In the community

Everyone at GIA is involved in charity projects and have done some phenomenal work. Our Charity Committee meets monthly to review progress, develop new ideas and oversee on-going activities. The Committee is also responsible for selecting the two charities that will receive support from GIA each year. Charities are measured against the following criteria:

1. The extent to which we can utilise our knowledge of the built environment to give something back to that charity and the local community
2. Opportunities for our staff to provide in-house expertise in areas they may be lacking
3. Hands-on project work opportunities for staff to get their hands dirty!
4. The ability to inspire and motivate our staff for their cause

MLF provides microfinance services, basic business training and guidance to women in Malawi and the Philippines, enabling them to develop self sustainable livelihoods. With a head office and 6 branches in Malawi so far, MLF has provided over 10,000 loans. Our work with Microloan is predominantly in-house advice at their offices and fundraising. In 2007 we launched the GIA Charity Challenge to raise funds. Dividing staff into 10 teams with a mix of junior and senior people, we challenged each team to organise a fundraising event in the month allocated to them, supported by guidance from our Marketing and HR teams. Staff are actively encouraged to support each other's events, which they do with huge enthusiasm.

This well-known charity is working to preserve and protect the coastline, countryside and buildings of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, an objective which aligns with our interest in the built environment. We have given each staff member 5 days' paid time to do voluntary work and much of this is allocated to our National Trust Partnership because, unlike the MLF, they need manpower rather than money. So, on a regular basis, teams of GIA staff take a day out of the office to do anything from clearing ponds to rebuilding walls in the grounds of National Trust properties in the South East. Hard work but hugely rewarding!

As well as achieving the goals we set down for staff development and giving back to the community in which we live and work, GIA is on target to raise the funds total set. We are immensely proud of all the hard work of our staff and have seen first hand how charity work encourages humility, gratitude and teamwork as well as development of staff talents and interests beyond just their professional responsibilities.