4th October 2023 – Regional chartered accountancy firm Albert Goodman has announced they will be supporting local charity organisation Taunton East Development Trust (TEDT) with a financial and non-financial support agreement over the next three years.
Parts of Taunton are in 5th most deprived areas of the UK, so Albert Goodman has committed to helping this charity which is engaged in the improvement of community life within The Halcon, Lane, Lambrook and nearby areas of East Taunton. The community covers in the region of 6,500 residents where some of the key challenges include extreme poverty, isolation, poor mental and physical health, drug dependency and multi-generational unemployment.
As part of the agreement, volunteers and residents will have access to the following opportunities:
- Annual donation of £5k per annum to support the stocking costs of TEDT’s community shop
- Access to Albert Goodman’s employee volunteering scheme to support delivery of TEDT’s daily activities
- Mentoring services to TEDT’s Community Shop, but also to residents who are considering setting up a micro business within the Halcon community
- Employability skills workshops
- Training on bookkeeping and financial management to TEDT staff, volunteers and residents
This activity dovetails with TEDT’s core objectives of providing solid leadership with good governance, empowering the community through participation and decision making, developing community self-reliance and confidence and creating strong partnerships at all levels.
Sophie Parkhouse, Partner at Albert Goodman, said: “Supporting the local community through the sharing of invaluable financial skills, training and knowledge is really important to us, so we are thrilled to provide this to TEDT. In working with the partnership over the next three years we hope to make a positive impact on the lives of people who are within more deprived areas of Taunton and support a journey to a brighter and more independent future. Equipping people with the right skills to enable entry to the workplace or the setting up of their own business one day is a really exciting prospect, and we can’t wait to play our part.”
Paul Hughes, Chairman of Trustees at Taunton East Development Trust, said: “We are truly grateful to Sophie and the team for their commitment to help us achieve bigger and better things for the Halcon community. The support of key stakeholders like Albert Goodman is an integral part of the charity’s strategy, giving TEDT and the residents we support access to financial and non-financial expertise. Albert Goodman has the power and resources to support a charity like TEDT and we couldn’t be more delighted to partner with them as they put their skills to practical use, finding a route to success for so many individuals that will help them turn their lives around.”