International Community Involvement

Across TD’s operations in Europe and Asia-Pacific, while our presence may be small, our hearts are big! Guided by a philosophy of making a difference together, we give generously to local charities — with financial literacy, the environment and well-being as key areas we support internationally, based on local needs. Employees are also active in these causes, as well as many others in which they want to make a positive difference.

United Kingdom

TD Waterhouse U.K. and its employees donated more than £43,000 in 2008. As part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, the TD Waterhouse U.K. CSR Committee has been working closely with ‘Business in the Community’, an organization that inspires companies to take action and make a positive impact on the community and environment, to deliver a successful corporate giving program.

Employees of TD Waterhouse U.K. play a very active role in this program. To support their efforts, we provide paid time off for volunteering and local community grants through the TD Waterhouse U.K. Community Fund, which is an integral part of our giving strategy in the U.K. Through this fund, 10 grants up to a value of £250 each quarter are allocated to local causes and charities in which employees are involved. In 2008, employees raised money through dress-down days, Family Fun Day and other staff events, for which we provided matching funds.

TD Waterhouse U.K. employees re-nominated three key charities last year in which to donate the bulk of their volunteer efforts and fundraising, as well as to receive our corporate support:

Cancer Research U.K.: This is the world’s leading independent organization dedicated to cancer research, supporting more than 3,000 scientists, doctors and nurses throughout the U.K. who work in all aspects of cancer research. The organization also aims to educate the public on understanding cancer and how risk can be reduced through lifestyle choices.
Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF): This fund raises money for the Yorkshire Heart Centre within the Leeds General Infirmary, one of the largest centres for the treatment of heart defects in the U.K. The CHSF’s role is to create a centre of excellence for children born with heart problems. Due to new technology and facilities, more children now survive heart surgery, yet many need long-term care and often return for further surgery.
Christie’s Hospital: This Manchester-based facility is a leading hospital in the region, providing top-quality care for 40,000 cancer patients each year.

TD Securities U.K. and its employees donated more than £40,000 to charities last year, such as the Royal Marsden Hospital Cancer Campaign, Bower Cancer U.K., the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Great Ormond Street Hospital and FLAME (Friends of Literacy And Mass Education), to name a few.

Here are examples of employee volunteerism in 2008:

Financial Literacy programs: To boost financial literacy, TD Waterhouse U.K. is involved in Number Partners, a community initiative designed to promote the enjoyment of math among children in primary schools. In 2008, 35 employees volunteered to deliver the program in 2008. As part of the Mentoring Programme, 27 employees of TD Waterhouse U.K. volunteered at schools in the past year to mentor young people aged 14 to 18 years who were not yet achieving their full potential.
Cares Essential Collection: This collection drive is championed by TD Waterhouse U.K. employees, who gather items such as soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shower gel, razors and other hygiene products and distribute them to the less privileged areas of the local community. In 2008, charities supported included St Anne’s Community Service, The Hollies, EMMAUS, Holbeck House, St George’s Crypt, Ripon House, St Vincent’s Support Centre, St John’s Bail Hostel, Nowell Court, Pennington Place and Barnardos.
Manchester to Leeds Bike Ride: Seven Lycra-clad employees of TD Waterhouse U.K. took to the road and cycled a numbing 58 miles between our two offices in Manchester and Leeds! The fantastic effort was complemented by a host of other fundraising activities arranged by employees, who rose up to the TD Waterhouse corporate challenge all in the name of Sport Relief. This is an initiative to raise money through sporting activities to help vulnerable people living incredibly tough lives in the U.K. and throughout the world’s poorest countries.
People Power: TD Waterhouse U.K. give staff two days off per year to take part in employee volunteering, and more than 80 employees took advantage of the time working on redeveloping areas in schools, clearing woodlands and creating environmental areas.
Sports Aid: A team of 16 TD Securities U.K. employees participated in the 2008 JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge, an after-work 3.5-mile team road race held in Battersea Park in London. Proceeds went to Sports Aid, the charity driven to helping the next generation of young British athletes succeed.
Jeans for Genes: In October 2008, TD Securities U.K. took part in the nationwide Jeans for Genes day appeal. This is a great charity that helps children affected by genetic disorders. More than half of all childhood deaths in the U.K. are related to genetic disorders, and more than 4,000 recognized genetic disorders affect one in 33 children born in the U.K. Our employees raised £450 toward the appeal, with a further corporate donation taking this donation to £2,000.
Colour a Child’s Life: Working with Kids Company, a team of 13 employees from TD Securities U.K. helped create a more appropriate living space for a mother and her young family, one of whom was suffering from very bad eczema due to the condition of the home. Employees cleaned and prepared the walls, ceilings and woodwork and painted two bedrooms, a bathroom and hallway.
Falconbrook School: In partnership with the Canada-U.K. Chamber of Commerce, TD Securities U.K. helped this primary school in Battersea, which is located in a hugely deprived area and roughly 30% of its pupils have special educational needs. A painting competition themed “Canadian wildlife” was held for the pupils and the winning child received £100 worth of book tokens (gift certificates) and had the opportunity to unveil a plaque in Battersea Park to mark the trees we planted last year with the Chamber. There were 20 runners-up who also each received £50 book tokens, and we donated £10,000 to the school to help rebuild and restock their library.

Australia

TD Securities Australia has set up the Corporate Connect Program so employees can volunteer time out of the office. Here are some of the things they pitched in for in 2008:

Glebe Centipede Centre Sports Day: In July 2008, a group of employees hosted a sports morning for Sydney’s Glebe Centipede Centre, which cares for children from disadvantaged inner-city families. TD’s volunteers spent the morning with the centre’s children playing team sports (soccer, netball and beach volleyball) followed by a barbecue lunch. The event provided an opportunity for our employees to mentor the children through team activities and sharing individual life experiences.
2008 Blackmores Half Marathon: Employees gave up a Sunday morning to participate in Blackmore’s Sydney Running Festival, a 21-kilometre course. The 2008 festival registered more than 21,500 starters in different course events and has raised more than AUD1.2 million for various charities around Australia.

Spinning for diabetes: “Team TD” registered for Sydney’s Bike Spin for Diabetes Event, which raised over AUD150,000 for kids with diabetes. Each participant spent eight minutes cycling on a stationary bike, and Team TD ended up an impressive eighth out of 58 registered teams.

JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge: A group of 14 employees participated in the eighth JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge, held in Sydney’s Centennial Park. The 5.6-kilometre fun run raises money for the Oncology Children’s Foundation and the Sunrise Foundation.

Cycle for leukemia research: TD Securities Australia was a corporate sponsor for a fundraiser supporting leukemia research. One of our employees also volunteered to cycle 1,200 kilometres down the coast of Australia, from Sydney to Melbourne, helping to raise AUD60,000 for the Royal Melbourne Hospital oncology department for cancer research.

United Way Sydney: Approximately 60 employees donated AUD21,000 to United Way Sydney via employee payroll donations and through our Corporate Connect Program. TD Securities Australia also launched its inaugural Christmas Food Appeal, teaming up with United Way Sydney to benefit a local community project, Hope Street Urban Compassion Group. Staff members were provided with a recycled shopping bag to fill with non-perishable goods, which led to 60 bags of goods donated.