One thing few people are aware of is that Rolls-Royce gets involved in a number of charity cases every year. The employees of the British brand also have a saying in which charity wins the support of the double-R emblem over the course of 12 months. They vote for their so-called House Charity every year through a company-wide nomination process and the successful organization is then supported through a number of initiatives.

2018’s winning charity, The Ickle Pickles Partnership, turns gifts and donations from generous people into specialized equipment such as incubators and ventilators to help Neonatal Units provide the highest levels of intensive care for the smallest and most unwell babies.The charity played particular importance for one of the employees in Goodwood.

Mike Nunn, Aftersales Pricing Analyst, and his wife recently had twins born at 28 weeks and received support from the Neonatal Unit at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. Mike said, “Our son weighed 1.1kg and our daughter 590g. Both are now home after six months and are doing remarkably well. By supporting Ickle Pickles, we allow other parents who face the same journey the opportunity to benefit from the charity’s help and support.”

Lorraine Blackburn of The Ickle Pickles Partnership, said: “We raise money to purchase lifesaving equipment for premature and sick babies in Neonatal Units up and down the country. We were thrilled to hear that Rolls-Royce has chosen Ickle Pickles as its House Charity for 2018. We are extremely grateful and this will make such a difference to the Neonatal Units we support. Thank you to all involved for choosing us.”

Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Heritage and Philanthropy, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said, “Thanks to the contribution of our committed employees, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is making a long-standing and positive contribution in our local community by supporting local charities.”

Last year, employees raised over £25,000 for the 2017 House Charity, Coastal West Sussex Mind. This was achieved through a number of sponsored activities including abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth and taking part in the Chichester Half Marathon. Other activities included creating hand-crafted leather Christmas decorations which were sold at the company’s annual Family Day, along with many other volunteering activities and public donations, financially matched by the company.