Surrey charities benefit from 12 Days of Giving campaign

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 Surrey. 

 

Cardiac Risk in the Young, which has a head office in Leatherhead, supports young people diagnosed with potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions and offers bereavement support to families affected by young sudden cardiac death. The charity promotes and develops heart screening programmes and funds medical research. It also publishes and distributes medical information and funds specialist referral, screening and cardiac pathology services at leading UK hospitals.

 

Ben Robinson, Head of Fundraising at Cardiac Risk in the Young added: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate us. This £1,000 boost will make a big difference to the lives of the children and families we support.” 

 

The Lily Foundation was set up by Liz Curtis in memory of her daughter Lily, who died from mitochondrial disease at eight months old. The charity supports families affected by mitochondrial disease, funds research into diagnosing and finding treatments and raises awareness of the disease within the medical world and general public.

 

Liz Curtis who is Lily’s mother and set up The Lily Foundation commented: “When a child is diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, the family will be told that there is no cure and no treatment and that the condition is life limiting. It is more than likely that the family may never have heard of it, however, it is not that rare, and every day a baby is born with mitochondrial disease. Because there is very little knowledge of the disease, little information available and limited support networks, The Lily Foundation provides a lifeline for affected families. This £1,000 donation will contribute to our family weekend bringing together families, medical professionals and researchers to provide a weekend of emotional support and education for all the family.” 

 

The other Surrey-based charities to receive £1,000 are Education for Madagascar which supports education, training and healthcare projects in Madagascar, Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue which cares for wildlife and gives talks in schools and Sight for Surrey which provides support to the blind and partially sighted community in Surrey. 

 

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 Surrey 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.

 

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