Meeting Needs – the event industry’s charitable foundation

Founded more than 22 years ago, Meeting Needs connects the global meetings and events community with charitable causes in the UK and overseas.

Working closely with industry stakeholders and supporters, we direct all funds raised towards projects that deliver the greatest impact. For example, we supported the inspiring work of Clowns Without Borders by donating almost £5,000 to Project Hope. Helping bring laughter and emotional support to Ukrainian refugee children in Romania, the funding enabled a team of four professional clowns to visit refugee communities across two cities and create safe and joyful spaces for children affected by war and displacement to relax, process trauma and reconnect with childhood during incredibly difficult circumstances. 

Building trusted, long-term relationships with the charities and projects we support, we’ve put a clear focus on delivering meaningful and lasting change. Our work with Project Harar in Ethiopia is a perfect example. Our £5,000 grant funded free cleft lip and palate treatment for children in remote and marginalised communities. In enabling 64 patients to receive life-changing specialist treatment, we were able to give vulnerable children the opportunity to attend school, build confidence and enjoy healthier, more independent futures.

Expanding our longstanding partnership with Northstar Travel Group this year will allow us to significantly increase the reach of our vital work. As our Chair, Lene Corgan, explains: “Building on our relationship with Northstar is a natural progression as we fund more and larger projects, and we are very grateful to the Northstar team for their continued support.”

This includes innovative projects such as Legs4Africa, where our funding of more than £14,000 has helped turn unwanted prosthetic limbs into life-changing opportunities for amputees across sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, more than 4,000 prosthetic limbs were redistributed to people who urgently need them, helping individuals regain mobility, independence and confidence. In preventing prosthetic limbs from going to landfill, the project also helped us deliver sustainable change alongside positive social impact.

To find out more about Meeting Needs, the projects we support, and how you can get involved, visit www.meetingneeds.org.uk.