We have been investing in communities near to our major properties, such as the West Euston area in London, since the mid 1980s. In 2006 we invested over £650,000 in good causes. Much of this support is provided as part of a long-term relationship that enables real progress to be made. For full sponsorship details please see www.britishland.com/sponsorships.
In 2006 we continued our sponsorship of The British Land UK Chess Challenge. Over 74,000 schoolchildren, aged six to 18 years old have participated since 1996. Chess allows children to develop qualities of concentration, forward planning, resilience and flexibility while enjoying themselves.
We continued our support for the arts. In 2005-2006 we sponsored the Degas, Sickert and Toulouse Lautrec exhibition at Tate Britain. It attracted over 205,000 visitors, the second highest ever recorded at the museum. In 2006 we sponsored the Holbein exhibition at Tate Britain. This provided us with an opportunity to build relationships with some of our key stakeholders. Nearly 4,000 occupiers, investors, members of local and central government, suppliers and local community members attended a series of private viewings during October. Participants welcomed the opportunity to discuss both business and social issues, building relationships.
Our ongoing commitment to sport included being sole sponsor of The British Land National Ski Championships for the 28th consecutive year and sponsoring the British Land Alpine Ski Team. We also sponsored The British Land British Open and Amateur Championships for Real Tennis for the 13th year. We also sponsored Capital Kids Cricket for the third year.
We also provide selected community groups with access to our facilities and properties. For instance, during Christmas 2006 we gave Crisis use of 122 Leadenhall Street in London EC3 for ‘Crisis Open Christmas’ to offer homeless people warmth, companionship and food during the festive season.
Our property management teams have responsibility for sponsorship at our properties. This enables a speedy response and entrusts decision making to those who are most familiar with the needs of their local communities.
In 2006 Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon invested £75,000 in good causes, including St Luke’s Hospice, the Vicky Bristow Appeal, Little Havens and The Royal British Legion. The Centre also provided community groups with the use of Centre facilities to an estimated value of £34,000.
The Queensmere Observatory Shopping Centre in Slough sponsored Slough In Bloom, the Slough Juniors Cheyennes football team and Pitstop, a charity helping young people to get into the automotive industry.
At Teesside Shopping Park in Stockton-on-Tees we invested £20,000 in the development of a multi-use games area by Groundwork Trust. This games area in the Thorntree area of Middlesbrough provides local people with free access to two football pitches and a basketball court. The project also provides two local people with full-time, permanent jobs.
At Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield we sponsored a landmark project in classical music, the European Brandenburg Ensemble led by renowned Harpsichordist Trevor Pinnock. This project has played a significant part in establishing Sheffield as an international centre for cultural excellence.
Meadowhall Shopping Centre also match-funds donations that generous customers throw into the Centre’s waterfall. In 2006 £5,000 was donated to Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind.
