Donations
We have continued our support to local communities through a combination of direct charitable giving, the donation of time and resources and the facilitation of third party fundraising activities. In addition, the Liberty International group centrally made donations of £271,000 (2006 - £176,000) to charitable causes, some £165,000 (2006 - £111,000) of which was made through the UK shopping centres.
In the shopping centres, we support the work of charities in whichever way best suits their objectives. We facilitated some 421 mall cash collections, raising an estimated £225,000 (2006 - £310,000). We also distributed some £50,000 (2006 - £38,000) donated by the public through fountains, Christmas grottos etc. In the UK, we have given the equivalent of £972,000 (2006 - £755,000) in cash and kind in community support including sponsorship of local causes, support for Town Centre management and the provision of free mall space and services. Our management staff contributed around 5,023 (2006 - 4,300) hours of time to work in the community, and our centres provided a further 3,728 hours of work experience. Based on average remuneration rates, the value of our contribution is approximately £80,000.
The total sum of our direct donation of cash and resources during the year totalled £1,243,000 (2006 - £931,000).
