The Groves Family (GF) Community Foundation has been created to address key social issues.
We galvanise people and assets within communities to create opportunities and maximise impact.
We aim to inspire individuals to;
The foundation is launching a dedicated investment fund allowing small community groups and “gifted & talented” individuals to apply for funding in a structured, measurable manner.
The GF Community Foundation will focus on four geographical areas in County Durham and two strategic project areas in partnership with Sunderland City Council.
The Foundation will execute key delivery strands in disadvantaged communities, targeting three demographics: elderly and vulnerable, children and young people, and families.
“We’re here to support the existing work taking place, and all of the efforts to date fit with our delivery strands, which sets up the Foundation to deliver maximum social impact across the region.”
Tom Lavender, Group Foundation Manager
Gavin Cogdon, Great Annual Savings Health and Wellbeing Manager, is attempting a 24-hour burpee world record. The gruelling challenge will raise money to fund health and wellbeing programmes in County Durham and Sunderland’s most disadvantaged communities.
Kicking off their work within the local community, the GF Community Foundation has been granting wishes to primary and secondary schools within the local area.
GF Community Foundation is proud to be delivering a “Summer of Sport” for children and young people through a major investment. The £8,000 project will provide more than 1,000 children with affordable,
If there’s something you would like to know that we haven’t covered here, then please get in touch and we’ll do our best to answer any questions you may have.
About Paul
Paul Johnson is very much a home-grown talent.
He joined Great Annual Savings Group in its infancy, fresh from a youth career as a professional footballer with Hartlepool United. He quickly established a reputation within the business and aced all required accountancy qualifications in the space of four years to become the Group’s Management Accountant.
Several successful projects later, Paul was promoted to Head of Finance. When the former FD left GAS, he took on the mantle of the business’ most senior finance professional; boasting a string of incredible achievements all under the age of 30.
Paul Johnson is very much a home-grown talent.
He joined Great Annual Savings Group in its infancy, fresh from a youth career as a professional footballer with Hartlepool United. He quickly established a reputation within the business and aced all required accountancy qualifications in the space of four years to become the Group’s Management Accountant.
Several successful projects later, Paul was promoted to Head of Finance. When the former FD left GAS, he took on the mantle of the business’ most senior finance professional; boasting a string of incredible achievements all under the age of 30.
Quote:
“I have witnessed phenomenal growth at the Group over the many years I’ve worked here and I’m looking forward to guiding the Group into an exciting new chapter.”
Interesting fact:
Paul made his professional debut for Hartlepool United against Bournemouth in the Football League. Some say Danny Ings still resides in his pocket to this day.
A graduate of Sunderland University in 2011 in Sports Journalism, Adam spent the first few months of his career working as a Journalist before deciding he would enjoy applying his skills on the other side of the fence.
Adam says
"Journalism just wasn’t for me. Like all students when they graduate, I felt obliged to pursue a career in my chosen area of study, before quickly realising I had a diverse skill set that was better suited to the Communications and PR side of things. I gained a wide range of knowledge of writing and the media through my time at University and in the industry, so it was a smooth transition.
In December 2015, Adam leapt at the opportunity to join Great Annual Savings, tasked with the responsibility of setting up and establishing the Marketing Department. In his short time with the company, he has expanded the team to seven members, with additional scope to grow further. He has also implemented a successful PR strategy which has seen the company develop its brand reputation in a very competitive market.
About Judith
Judith was part of the team who initially set up Great Annual Savings in 2012, she brings with her an abundance of senior management experience, managing the HR/Resourcing functions in numerous fast growing FTSE250 companies including De La Rue International PLC, Blacks Leisure Group PLC and most recently G4S PLC. Judith has played a pivotal role in helping move the business forward with our ambitious growth plans and her impact has seen our head count grow significantly year on year with significant plans in place to manage and lead the continued growth going forward.
About Brad
Having founded GAS in 2012, Brad has overseen the company’s huge growth in a short space of time. Starting from modest surroundings in South Shields, rapid progress has seen the business move to its current office in Seaham, which is being expanded across the business park to create an 80,000 square foot GAS campus, featuring one of the finest headquarters buildings outside of London and Manchester.
The majority of Brad’s career has been spent on the boards of FTSE companies, at board level in the private sector and in turnaround private equity. He was Group MD of Caudwell Group and worked on its sale in 2006 for £1.5 billion.
