Our stories

Setting the scene

One Firm One Day (OFOD) is our annual firmwide volunteering and fundraising day, when our people get together to make an impact in their local communities. 

In the March of what would be OFOD’s 11th year, it was clear that the need to support our communities was greater than ever. But it was also clear that this year, we would need to be innovative in our approach.

How we helped

With our people eager to help as COVID-19 bit, we knew we had to go beyond anything we’d done before. So we introduced One Firm Every Day, allowing people to give back over a longer period and providing them with guidance on how to do so safely. Against the backdrop of a pandemic, our efforts took on more urgency and meaning than ever. Individuals and teams took it upon themselves to offer support to their communities, helping them tackle some of the most pressing issues they faced.

Here is a small selection of those stories:

Offering support locally

Our people supported their local Mutual Aid groups, NHS trusts, councils and food banks by coordinating care efforts for vulnerable people and those self isolating, and supporting key workers. 

Riyaz Dhalla from our in-house Legal team worked with Hand on Heart, a children’s charity, to provide food for frontline NHS workers over Ramadan and Eid. He teamed up with them again to distribute parcels containing clothing and toiletries to homeless people.

Kulbir Lehri from our Tax team prepared and donated more than 70 food parcels for the homeless and vulnerable in Oxford during lockdown. 

And more than 85 of our people volunteered to deliver support packages to people in disadvantaged communities in Manchester.

A focus on wellbeing in times of stress

To address the mental health impacts of the pandemic while raising money for charity and helping each other stay active during the lockdown, our people set up virtual wellbeing sessions and challenges. We partnered with The 2.6 Challenge, which aimed to save the UK’s charities when their traditional fundraising methods were put on hold.

These initiatives inspired our people to keep fit, stay healthy and connect with one another, while contributing to a good cause. Quizzes, virtual exercise groups, bake-alongs and fitness challenges helped teams keep in touch and gave us all  important moments of release during lockdown.

Sharing knowledge and skills

Upskilling remained a big focus. As we all adapted to working remotely, technology became key for connectivity and information sharing. Our people used their industry-specific skills and expertise to offer virtual support to social enterprises, small businesses and charities at a challenging time.

A team in our People & Organisation practice shared advice with small businesses through the charity Heart of the City. They used their expertise to provide advice on how to offer HR support through COVID-19.

Teams from Sales and Marketing, Pursuits and Design for Good ran virtual masterclasses for over 50 social enterprises from the PwC Social Entrepreneurs Club.

In the North West, a team led a community volunteering project, helping Manchester City Council to identify those most in need of extra resources, such as food parcels.

And a team volunteered to help The Aspiring Solicitors Foundation to develop its vision and a sustainable fundraising plan as it entered its second financial year.

Our New World. New Skills upskilling programme means we’re well positioned to help teachers, parents and carers with remote learning. We published and shared helpful resources, such as our Employability Skills Toolkit, which included access to our TechWeCan lesson plans.