Gloucestershire charities scoop share of £1million fund

The awards, set up by specialist insurer Ecclesiastical, will see a total of £1million given to charities across the UK this summer. Members of the public were invited to nominate causes close to their hearts, with 500 awards of £1,000 available for donation. 

The Willow Trust in Cirencester, Longfield Hospice Care in Stroud and Gloucestershire Academy of Music (see notes for full list¹) are among the local charities set to benefit from the money, following overwhelming public support in the county.

More than 4,600 kind-hearted residents took voted for over 200 charities across the region. 

In total, an amazing 98,000 people around the UK supported the Movement for Good awards, with over 7,000 charitable causes up and down the country receiving votes. The 500 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated.

Thanking supporters in Gloucestershire, Mark Hews, Group CEO of Ecclesiastical, said: “We have seen a fantastic public response to our Movement for Good awards. It’s clear that people care deeply about good causes in their region, and from looking at the nomination data locally, healthcare and community focussed organisations seemed to hold a particularly fond place in the hearts of residents.

“Here at Ecclesiastical, our core purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, so charitable giving is at the heart of our business. We know that £1,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do and we’re looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better.”

Later this summer, a further ten charities will also be chosen by a panel of judges to receive £50,000 from Ecclesiastical to be put towards the advancement of education, skills, arts, culture and heritage, as well as citizenship or community development. 

From Monday 17 June, charities are invited to apply for the substantial grant with applications being assessed against four key areas; impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion.

The successful charities will be announced from Monday 30 September 2019.

Owned by a charity, Ecclesiastical is the only financial services group that exists to give all its profits to charity. It has given £100million to charity over the past five years and is the fourth largest corporate giver in the UK².

For further information on the Movement for Good Awards and for a full list of winning charities, visit: www.ecclesiastical.com/movement-for-good

Notes: 

1. The twenty-one charities in Gloucestershire to be awarded are:

Biodynamic Agricultural Association
Cirencester Foodbank
Cirencester Opportunity Group Limited
Dean Farm Trust
Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum
Gloucestershire Academy of Music Limited
Gloucestershire Breastfeeding Supporters’ Network
Gloucestershire Bundles
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust
Longfield Hospice Care
M S Information and Therapy Centre LTD
Royal International Air Tattoo Flying Scholarships for Disabled People
Samaritans Cheltenham And District
St. James the Great. Cranham PCC re Bells
Teckels Animal Sanctuaries
The Friends of Alderman Knight School
The Friends of The Milestone School
The Oak and Furrows Wildlife Rescue Centre
The Willow Trust
Village Hall
Youth@Heart

2. Directory of Social Change (DSC), The Guide to UK Company Giving, 11th Edition