Jack Gocher caught up with Gary Giles, Relationship Manager for The Printing Charity, at the recent William Smith open day.
The Printing Charity is the second-oldest occupational charity set up in the UK. It is dedicated to supporting individuals within the print, packaging, papermaking, publishing, and graphic arts sectors, covering the entire supply chain.
Watch the full interview here…
According to Gary, the charity takes a “cradle to grave” approach, offering support across a person’s entire career and into retirement. This includes the Rising Stars Awards programme, which provides grants for personal development and training for young people aged 18 to 35.
However, a huge part of its remit is helping people in their hour of need. “It’s surprising how many one-off grants [we give] for white goods,” Gary said. “Maybe someone’s had a financial shock, the boiler’s broken, something as silly as a washing machine or a fridge freezer. You can’t run a household without one of those items.”
An independent fund, a free service
Crucially, The Printing Charity is in a unique position where it does not typically need to fundraise from the industry it serves. “We’re quite in a unique position where we have a significant hedge fund which allows us to do a significant amount of charitable act without having to go cap in hand to the industry,” Gary explained. “So we’re not here looking for donations, we can focus entirely on the work we do.”
As one of four Relationship Managers, Gary’s main job is to engage with employers to roll out their support services, particularly the 24-7-365 helpline. This service is provided completely free of charge to employers for their staff and their staff’s households.
The helpline is extensive, offering everything from immediate emotional support and counselling to practical assistance and advice. It also features a line management support tool and assistance for mental health first aiders. The support extends to anyone currently working, unemployed from, or retired from the industry.
A holographic metaphor
To convey the essential message that people often hide their struggles, Gary uses a powerful visual metaphor: a small holographic chamber. “This is a little holographic chamber. So the sweetie appears on the top. It’s not actually there, it’s just a mirage,” Gary said. “I use it as a metaphor to show that things are not necessarily always as they appear.”
He explained that you may be talking to a colleague who is carrying significant emotional baggage, and it might be difficult for them just to get up every morning. The metaphor reminds people that behind the surface, there can be a real need for help.
Spreading the word
Gary’s move to the charity was a personal one. After working for Agfa in a sales role for 44 years, he took voluntary redundancy and was looking to work part-time.
“I told the printing charity of my changing circumstances and they said, ‘We’re actually looking for a relationship manager’,” Gary recalled. “At my time of life, it’s not about necessarily the remuneration, but it’s something I felt I could really enjoy doing as I moved into semi-retirement.”
He recognised that, despite being 197 years old this year, The Printing Charity had become one of the industry’s best-kept secrets. His new mission, and the reason he was recently exhibiting with a company like William Smith, is simply to spread the word so that people know the support is there for the industry.
The Printing Charity is dedicated to ensuring its resources reach those in need. By providing practical grants and access to a comprehensive, free 24-7 helpline, the organisation is committed to supporting the emotional and financial wellbeing of the entire print industry supply chain. The message is clear: help is available, and the charity wants everyone in the industry to know about it.
Visit The Printing Charity website here…