I recently had the pleasure of being part of a very special night for the Andrew Simpson Foundation (ASF) that Salesforce hosted high on the 29th floor of Salesforce Tower London.
ASF is a sailing charity set up in 2013 to honour the legacy of British Olympic Gold Medalist and America's Cup Sailor Andrew 'Bart' Simpson. The foundation's primary mission is to increase participation in sailing and improve the lives of young people. Anyone who knows me knows I love the water & sailing. Now, pair that with an organisation that not only supports the sport but also has a focus on the younger generation and creating a better life for them, and I'm all in.
At Salesforce our culture is rooted in ‘Ohana’ - the idea in Hawaiian culture that family members are responsible for one another. One of the ways we practice this is following our 1-1-1 model of giving back – contributing 1% of our time, technology and resource back into the community where we work.
Salesforce employees are able to take up to seven days off a year to volunteer for a worthy cause. Our UK team has embraced this and employees across our London, Manchester, Staines and Glasgow offices have volunteered more than 166,000 hours to date, creating a lasting impact in their communities. So when ASF approached us about getting involved in their gala dinner, we were eager to support their incredible work in any way we could.
The evening kicked off with an incredible reception in the recently opened Salesforce Innovation Centre with ASF'S Founding Trustee, Sir Ben Ainslie welcoming guests.
ASF Gala Dinner
With ASF Trustees Sir Ben Ainslie and Iain Percy OBE, sharing their experiences on the evening, it was an evening of inspiration that raised an incredible £150,000 for ASF. And the difference that can make is incredible - with the funds raised, ASF will be able to engage more young people to have access to the sport of sailing that will, in turn promote health and well being. Equally important, it will help these young people develop personal skills that will improve their ability to succeed in life and work.
“We owe a big thank you to the team at Salesforce for their support. The impact of having an organisation like them get behind us is phenomenal. We're grateful for their time in working together to create what truly was a wonderful event. The funds raised during events such as this, enable the Foundation to continue delivering on our mission of increasing participation in sailing and improving the lives of disadvantaged young people, helping them to access sailing and develop a passion for life.” Richard Percy, CEO Andrew Simpson Foundation.
Iain Percy, OBE shared some of the incredible work the foundation has carried out in his dear friend Andrew's name.
Salesforce's own Martin Corry led the live auction, helping to raise an incredible £150,000 for the ASF.
