Kindness Wins

Kindness wins for all: find out who won a £1000 donation to their chosen charity in our competition with Ecclesiastical

Back in May, we asked Members to let us know about their kind acts in the community and those of their clients for a chance to win a £1000 donation towards a charity of their choice for our Kindness Wins competition in partnership with Ecclesiastical. Unsurprisingly, given the consideration we see from brokers time and time again, there were plenty of entries to choose from, as we saw truly wonderful examples of extending support and kindness to the wider community. But, we could only pick two winners from each network:

£1000

Jukes Insurance, nominating Anna-Kate Morris

Our first winner for Broker Network was Jukes Insurance, who nominated the daughter of one of their clients, Anna-Kate Morris. 17-year-old Anna-Kate inspired hundreds of people across Worcestershire to knit, crochet, and sew hearts for those in need of a lift when she created the Facebook group Worcestershire Hearts of Joy. Over 15,000 hearts were distributed, bringing much needed kindness and love to those suffering across the region through an extremely difficult time. Anna-Kate chose the Rose Peters Foundation to receive the winning donation. The charity supports families with children in intensive care and those coping with neonatal loss, infant loss, stillbirth or miscarriage.

Risk Kitchen, nominating their client, Mitch’s Kitchen

Our second winner for Broker Network was Risk Kitchen, who nominated their client, Mitch’s Kitchen. The vegan food firm donated food parcels to families with young children who were medically vulnerable and shielding, in partnership with charity Ripples of Compassion. Of course, it is this charity that has been chosen as the beneficiary of Risk Kitchen’s £1000 donation. A spokesperson from Ripples of Compassion told us the donation would contribute to two new projects alongside continued support of bereaved parents. These include providing food parcels to support families of children with cancer in hospital, and helping children manage anxieties around their treatment with the development of flashcards.

Dobson & Hodge Centenary Team

Our first winner for Compass was Dobson & Hodge, who nominated their centenary team. Lockdown didn’t stop them continuing their charitable 100 year celebrations, as they collected gifts, equipment, food and essentials for multiple charities in their local area.

Dobson and Hodge have chosen one of the charities they have been supporting as part of their 100 acts of kindness campaign, Changing Little Lives Doncaster Creche.

Manager Sharon Wilson said she was “so excited” that Dobson & Hodge chose the charity which currently supports around 100 families and 140 children with stay and play activities for children who have been through difficult circumstances, as well as free hot, healthy meals. Sharon explained she would like to plan a day trip to create new, happy experiences, “The benefits of a day out together are just overwhelming and will stay with the families for a long time. I cannot emphasise enough what a difference financial support means to myself professionally, with support I am able to put into practice my aims for the children.”

Marc Kirker, Spencer Hayes

Our second winner for Compass is Spencer Hayes, whose Development Director Marc Kirker has done everything he can to support his local community in difficult times, from lining up people who had lost their jobs with opportunities, offering his car to a recruitment company for candidates to get to interviews, and even raising money for a local charity by painting pet portraits. Marc has chosen his winning donation to go towards Blackburn with Darwen Carers, a charity which offers support for family members or friends who take care of a loved one with an illness or disability.

A special mention and thank you to our other entrants

We saw many other examples of caring acts from brokers and their clients, as evidenced by our other entries.

Acres Insurance Brokers decided to provide meals that would have been prepared for their agricultural events to the staff at Kettering General Hospital as a thank you for all the brave work they are doing. Meanwhile there was a change of pace for Ben Amos of Caleb Roberts, who ran 100 miles in May to raise money and awareness for Mind, raising a total of £526, with an incredible team total of £112,000. Suzanne Davies of The Insurance Centre offered her support to healthcare workers in a different way, bringing her sewing machine back into action to sew scrubs, while working full time and looking after three vulnerable people. Although Suzanne didn’t secure the £1000 donation on this occasion for her chosen cause, St John’s Hospice – her employers at The Insurance Centre decided to donate £250 on her behalf in acknowledgement of her efforts. And finally Affinity Insurance Brokers shared the efforts of a client who operates a family-run jeweller, and, on the side in response to COVID-19, a bike repair and restoration project. Keen cyclist Martin Zelley offered his service for free to NHS employees, while encouraging donations from others, so far raising a phenomenal £16,507. Find out more by visiting his Facebook page. In highlighting these kind acts our entrants have contributed to a widespread positive message of coming together for others and shown just how prevalent and varied these instances are in communities across the country. MD of Networks and Products, Jaime Swindle, reflected on how quickly and willingly people have stepped up in difficult times, “The crisis has brought out the kindness and creativity of countless individuals and businesses, serving as an inspiration to us all when it had been needed most.”

Chris Withers, Broker Distribution Director at Ecclesiastical added, “By doing things differently, we can build a movement for good.” Here is Suzanne’s handiwork being modelled by healthcare worker at St John’s Hospice, Jessica May.