More than 94,000 people nominated thousands of good causes as part of specialist insurer Ecclesiastical’s annual 12 Days of Giving campaign, which donated £120,000 to 120 charities. Two of the winning charities are helping to make a real difference in Liverpool.
The Owen McVeigh Foundation was set up in memory of Owen McVeigh who was only 11 years old when he sadly passed away after a short battle with leukaemia. The charity aims to help children who are ill with cancer and their families in the Merseyside area, helping to create life memories.
Mark Mcveigh at The Owen McVeigh Foundation added: “Thank you to everyone who voted for us to win this £1,000 boost. Donations like this are incredibly important to enable our foundation to continue its work, so this really means a lot to us.”
Rescue Me Animal Sanctuary is a foster home based animal sanctuary in the Merseyside area. The charity rescue abandoned, stray and unwanted animals, bringing them back to health both mentally and physically and then find them new loving homes.
Steph Taylor at Rescue Me Animal Sanctuary commented: “This £1,000 donation will go towards our renovation work at our new premises, which will enable us to rescue not only more animals but also cater for different species. We have a huge task of now making the new premises fit for purpose and the donation will be a massive help towards this. We have three outbuildings that we want to transform into a dog unit, cat unit and small furry unit, aviaries to erect, an isolation unit, a wildlife unit, reception, office and foster rooms.”
Chris Pitt, corporate responsibility manager at Ecclesiastical, said: “As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, we believe charitable giving is really important, and even small amounts can add up to make a big difference. It’s fantastic to see that so many people have taken the time to vote for a charity that is close to their hearts and we’re delighted to hear how these donations are making a positive difference, not only in Liverpool but throughout the UK and far beyond.”
“The 12 Days of Giving campaign has enabled us to give a boost to 120 charities, helping a vast range of causes, from refurbishing an open-air swimming pool, providing care for the terminally ill, and rescuing abandoned dogs in Romania, to helping young people with mental health issues through surfing.”
Ecclesiastical staff gave more than £300,000 to good causes in 2018 through personal grants and matched donations for fundraising and payroll giving as part of the company’s ‘MyGiving’ scheme. Ecclesiastical gives all members of staff a personal grant of £125 to give to charity and this is doubled if they volunteer for the same charity.
Last year, Ecclesiastical launched its first
Impact Report to demonstrate the many ways the company is contributing towards the greater good of society.
Full list of Merseyside charities that received a 12 Days of Giving grant:
- Owen McVeigh Foundation
- Rescue Me Animal Sanctuary
- Stick 'n' Step