F.Hinds, the family run jewellers was established in 1856 and has been independently family owned and run ever since. The retailer has 115 F.Hinds stores and 13 Chapelle outlet stores in the UK, with the figure growing as the firm continues to expand. With plans to modernise the look and feel of a number of existing branches this year, the company continue with their vision to create the best experience possible for their valued customers.

Of equal value to the firm, whose family ethos runs throughout the organisation, is their contribution to the community through charitable and social enterprise projects. Last year, F.Hinds donated over £50,000 to a variety of causes through their work both in stores and at head office level.

Natasha House, Marketing Manager at F.Hinds explains, “While the success of our retail stores is of course imperative, as a family run business, it is paramount that F.Hinds operate in a socially responsible way. There are so many amazing causes and charities, and we are incredibly proud to be able to partner with.”

Since first opening a shop on Harrow Road in Paddington in 1856, F.Hinds has seen seven generations run the company. Today, Andrew, David, Jeremy, Neil and Paul Hinds all continue to have active roles within the business that traces its history even further back to ancestors who were clockmakers in Lincolnshire over 200 years ago.

Over the years, the company has donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to those in need and contributed time and expertise to assist wherever they could.

Early in 2022, when the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appealed for help for those displaced by the conflict in Ukraine, F.Hinds immediately responded with funds in excess of £9,000. Almost 50% of this was driven by customer contributions, with the company more than doubling their donations.

Partnerships are a key driver in the quest to provide support, and F.Hinds have worked with a number of national institutions to both raise funds and use their platform as a vehicle to raise awareness.

Natasha explains further, “Teaming up with charities is a cornerstone of F.Hinds’ social governance policy. We have such a loyal customer base and by partnering with organisations who reflect our ethos, we can make a real difference. Last year we championed three key partnerships with The British Heart Foundation, Children in Need and Prostate Cancer. We also contributed to over 75 individual local charities around the country through donations and raffle prizes, typically where our staff members were directly involved.”

Working with The British Heart Foundation is a longstanding partnership which has seen over £50,000 raised, most recently with the Hearts campaign which ran in February. The campaign saw staff wearing red to raise awareness and donations from the sale of exclusive products.

New for 2022 was an initiative with BBC Children in Need, which is set to continue this year due to its resounding success.

“We raised over £10,000 with our Limited Edition merchandise range which included a Pudsey money box, Pudsey alarm clock and Pudsey trinket box,” Natasha explains. “As well as selling pin badges, accepting till donations, and running a competition, all the proceeds of the range went to the BBC Children in Need charity. Best of all was the thank you we got from Pudsey during the live BBC show!”

Exclusive products have also contributed to a campaign for Prostate Cancer with Rotary. The renowned watchmaker designed their new “1IN4” watch to raise awareness and F.Hinds donated 10%+VAT from each sale.

F Hinds recycles all of the watch batteries that it replaces in customers’ watches as well as those brought in by members of the public to ensure they are disposed of safely (‘button’ batteries are a danger to children if swallowed). The funds raised by this are added to the proceeds from the sale of carrier bags to customers and all of this is donated to charity. £33,000 has been donated to various local charities across the UK from this fund.

Managing Director, Paul Hinds concludes, “As a family run business, it is our priority to remain true to the values set out by my great great great great grandfather, Joseph Hinds. Our customers are truly our greatest asset, and their generosity helps us to meet our desire to help those most in need. That hasn’t changed across the generations, we are proud of the work we do to support charities across the UK and look forward to this continuing into 2023 and beyond”.