Each year, staff across the group vote for a charity which we support over the course of that year through volunteering and fundraising.  This year, our chosen charity is Kids Company, a London-based organisation which offers practical, emotional and educational support to vulnerable inner city children and young people.

The staff have pledged to raise £10,000 for Kids Company over the course of the year, which will then be matched by a donation from Random House of £10,000, bringing the total donated to £20,000.

To do this, a team of volunteers (the ‘Make A Difference’, or MAD group) organise events for staff throughout the year, including pub quizzes, karaoke nights, film screenings, raffles and much more. Staff have also been given the opportunity to visit the Kids Company 'Demons and Angels' art exhibition, volunteer at the Kids Company drop-in centre and attend a talk by Kids Company’s founder, Camila Batmanghelidjh (see pictured).

Anyone who wants to get involved in the MAD group is more than welcome and the number of volunteers is growing all the time.