Sapphire Accounting and Seashell Trust announce partnership

Seashell Trust is delighted to announce a new partnership with Wilmslow based Sapphire Accounting.

The accountancy firm are transferring 10% of their apprenticeship levy to Seashell to enable them to fund more apprenticeships for existing and new staff. Any business can gift up to 10% of their overall levy to another business as it is a ‘use it or lose it’ tax. It is estimated only 8% of the total £1.28bn in apprentice levies paid over the last 12 months have been used so there is a huge amount of opportunity for companies to transfer their levy to charities.

Maria McGrath, Learning and Development Manager at Seashell Trust said ‘we are so grateful to Sapphire Accounting for their generosity and such a forward thinking CSR strategy. At the moment we have 47 people signed up to apprenticeships and are committed to ensuring our staff have the best opportunities for career development.

She continued, ‘but as a charity we just don’t have the budget to offer apprenticeships to everyone who would benefit sop this money will really change the lives of local people.’

Sapphire are also planning a whole host of fundraising activities for Seashell over the next year including the Manchester 10K, the Yorkshire Three Peaks and payroll giving to raise funds for the charity that supports children and young people with complex disabilities.

Mark Connor, Managing Director at Sapphire Accounting, said “We are delighted to partner with Seashell Trust, a local charity which our staff voted overwhelmingly to support. The work that Seashell Trust do to make a significant difference to children and young people’s lives is truly inspiring and everyone at Sapphire is really proud to support such a great cause.”

If your business has unused money in the levy pot that you would be willing to transfer to benefit a local charity, contact wendy.bray @seashelltrust.org.uk or call her on 0161 610 0168.