MKM Foundation launches to take community support even further

 

At MKM, supporting our communities has never been an add-on. It’s part of who we are.

Now, as we celebrate 30 years in business, we’re taking that commitment one step further with the launch of the MKM Foundation.

This is about doing more of what we’ve always done. Backing our people, supporting local communities, and doing the right thing. But this time, we’re doing it with even greater impact.

 

Built on 30 years of community support

From the very beginning, MKM has been rooted in the communities we serve.

Over the past 30 years, our branches have contributed more than £5 million through fundraising, donations and sponsorships, supporting everything from grassroots sports teams to local charities, schools and community initiatives.

That’s not driven from the centre. It’s driven by our branches. By people who know their local communities inside out and care about making a difference where they live and work.

The MKM Foundation builds on that.

It gives us a way to bring those efforts together, support wider causes alongside local ones, and create something that can grow over time, without losing what makes MKM special.

 

Supporting charities that matter

In its first year, the MKM Foundation will support three charity partners:

Macmillan Cancer Support, Pancreatic Cancer UK and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

These charities were chosen through a process that reflects what MKM is all about. People.

Families of much-loved MKM colleagues we’ve sadly lost in recent years were invited to nominate charities that meant something special to them or their loved one. That created a shortlist of six organisations.

From there, colleagues across MKM were asked to vote, with the three receiving the most votes becoming our first Foundation charity partners.

Alongside these three main charities, the Foundation will also support smaller, local causes. This means branches can continue backing the initiatives that matter most in their own communities.

 

Keeping it local.

One thing won’t change.

Our branches will still lead the way when it comes to fundraising, volunteering and community support. That local knowledge and autonomy is what sets MKM apart, and it’s something we are protecting.

What the Foundation does is support that activity. It makes it easier to manage donations and creates new opportunities for our people, customers and suppliers to get involved.

We are working in partnership with the HEY Smile Foundation, who bring expert charity and fundraising knowledge, as well as independent governance. This helps ensure funds are managed properly and reach the right places.

 

Honouring the past, building for the future

For us, this isn’t just about structure or scale.

It’s about people.

As our CEO Kate Tinsley explains:

“Community has always been at the heart of MKM. Our branches operate independently and are firmly rooted in the places they serve, and our teams care passionately about making a difference locally.

The MKM Foundation allows us to honour the colleagues we’ve lost in recent years and create something good in their memory. At the same time, it gives us a way to make an even bigger impact in our communities by bringing our efforts together, while staying true to what makes MKM special.

As we mark 30 years of MKM, launching the Foundation feels like a fitting way to look forward, doing more of what we’ve always believed in, but on a bigger scale.”

MKM founder David Kilburn CBE added:

“From the very beginning, MKM has been about people, relationships and doing the right thing. Supporting the communities around our branches has always been incredibly important to us.

The MKM Foundation builds on that spirit, creating a lasting legacy that will continue to make a difference for many years to come.”

 

A team behind the Foundation

The MKM Foundation is guided by a dedicated committee made up of colleagues from across the business, both in branches and central support, alongside partners from the HEY Smile Foundation.

It brings together people who understand MKM’s culture, our communities and how we can make the biggest difference together.

 

Getting started

To mark the launch, members of our Central Support management team have set themselves an ambitious challenge. They are aiming to collectively walk or run 2,000 kilometres and raise £10,000 for the Foundation’s chosen charities.

It’s just the start.

Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing more about the projects, partnerships and people behind the MKM Foundation, and how you can get involved.

 

Find out more

You can learn more about the MKM Foundation here:

https://mkm.com/sustainability/mkm-foundation