Giving More

Giving More is woven into the history and fabric of our business in a way that is unique to the industry.

The company’s principal shareholder is The Robertson Trust, which was established in 1961 by the Robertson sisters, who donated their shares in the business founded by their grandfather.

Elspeth, Agnes and Ethel Robertson wished to ensure that the family business could continue the family’s legacy of support for Scottish charities.

The Robertson Trust uses its dividends from Edrington to improve the quality of life and realise the potential of people and communities in Scotland. Since 1961 The Robertson Trust has given £263 million to charities, making it Scotland’s largest independent grant-making Trust.

Giving More plays a fundamental role inside our business too. The company encourages its employees to become involved with charitable causes they feel passionate about, helping them volunteer, raise funds and meet their personal goals.

Every Edrington employee has three days paid leave every year to work for a charity making a difference in their community. Some use this individually, while other teams work together on projects for charities.

In larger Edrington locations we organise large scale partnerships with charities where as many employees as possible can work together to create a real transformation in their community. Examples of Giving More activities in 2018/19 can be seen on the Edrington website.

When our employees raise funds for a charity, Edrington matches those funds to double the value. The Robertson Trust also matches funds raised for charities in Scotland, thereby turning every £1 into £3.

• In 2018/19, the total raised and donated by Edrington employees to good causes in Scotland was £674,000 (2018: £585,000).

• Employees organized 169 fundraising activities in Scotland last year (2018: 147).

As Edrington’s international business has grown, the company has developed initiatives to bring the spirit of The Robertson Trust to life outside Scotland. Since 2012, Edrington has donated 1% of pre-tax earnings to charities chosen by international employees.

• Last year, the total raised and donated by Edrington’s international employees was £2.2 million, making a total of £9.72 million since 2012.