Becoming community partners with intu Trafford Centre 2018-2020

About intu

intu owns and operates some of the very best shopping centres, in some of the strongest locations right across the country, including nine of the UK's top 20. You can find the UK's top retailers in our shopping centres, alongside some of the world's most iconic global brands. With over 21 million sq ft of retail space, our centres attract over 400 million customer visits a year and more than two thirds of the UK population live within a 45 minute drive time of one of our centres. At the forefront of UK shopping centre evolution since the 1970s, our focus is on creating compelling destinations for customers with added theatre.

Our nationwide consumer facing shopping centre brand is transforming our customer experience and digital proposition, including a transactional website with a view to providing the UK's leading shopping centre experience both on and off-line.

We have an investment plan of £1.2 billion over the next ten years with projects at most of our centres. Over 80,000 people are employed at our centres across the UK and we are fully committed to supporting our local communities and the wider environment through meaningful and hands-on initiatives.

intu in the community

Our shopping centres are at the heart of their communities. They support local and national charities and other partners near our centres, including schools and local authorities, by providing space, investment and staff time. Community outreach plays a vital role in helping make our centres part of the communities they serve. We are long-term stakeholders in these communities and our engagement is tied closely to our business model.

We deliver a community strategy that addresses what we believe are fundamental issues in modern society and these issues are:

  • Disadvantaged young people
  • Education, skills and employability training
  • Prevention of anti-social behaviour
  • Environment, place-making and regeneration
  • Health and well-being

Who we work with:

  • Registered charities
  • Retail occupiers at our centres
  • Local authorities
  • Other public bodies e.g. EBPs and NSAs
  • Prisons
  • Schools
  • Healthcare establishments
  • Arts and culture

Background

The intu Trafford Centre Fountain Fund was officially launched in March 1999.

We’ve introduced new levels of customer service at intu Trafford Centre so that every visitor enjoys a carefree and relaxing experience so we have strict guidelines which mean that customers cannot be approached for collections, nor distributed with leaflets/magazines etc.

We recognise the importance however, of supporting the community and charitable organisations and in order to raise funds for such causes the fountains inside intu Trafford Centre are used as a way of collecting money for these purposes.

Over the last two years we have helped raise through our fountain fund over £100,000. This is through generous donations from our staff and our customers.

A Charity Committee has been set up since 1999. The Committee represents a cross-section of people who work both internally at intu Trafford Centre and externally as follows:

From intu Trafford Centre

Two managers - Marketing and Community Development

Another six employees -from a range of our departments

Retail/leisure representatives-John Lewis, Marks & Spencer

The Charity Committee is responsible for implementing a charity strategy to ensure that a fair and consistent approach is maintained and to consider ways of increasing fundraising for our partner charities over a period of time.

The Committee's strategy is subject to agreement by intu Trafford Centre’s Senior Management Team.

Partnership process

We want to partner with like-minded charitable organisations who want to make a difference to our communities. As we get so many requests from organisations who want to be part of intu’s community engagement programme, we have in place a formal process which potential partners must go through. This process forms part of our fountain fund charity choice for 2018 -2020.

Rules of eligibility

  • The application must be specific to the North West of England, preferably in Trafford or Salford.
  • Applicants must be registered charities or community projects with Local Authority recognition.
  • Charities and community projects must fit our target criteria
  • Hospices must be recognised by their local area health authority.
  • Funding will only be granted for specific projects, for example, the purchase of equipment or appropriate special services etc, and should not contribute towards general running costs.
  • All applications will only be considered directly from the charities or community projects concerned rather than a third party.
  • Funding will be for a maximum of two years and can be pulled at any time.
  • Applications or requests for advertisements in publications will not be considered.
  • Retrospective applications cannot be considered.
  • All approaches for funds must be made through the formal application process and canvassing Committee or Board members may nullify the application.

The decisions of the intu Trafford Centre Charity Committee, Manchester Evening News readers and the intu Trafford Centre Directors will be final.

How it works / estimated timescales

We invite organisations to complete an application form provided with this information pack. Please try to answer all the questions asked.

Stage / Deadline
1-complete application form / 25 September
2-shortlist / Charities will be notified and may be invited to an interview panel, consisting of a 10-minute presentation by 13 October
3-call to arms, let people know you are a finalist / unsuccessful / From 16th October –27 October
4-Public vote / 23 October till 3 November
5-successfu charities contacted / 10 November
6-announcements / From 13 November
7-begin partnership / From 1 January 2018

If we are to work together

Insurance

Potential partners should have professional indemnity insurance and or public liability

insurance and provide current certificates, we will ask that a copy is sent in with your application form.

Think ahead

  • Dependent on availability and the project, intu may be able to offer in-kind
  • support
  • Use of space in centre to showcase event/promote charity,
  • Use of Community Boards to showcase event/promote charity
  • Provision of volunteers and mentors to assist in the project
  • Inclusion of your charity on the internal list of ‘Charities to Volunteer at’ for intu employees who are using intu’s Volunteering Policy
  • Advertise the charity on the group website and centre website
  • Inclusion of project in centre’s online and offline marketing activity

Please forward any queries to:

Charlotte Brown-Community Development Manager

Charity Committee

Management Suite

intu Trafford Centre

Manchester

M17 8AA

Tel: 0161 749 1614