NFU Mutual Derbyshire Peaks - NFU Mutual Agency Giving Fund
NFU Mutual Agents and their staff at Derbyshire Peaks Agency recently nominated four local charities to receive a donation of more than £6,500 each from NFU Mutual’s national £1.92million ‘Agency Giving Fund’.
NFU Mutual launched this fund, now in its fifth year, to help local frontline charities across the country. The Agency Giving Fund forms part of NFU Mutual’s £3.25m funding pledge for both local and national charities in 2024, to assist with the ongoing recovery from the pandemic and to help tackle the impact of the rising cost of living.
NFU Mutual Derbyshire Peaks Agency, Ashbourne office nominated Derbyshire Mind, Bakewell office nominated both the Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy and Farming Life Centre, and Chapel-en-le-Firth office nominated Blythe House Hospice.
Securing the future for Mindful Crafts
This donation will help Derbyshire Mind secure the future and expand their most popular session, Mindful Crafts. Mindful Crafts is an arts-based therapy session and has been running for 5 years. For some time, it has been oversubscribed and reluctantly they have had to turn people away. Derbyshire Mind have wanted to increase capacity for some time. The donation from NFU Mutual Agency Giving Fund will allow them to run an extra fortnightly session, doubling the number of people they are able to support.
John Taylor, Agent at NFU Mutual Derbyshire Peaks, Ashbourne office said: “Derbyshire Mind is our local independent mental health charity, within the national Mind network. At the Ashbourne office we are extremely proud to nominate Derbyshire Mind for this fund. More importantly, we wanted to reaffirm our support for a charity that continues to provide a range of community mental health and mental wellbeing services, helping so many in our community.”
Lucy Brierley, Mental Wellbeing Service Coordinator at Derbyshire Mind, commented: “We are so grateful for this donation and the support from NFU Mutual. The donation will give us the opportunity to secure the future of our Mental Wellbeing Service, Mindful Crafts. Mindful Crafts is one of our most popular wellbeing groups and is always fully booked. It’s such a lovely group of people who support each other when they need it the most.”
Supporting our County’s Farming and Rural Communities
The donation has enabled Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy to continue their excellent work across our county. From family visits to know the locals, going with Farmers to hospital visits, to providing more hands-on help in times of trouble, the support the DRC gives is tireless.
Trish Winterbottom, Agent at NFU Mutual Derbyshire Peaks’ Agency, said: “The Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy plays a huge part in the lives of our community; it’s a lifeline for many, offering support through difficult and joyful times alike. We are proud of our relationship with the Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy and their support to our community which is why we are happy to support them through the Agency Giving Fund.”
Revd Alan Griggs, Lead Agricultural Chaplain at Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy commented: “This contribution will make such a difference to the work that the DRC is able to carry out. It helps us to provide much-needed support to the county’s farming and rural communities, and we are extremely grateful for NFU Mutual’s generosity.”
Roaming Car Service
Blythe House Hospice expressed deep gratitude to NFU Mutual’s Agency Giving Fund for providing ongoing funding for the operation of their Roaming Car Service vehicle. The Roaming Car service provides urgent overnight care to patients across North Derbyshire who wish to remain at home at the end of their lives.
Becca Gregory, Fundraising Manager at Blythe House Hospice says: “The car is a vital component to this incredibly invaluable service and NFU Mutual, along with two other sponsors, are covering the costs of running the vehicle itself. This allows the money we raise in other ways to be spent directly on providing the nursing care to patients when they need it most, ultimately meaning that the service can support more patients and families.”
Philip Burnip, Senior Agent at NFU Mutual Derbyshire Peaks Agency shares that: “We are proud to continue our support of Blythe House Hospice care & Helen’s Trust, particularly the Roaming Car Service which is a unique and vital service within our community. I travel extensively around the High Peaks and Derbyshire Dales, and it never ceases to surprise me how many families have been supported by local hospice care. I’ve always taken the view that, if you have had a decent living out of an area, it’s beholden on you to put something back into the community, and I can think of no better way of doing that than by supporting Blythe House.”
In addition to the Agency Giving Fund donation, a number of the Derbyshire Peaks team took part in the 2024 Chatsworth 10k raising a further £500.
To find out more about NFU Mutual Agency Giving Fund click here