CLAAS UK Charity Newsletter - June 2023 Wrap-Up

Charity Newsletter

Welcome to the first edition of the CUK charity newsletter.

What is this newsletter for and why are you receiving it?

CLAAS UK and it’s entire dealer network is full of thoughtful and caring individuals, many of whom have committed time and effort into helping others. This monthly newsletter is to provide you with updates on the months charity stories and celebrating those who contribute, as well as information on how you can get stuck in yourself.

Charity work can look like many things and doesn’t need to be complicated. You don’t need to have a dedicated web page or have to attend multiple sessions. It could be 1 day spent helping to landscape communal areas, or litter-picking at the beach.

Check out the inside pages to see how your time can not only bring light to others but also to yourself. Charlie Cook-Lewis from Western shares his amazing time spent at an Elephant Sanctuary whilst out in Thailand!

CLAAS UK

Meet the CLAAS Charity Committee

CLAAS UK

Sarah Hiscox

Natasha Murray

Lynn Chilvers

Hayley Lucas

Claire Brown

MANNS

Laura Madine

Chelsea Rednall

WESTERN

Steve McCahill

James Russell

Alex Southgate

EASTERN

Guy Willey

Robert Hosdell

Support our Farmers

It is important we understand how farmers, our customers, are affected by mental health troubles.

With harvest coming up, this is a stressful time of year for our customers, who face long days that are potentially very lonesome.

Farmers are likely to suffer from:

Sleep deprivation

Loneliness

Financial worry

Little time off

Family pressures

Legal worries

The FCN (Farming Community Network) is a great resource for those within the farming industry that could do with pastoral and practical support.

As of April this year, CLAAS re-introduced a Charity Committee. Representatives from CUK and all CUK Retail companies have come together to form the committee. Together the Charity Committee are working hard to collate ideas for fundraising opportunities, plan future events and encourage all employees to get involved in charity events and volunteer days.

You can contact these guys whenever you have a question!

35% of farmers meet the classifications for depression

45% of farmers meet the classifications for high stress

58% of farmers meet the classifications for anxiety

68% of farmers are more susceptible to chronic stress and as a result, various illnesses

The RABI (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution) is an excellent charity that strives to provide local support.

There’s no shame in reaching out.

MIND Cake Day

On the 17th of May, CLAAS UK ran a cake afternoon in aid of the charity Mind, who offers information and advice to people with mental health problems, as well as lobbies government and local authorities on their behalf.

What’s been going on?

Thank you to Julie Cross, one of our Mental Health First Aiders who organised the event and thank you to all who visited. Visitors got to enjoy freshly baked cakes such as carrot, lemon drizzle, red velvet and chocolate fudge!

The total amount donated was £257.15!

Summer Bake Off

In December last year, Natasha, Kim and Lynn from the Sales & Marketing department arranged the first company Bake Off competition. This was in an effort to encourage departments to come together, all whilst giving to charity. This Bake Off was a big success and it has continued to do well in the Bake Off events that followed. Bake Off events will take place every Season throughout the year.

Star Bake Donations Next Charity

£125

The star baker gets to choose the charity for the next Bake Off. The Summer Bake Off donations of £125 went to the company charity of the year, Children with Cancer UK.

Thank you to everybody who took part and visited.

Please reach out to somebody from the charity committee if you have any charity events at your site so we can include a feature in our next Charity Newsletter!

Kim Bauly

Mini chicken jalfrezi pies

Volunteer Days

CLAAS is committed to making a meaningful contribution to the communities where we work and live. In 2019, the company introduced the ‘Employee Volunteering’ policy, which entitles all CUK and CUK Retail employees on a permanent contract of employment who have completed their six month probationary period to take a maximum of two days each business year (October – September) to carry out volunteer time, whilst being paid at your standard basic rate for 7.5 hours. For part time employees your two volunteer days will be pro-rated according to the number of hours you work, and you will be paid for the usual number of hours you would have worked that.

For further information please refer to the Employee Volunteering Policy (No: HB023)

Using Volunteer Days for Blood Donation

One of the common ways to use the volunteer days has become blood donations, so far we have had many CLAAS employees use their days for this cause. For blood donations the two volunteer days can be split into six blood or platelet donation sessions, with each session being 2.5 hours.

Giving blood saves lives. The blood you donate is a lifeline in an emergency and for people who need long-term treatments. Blood donors are required from all backgrounds to ensure the right blood is available for all requiring patients.

To find out more about how you can donate blood please visit: www.blood.co.uk How can my volunteer days be used?

“I chose to use my volunteering days in Thailand. The reason I wanted to do this is because me and my partner were due to go away traveling and we wanted to do something extra special while we were away and what’s more special than helping out at an elephant sanctuary.

Our volunteering was done over a couple of days. During this we helped prepare, feed and wash the elephants, which is not as easy as it sounds due to the size of them.

Charlie’s Volunteer Days Experience

Since the volunteer days have been introduced, many CLAAS employees have used their volunteer days for a range of opportunities.

Earlier this year, Charlie Cook-Lewis (Parts Supervisor, WESTERN Cirencester) used his two volunteer days by combining the two days with some annual leave to help at the Save Elephant Foundation in Thailand (www.saveelephant.org), a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing care and assistance to Thailand’s captive elephant population.

Charlie has very kindly shared his experience with us.

My favourite part was most definitely feeding them and it is quite surprising how gentle they were. They ate a lot of food, so it took a little while.

I’m glad that I was able to use my volunteering days to help me take part in looking after elephants. It’s one more thing to tick off my bucket list thanks to CLAAS.”

Charlie plans to return to the elephant sanctuary again in the future, and will be able to use his volunteer days again to do so.

Combine Challenge

In early June, UK farmer and YouTube influencer Olly Harrison drove his new LEXION 8700TT the length of the UK. H is aim was to draw attention to the hidden problems surrounding mental health, especially within agriculture, and to raise funds for 2 key charities - the mental health charity MIND, and Children with Cancer which is the chosen CLAAS UK charity for 2023.

Starting at John O’Groats in the north of Scotland, over 5 days Olly together with 3 friends, John Branson, Martin Williams and James Baldini, drove a total of 1,500 km (940 miles!) to the southernmost point of England at Land’s End. James works for CLAAS dealer MORRIS CORFIELD who supply and service Olly’s CLAAS machinery including the LEXION 8700TT.

The idea to raise awareness and funds for mental health came from the very sad fact that all four of the team have lost friends due to mental health issues resulting in suicide. Thee four are united in their belief that these terrible tragedies could have been avoided had their friends opened up about their problems to their family, friends and colleagues.

“One of the biggest lies in the world is when we are asked how we are and we reply with ‘I’m fine thanks’, instead of saying how we really feel. A problem shared is a problem halved,” states Olly. To counter this, he is trying to encourage people to answer how they are really feeling as a percentage, and this is the message he has been spreading both in his YouTube videos and through the charity combine challenge, his strapline ‘How are you today? #answerasapercent’ is now emblazoned on the auger of his LEXION 8700TT.

The combine charity challenge has raised an incredible £86,000 so far, with more donations coming in daily.

@OllyBlogsAgricontractfarmer

CLAAS UK Annual Chosen Charity Update

This year CLAAS UK are supporting ‘Children with Cancer UK’ as their selected charity.

Marion and Eddie O’Gorman founded Children with Cancer UK in 1987 in memory of their children Paul and Jean after losing them both to cancer within months of each other. For over 35 years, the charity has been working to fund vital research, support families and raise awareness. Their vision is a world where every child survives cancer.

So far CLAAS has raised over £6,000 this business year for Children with Cancer UK through a range of fundraising opportunities including company events (annual awards dinner and CUK/Retail celebrations), a CUK bake off, raffles and various other fundraising events. To see how our fundraising is going or to donate to Children with Cancer UK please go to our Just Giving page or use the QR Code.