IRIS Software donates £12,000 to the Trussell Trust to help stop UK hunger and poverty

IRIS Software Group one of the UK’s largest software companies and its investor, Hg, have jointly donated £12,000 to the Trussell Trust, a charity which supports a UK-wide network of more than 1,200 food bank centres. They work to provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty, and campaign for change to end the need for food banks in the UK.

Luke McGarry, an Application Consultant at IRIS took part and won £6,000 in a group-wide quiz hosted by Hg to foster collaboration between the companies in the Hg portfolio group during the Covid-19 enforced lockdown period.

As part of its Acts of Kindness employee engagement initiative, IRIS has matched Luke’s prize money, bringing the total to £12,000. Luke has chosen to donate the prize money to the Trussell Trust charity having spent many years volunteering and donating at his local food bank.

This money will allow the Trussell Trust to remain agile in supporting their network of food banks in any way they need as they face this time of such uncertainty and challenge.

This donation is part of IRIS’ Acts of Kindness initiative currently happening across the business. IRIS wants to make a difference to the communities in which it operates, and the initiative is supporting employees to make a difference on matters important to them.

Luke McGarry, Application Consultant at IRIS Software Group comments, “It’s shocking to learn that even in the UK, a first-world country, there are still people going hungry. This is why I decided to donate the winnings to the Trussell Trust. I have always supported this cause. Last Christmas, instead of buying presents to my family I donated eight Christmas dinners to families in need. I am over the moon that IRIS has chosen to match my donation and am most grateful. This will make a huge difference across the UK especially during these challenging times.”

Elona Mortimer-Zhika, CEO at IRIS Software Group comments, “When I heard Luke had won the prize from Hg and he was planning to donate to Trussell Trust, I immediately wanted to help the cause. I really connected with Luke’s chosen charity, as growing up in Albania I witnessed people struggling firsthand to put food on the table. We wanted to match Luke’s sum so we could take his kindness even further and support even more families in the UK.”

Dawn Marriott, Partner at Hg comments, “We set up the quiz to engage employees across our portfolio during this difficult time. As well as the chance to have a bit of fun, the charity donations offered as prizes helped to inspire the group, adding the incentive to help brilliant causes of their choice. We’re delighted that the winner of the Hg quiz was someone with a charity so close to their heart and we are thrilled to be able to support such a worthy cause”.  

Samantha Stapley, Chief Operating Officer at the Trussell Trust, comments, “As the pandemic continues to unfold, more people are likely to need a food bank’s help. Our teams are working tirelessly to ensure that food banks are able to remain open and have the necessary stocks to respond to this crisis. The amazing support of IRIS Software Group means we can remain agile to respond to the fast-changing situation and ensure food banks continue to provide the lifeline of emergency food and additional support for people in crisis. Thank you so much.”