Window, door and curtain walling designer, manufacturer and installer CMS Window Systems has made a generous donation to a long-established Scottish charity which works tirelessly to combat social inequality.

One of CMS’s top customers, BAM Construction, were asked to nominate a charity to receive the latest instalment of CMS’s ‘ten donations for ten years’ anniversary initiative.

The donations were made as part of a year of support by CMS for ten charities dedicated to improving the lives of people in ten communities in which the business operates. BAM Construction nominated the Glasgow branch of social care charity Ypeople to benefit from CMS’s 10-year anniversary charity programme; across the year, the firm will make ten donations of £1000 each to causes nominated by its most valued customers.

Established in 1824 at a time of great social change and need, Ypeople (formerly YMCA Glasgow) works to challenge social inequality and to respond to the needs of communities, extending support to a range of people including children, young people and families and those whose lives have been affected by homelessness.

Over its long history, Ypeople has worked with many generations of young people, families and vulnerable people from across the globe. The charity has grown and developed its services across Scotland significantly over this time, and now operates 17 services in Glasgow, Falkirk, South Lanarkshire, Edinburgh, Orkney and East Dunbartonshire.

CMS’s donation to Ypeople on behalf of BAM is the most recent chapter of BAM’s involvement with the charity. Earlier this year, three members of staff undertook a charity challenge to raise funds for the charity, giving up their time to decorate an area of the Glasgow office which helps vulnerable young adults who have been affected by homelessness.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, CMS operates with a strong social conscience. Its commitment to corporate social responsibility ranges from its extensive sustainability policies to its focus on creating local employment opportunities and support for community causes. The business started its ‘ten donations for ten years’ initiative in January, and has continued to make endowments to local causes throughout the year.

CMS’s managing director, Andy Kerr, said: “Ypeople is a fantastic charity which has made enormous, tangible differences to the lives of many vulnerable people since it was founded almost 200 years ago. We’re very happy that BAM nominated this charity for one of our anniversary contributions: the impact of the broad range of services they provide on some of the most disadvantaged people in our society can’t be emphasised enough.

“CMS takes its role in the community very seriously. Our market-leading sustainability and recycling policies, as well as our apprenticeship scheme to promote local employment, all demonstrate our commitment to helping our communities thrive, and we feel that our ‘ten charities for ten years’ programme for 2016 is a great way to contribute.”

Jim Ward, construction director at BAM Construction, added: “When CMS advised us they wished BAM to nominate a charity as part of their 10-year anniversary programme, we had no hesitation in nominating ‘Ypeople’ as this donation helps BAM to continue to support Ypeople as well as continuing to strengthen its relationship with CMS.”