitment to making a difference goes beyond our stores. Every three years, our UK team selects a charity partner with a cause close to our hearts, creating a three-year term of dedicated fundraising and awareness-building. This approach allows our employees across the country to rally together, share personal experiences, and raise awareness for causes that truly matter to them.
Our current charity partner, Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG), has been the focus of our efforts, and we’re thrilled to announce that, together, we’ve raised over £200,000 (against our initial goal of £120,000) to fund research into the 76 types of childhood cancer.
Over the years, our teams have gone above and beyond, with directors soaring down ziplines, jumping out of planes in sponsored skydives, and Exeter’s team taking on a zipline challenge together. A group of intrepid explorers even climbed Mount Snowdon… in the dark! And it didn’t stop there – our Stansted team “walked” the 102.5 miles from their airport to Leicester (CCLG headquarters), all from the comfort of the front of the Stansted store on a treadmill.
Geoff Hall, HR Director comments:
“We’re so proud of our staff and what they have achieved and raised so far. It has been a challenging year for many financially, but our teams are so dedicated to the cause they continue to push further in their fundraising efforts.
Cancer and childhood cancer impacts so many of our teams and their families, so many feel an emotional connection with the charity and are eager to support wherever they can.
It’s amazing to see our fundraising help fund pioneering research that will help us to one day reach our combined goal of a world where every child with cancer survives and lives long, happy and healthy lives.
Our staff have all been incredibly excited to get behind CCLG to raise much-needed funds and awareness. We’ve got lots planned for our next year of fundraising and are excited to continue to support CCLG.”
Every September, we go for GOLD – going all out for Children’s Cancer Awareness Month, sparking conversations and adding a little sparkle to our stores in support of this vital cause. It’s a chance for us to celebrate our progress, spread awareness, and think about what we can accomplish next.
To date, over 1,900 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in the UK, and sadly, 1 in 5 do not survive. As one of the UK’s leading research funders and the only professional association for those caring for children with cancer, CCLG is making strides in treatment and care that save lives.
We’re incredibly proud to have raised £200,000 so far for this incredible charity. You can learn more about their work here.