Making a lasting positive impact on people and planet

Underpinned by Amber River’s guiding purpose of ‘enriching lives’, the goal of the Amber River Foundation is to make a lasting positive impact on people and planet by focusing on four key areas:

Communities

Investing in our local communities, creating a deeper sense of belonging and connection.

Financial education

Empowering people with the skills and knowledge they need to achieve financial independence and peace of mind.

Rivers

Helping to protect and improve the river ecosystem and the contribution it makes to our daily wellbeing.

Local nature

Enhancing people’s wellbeing through their connection with the natural environment.

How we do it

The Amber River Foundation provides time, expertise and funding to support national partners, as well as the local partners of each of our offices across the UK.

Amber River is a community of like-minded, values-driven people. Employees can vote for which local and national charities they would like to support, which allows them to focus on the communities they work within and support the causes most important to them.

Our impact

£1.1m

donated since 2022

charities supported since 2022

2,500

hours volunteered since 2022

What we’ve been up to

The latest initiatives and charitable engagements carried out by employees from our offices across the UK.

Meet our Charity Champions

Meet the colleagues helping the Amber River Foundation support the causes that matter most to our communities.

Chris Tilley

I became a charity champion to be more closely involved in helping others, getting involved in fundraising, and learning how the funds we raise create a positive impact for individuals and families.

Jayne Raven

I enjoy being the Champion because I’m passionate about supporting causes that make a real difference, bringing people together, raising awareness and encouraging involvement across the team.

Charlotte Strike

I put myself forward for Charity Champion because I really care about supporting something so close to home. The Friends of the Oaks does such incredible work for people going through treatment, offering comfort, care, and therapies at such a difficult time, and that really resonates with me. I’d love to be able to play even a small part in supporting them and raising awareness for what they do. I had also never run a fundraiser before, so it’s a bit of a personal challenge too—but one I’m really enjoying, as it’s so rewarding knowing it’s all going towards such an important local cause.

Martin Johnston

Initially a fairly selfish reason, I lost my best friend in a motorbike accident and Winston’s Wish helped his wife and kids, I wanted to give back to them for helping me. As a hub we weren’t doing much. I was in a position where I could positively impact that and therefore it was my responsibility to act and do more. More recently, it’s become more apparent to me that I’m lucky. Happy family life, health, can pay my bills, there’s many who can’t. My daily life is predominantly dealing with those who have money and how they can make the best use of it. I think we have a responsibility to give back. Whether that’s financially, with our time and or expertise to help others who in reality will be unlikely to ever walk in our doors for advice.

Sabrina Bailey

When I was a child my parents experienced some hard times, and my dad became a ‘single parent’ for a while. We had to use the amazing services of one of local charities in Liverpool called Gingerbread, and I know this helped my dad through this temporary and difficult time, and he always talks fondly of it. Knowing and understanding this all now that I am adult brings me a sense of purpose, so when the role came up, I thought I want to do that. I feel very lucky to be where I am today and all that I have achieved and being part of this opportunity to give back is one way both myself and my family can show appreciation to all the charities that are there for people in their time of need.

Danielle Kazee

I wanted to become a charity champion because I believe in giving back to the community and supporting causes that make a difference and change people’s lives. Being a charity champion is an opportunity to help raise awareness, encourage others to get involved and contribute to positive change through fundraising and volunteering. It allows me to combine my passion for helping others with making an impact both inside and outside the workplace.

Eilidh Valentine

I put myself forward as Charity Champion because I’m passionate about creating a positive impact beyond our day-to-day work. I value the opportunity to bring people together for a shared purpose, raise awareness for important causes, and help strengthen our company’s sense of community. The role is important to me as it allows me to contribute to something meaningful, support others, and help build a culture where giving back is part of who we are.

Olivia Gennings

Being a charity champion has shown me that it’s often the smallest actions that have the greatest impact. There can be a perception that only large donations truly matter, but time and again we’ve seen that it’s the collective power of smaller contributions that really makes a difference. When you look at what the Foundation has achieved over the years, it’s clear that those individual acts of generosity add up to something truly meaningful. For me, it’s about creating that impact together – and bringing people together along the way to support those who need it most. That’s what makes it so rewarding, and it’s why I’m so passionate about it.

Elspeth Whittaker

The reason I put myself forward as a charity champion was because I care about making a difference and wanted to be able to encourage others to get involved. It’s not just about fundraising it’s about creating a sense of community and shared purpose. It’s given me the chance to bring people together and do something meaningful for our hub charity.

Megan Cleary

I chose to be a charity champion because I’m passionate about helping people, whether that’s Bede House or other charities. I find it incredibly rewarding and love seeing the positive impact it has on those who need it most.

Jo Weekes

Throughout my career, I've always felt a strong urge to give back in any way that I can, and my previous roles working with not-for-profit organisations and charities really reinforced how vital it is for me to stay connected to meaningful causes. When I transitioned out of my charity roles, it was crucial for me to join a company that shared my values and philanthropic outlook. Discovering the Amber River Foundation and knowing there was a charity committee in our hub genuinely made me feel at home. When the opportunity arose to join the charity committee and become a charity champion, it felt like the perfect chance to continue making a positive impact and I really love the fact that the supported charities are chosen by our teams and have a personal connection to the person who’s nominated them.

Ciara Procter

Our last charity champion was my sister, which gave me unique opportunity to see the responsibilities and impact the role has on our community. As I tried to help her raise money and encourage others to participate, it became something I was very passionate in. Taking over the role has been incredibly rewarding as we are actively helping the community in the best ways we can.

Lily Denny

I am pleased to take on the role of charity champion for Amber River NI. We are proud to continue to support our chosen charity, the Northern Ireland Hospice. The NI Hospice delivers vital and compassionate specialist palliative care to infants, children, and adults with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses. With a great team alongside me of Debbie, Ray, Katy, Beverly, and Emma we strive to create a positive social impact within our community and raise much needed funds for a great cause.

Mindi Panesar

I became a Charity Champion to live my soul purpose, spread good karma, and turn empathy into positive action.

Lilie Thompson

I put myself forward to be a Charity Champion because I am passionate about supporting local causes and the people and communities they serve. Seeing the real difference that fundraising, volunteering and community support can make is incredibly rewarding, and I want to help bring people together to create that positive impact. It is a role where even small actions can make a meaningful difference, and that’s something I am proud to be part of.

Jo Kamaitis

Being a Charity Champion is incredibly personal to me. In my HR role, I’m lucky enough to see first hand just how much our people care about our clients, each other, and the communities around us. It’s a big part of why so many of our team have been here for most of their careers and it genuinely feels like a family. Being a Charity Champion brings that to life in such a meaningful way. Seeing colleagues come together, support something bigger than themselves, and realise the difference we can make when we show up for others in need is something that really stays with me. I feel incredibly proud to be part of that.

Govinda Landa

Being a Charity Champion gives me the opportunity to bring colleagues together, support causes that matter and turn good intentions into meaningful action. I’m proud to help create a sense of shared purpose at Charles Cameron & Associates and demonstrate how, by working together, even small contributions can make a lasting difference.

Olivia Gennings

Our national charity partner

Amber River Foundation and The Rivers Trust: together, for rivers.
A shared value partnership centred on a deep sense of connection to place, building a more resilient future for communities and their rivers across the UK. Through important campaigns and activities, we’ll be raising awareness and vital funds supporting work across The Rivers Trust and its Movement. To make rivers fit for the future, securing a bluer, better environment for people and planet.