Odgers in the Community

At Odgers Berndtson, we are committed to contributing to the communities we work in and acting as a responsible, ethical and accountable organisation. To this end, along with out stakeholders, we encourage and support employees who take up socially responsible opportunities and causes; our Corporate Social Responsibility Policy compliments this process. Many of our staff are dedicated to all sorts of wonderful causes and voluntary commitments, some of which are highlighted below.

Fundraising:

• In September 2010, a team from Odgers Berndtson’s Consumer & Retail Practice ran the 5km Adidas Women’s challenge in aid of Breast Cancer Care and for their colleague, who is currently undergoing a 12 month course of chemotherapy for breast cancer. Christina Starkey (Consultant, Global Retail), Lavanya Attawar (Senior Researcher, Consumer & Leisure) and Jackie Laurie (Senior Generalist Researcher) raised £4,130 (£5,035 with gift aid).
• Stephen Crookbain (Partner, Public Sector, Not for Profit) & Alex Hamilton-Baily (Consultant, Not for Profit) climbed Mount Kiliminjaro in September 2010, raising £2,700 for Penny Brohn Cancer Care.
• Joanna Green (Events Administrator) completed Oxfam’s ‘Trailtrekker’ in July 2010.  The trek consists of a 100 kilometre hike through the Yorkshire Dales starting and finishing in Skipton. As part of a team of four, Joanna completed it in 24 hrs, came 22nd out of 200 teams as well as being the first female team to finish. The team raised £3000.
• Ian Macleod, (Managing Partner, Glasgow) completed a two-week voyage to the Arctic with Ocean Youth Trust Scotland in July 2009. Ian, with others, helped raise more than £40,000 for the trust, which trains disadvantage Scots to sail as a means to help build their confidence. His success was published in an article in the Sunday Times on 26th July 2009. Writing about his experience, Ian said "back at work after a gruelling 1,925 nautical miles from Wick – Reine(Lofoten Islands) -  Maloy(mainland Norway) – Peterhead in 12 days. We had 3 watches, therefore had 3 hours on deck sailing the 72 feet Challenge yacht and 6 hours to eat, sleep, prepare meals, bake bread and scones and clean the boat. We got around 3hrs sleep every 9 hrs. It was a real physical and mental challenge crashing through the waves in as much as force 7 winds with the yacht doing up to 14 knots. Not for the faint-hearted."

• Leon Ayo (Partner and Head of the Berwick Partners Public Practice) joined Simon Walton (Head of Consumer, Berwick Partners) and Nick Claridge (Principal, Retail & Consumer Practice) to raise funds for the Greenhouse Schools Project in May 2009 and won the HSBC Private Bank Hadrian’s Double Marathon.  Leon, Nick and Simon completed two marathons over two days along the National Trail stretching from coast to coast taking in the highlights of Hadrian’s Wall.
• Charlotte Jones, (PA, Dubai office) completed the 2009 Cardiff 5km Race for Life for Cancer Research UK.
• Daniella Lynch (Head of Research, South Africa), has completed 2009 Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research UK for the fourth time in a row having completed it successfully 2006, 2007 and 2008.  Daniella raised over £500 in 2008.
• Diana Ellis (Partner, Education) fundraises for The Rosemary Foundation - a charity of palliatively trained nurses whose motto is 'hospice at home'.  They care for the dying in their own homes and are quite wonderful.  She has organised a number of events to raise money for them.  The last large event Diana has organised was in November 2008 when she raised almost £28,000. In 2009, Diana organised two opera evenings for the Foundation. 
• Gill Carrick (Partner, Board/Information, Communications & Entertainment) completed the New York Marathon in November 2008, raising over £26,000 for the Women of the Year Foundation, which offers women financial and practical support, giving them a chance to fulfill their dreams and ambitions. Gill also ran the 2009 London Marathon to raise funds for the British Lung Foundation, and 2009 New York Marathon once again to raise further funds for the Women of the Year Foundation.
• Leon Ayo also completed the Arctic Team Challenge in 2008 raising £10,000 for BLESMA (British Limbless Ex-Servicemens Association). This took place within the Arctic Circle in Greenland and involved, trekking, climbing, cycling, kayaking 250km over 5 days.
• Simon Walton (Head of Consumer, Berwick Partners), Simon Cummins (Head of the International Sports Practice) and Nick Claridge (Principal, Retail and Consumer Practice), have successfully completed and jointly won the 'Hannibal Marathon' - by retracing the footsteps of Hannibal and his band of 40 elephants as they crossed the Alps for their attack on Rome in the 3rd century.  The event was held at end of June 2008, raising over £50,000 for Greenhouse Schools Project; a charity that aims to improve the lives of disadvantaged and special needs children aged between 11-16 years old through sports and performing arts activities during and outside the school day.
• Simon Walton also ran the 'Great North Run' in October 2008 for the 3rd year in succession for Cancer Research UK & raising over £1,000.
• Ian MacLeod (Managing Partner, Glasgow) raised £50,000 at the Great Wilderness Challenge Ball in 2008 for 5 Scottish Cancer charities.  He continues to be an Ambassador for the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow.  He has also recently been appointed as Ambassador of the Ocean Youth Trust (OYT) who provide sail training for 12-25 year olds.  He also sailed to the Arctic Circle in July 2009 to raise funds for the OYT.
• Lucy Webb (Researcher, Board Practice) is Secretary of the Friends of Whiston Junior and Infants School, Rotherham and completed the 2009 Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research UK.   
• Marcus Beale (Partner, CFO) completed the 2008 Sydney Triathlon raising funds for Cancer Research UK. 
• Sarah Zuniga (EA to Mark Freebairn) competes annually in the 5 kilometre Race for Life, raising money for Cancer Research UK.
• Jemma Terry, (Managing Partner, Wales), is on the committee for fundraising for her local village shop in Oxfordshire.
• Odgers Berndtson sponsored a table at The Royal Arsenal Ball in July 2006.  This event, at The Royal Artillery Firepower Museum in Woolwich, was supported by Berkeley Homes to raise funds for Demelza - Hospice Care for Children, an organisation providing hospice care for over 450 children with life-limiting illnesses and their families. The ball was held in the presence of The Worshipful The Mayor of Greenwich, Councillor Harpinder Singh and began with a champagne reception at The Academy in the Old Royal Arsenal. Dinner was followed by a fundraising auction, fireworks and dancing.
• Angela McDermottroe (Partner, Health Care) is a member of the Sunflower Ball Fundraising Committee for St Leonard’s Hospice in York.  The small Committee organise a Ball to be held at York Racecourse every two years to raise much needed funds for the Hospice.  The 2006 Sunflower Ball raised just over £50,000 whilst the 2008 Sunflower Ball raised over £65,000 on the night. 

Voluntary Memberships, Trusteeships & Miscellaneous:

• Julia Oliver (Head, Not for Profit Practice) currently serves as a Trustee board member for the charity, National Voices, the umbrella charity for all Health and Social Care charities. She is also a Mentor for the Director of Engagement and Membership at National Voices and a Mentor for a graduate trainee on the graduate management programme CharityWorks.
• Ali Palmer (Consultant, Business & Professional Services) has served as the Chairman of St Paul’s Girls’ School League (Old Girls’ Association) since 2002. She is also Hon. Secretary of the Sons of the Thames Rowing Club (for the last 14 years) and Chairman of Kew College PTA since 2008 where she raises a significant amount of funds for charity - this year for “The Sick Children’s Trust” and in 2009, for Sports Relief where £10,000 was raised. From September 2010, she has served as the Manager of Richmond Rugby Club Under 9’s.
• As part of Odgers Berndtson’s Mentoring Scheme with Camden Borough Council, Fiona Bunker (Quality & Process Manager), Loredana Albenzio (Senior Researcher, EMI Practice), Lauretta Rudman (Researcher, HR), Grant Speed (Managing Director, Interim Practice) and Becky O’Connor (Associate, Interim Healthcare) will be mentoring students at Haverstock School, South Camden Community and Maria Fidelis. 
• Jyoti Kanwar (Strategic Analyst) serves on the PTA of Annemount Nursery & Pre-prepatory School. She was previously the class representative for the Nursery for 2007-2008 and regularly helps out with weekly and monthly events and activites.
• Sarah Shaw (Consultant, Odgers Interim) currently serves as a Parent Governor for Coppice Primary School in Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield.
• Nicky Oppenheimer’s (Partner, Public Sector/Not for Profit) charitable activities all focus on the arts world. She is a trustee of The English Concert and The Early Opera Company and also on the Development Board of the Royal Academy of Music. In addition she is on the Board of the Grove Park Music Festival, a community based festival which takes place every other year.

• Gill Carrick (Partner, Board/Information, Communications & Entertainment) is Chair of Women of the Year Lunch, which honours 500 women each year who have achieved and made a difference in all walks of life. 
• Joanna Green (Events Administrator) is an Advanced First Aid and brigade member with St. John Ambulance covering all sports and public events at Twickenham as well as attending Wimbledon, West End theatre productions, the Notting Hill Carnival, the London Marathon, small school fetes and Putney town events.  Jo is a qualified Advanced Driver Training Assessor with St John and attends weekly meetings to keep her first aid skills fresh for frequent duties.
• Douglas Hutchinson, (Partner, Glasgow), having successfully helped to raise almost £15 million for a new Small Animal Hospital at the University of Glasgow Veterinary School, has stepped down from the University’s Vet Development Committee after a ten year stint.  The new hospital is one of the very best anywhere in the world, and Douglas is justifiably proud of the Committee’s success. Douglas recently joined the Development Board of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh, and aims to help them raise £100 million for their major campus redevelopment which will create a centre with teaching, research and clinical services all on one site.  Douglas continues to be a Business Mentor for the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and is aligned with MDs of SMEs requiring support and guidance.  Douglas is also a member of GlobalScot, a group of 800 Scots around the world who are personally invited by the First Minister of Scotland to join the organisation.  This network of some of the most senior Scots in business provides a valuable resource to many companies seeking to expand their business globally, or indeed overseas companies trying to access the Scottish market.   Douglas was also a founder Member of the Fellowship Advisory Board of the Saltire Foundation.  The Saltire Foundation was set up to promote and develop Scotland’s rich pool of up-and-coming business talent and aims to create a steady stream of confident, globally-minded business leaders determined to enhance Scotland’s economic prospects.
• Another project Douglas is involved in is the Riverside Museum Appeal in Glasgow.  As a Benefactor of this iconic new structure, designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, Douglas has introduced a number of donors to support this new home for the Glasgow Museum of Transport. He is also an Ambassador for The Smith Group (established and chaired by Lord Smith of Kelvin), which advises the Scottish Government on educational issues, and recently stepped down as a director of the VETAID charity which trains farmers in Africa about better animal health and welfare. 
• Christelle Bourgois (Training Support) in our London Office hosts three tea parties a year for members of her local Retirement and Care home.  She welcomes up to 8 guests at each party who are mostly without family.
• Alex Hamilton-Baily (Consultant, Not-for-Profit) has recently been invited to join the Board of one of our clients, Penny Brohn Cancer Care. Alex has spent several years working with the charity, helping to recruit a new CEO and all of the senior team. The charity provides personal support to people learning to live with cancer. Where other charities focus on the medical aspects, Penny Brohn focuses on the person, providing residential care, counselling and complementary therapeutic support to people with cancer and their families. This is a national charity, and any of you who have seen the tens of thousands of women who walk a marathon around London in their bras might have heard of the charity – it is one of the predominant recipients of funding from the Playtex Moonwalk.
• Ian Odgers (Partner, Board Practice) is a Trustee of The Classical Opera Company has regularly hosts a series of in house lunches in support of the organisation.  Friends and supporters are invited alongside some world class classical musicians, for example, conductor Sir Charles Mackerras. He is also a Governor of Canterbury College, a further education college, a member of the Enterprise Task Force of the Kent Economic Board, a Board Member of Technology Enterprise Kent and Deputy Chairman of the New Marlowe Theatre Development Trust which is raising the charitable fund for building of the new theatre in Canterbury.