Supporting local charities

NFU Mutual Agents and their staff at the Salisbury and Wareham agency recently nominated four local charities to receive a donation of more than £3,200 each from NFU Mutual’s national £1.92million ‘Agency Giving Fund’:

·       Salisbury Foodbank

·       Salisbury Hospice

·       Julia’s House Children’s Hospice

·       Wimborne Food Bank

The leading rural insurer has launched this fund, now in its fourth 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 2023, to assist with recovery from the pandemic and to help tackle the impact of the rising cost of living.

To ensure these donations reach all corners of the UK and are directed where they’re needed most, all NFU Mutual Agencies, with more than 280 offices nationwide, have been given the opportunity to nominate local charities to receive a share of the fund.

Steven Bartlett, Senior Partner, at NFU Mutual Salisbury and Wareham, said: “We’re extremely proud to have nominated these local charities for this donation and are delighted to be able to support the vital contribution they make to our community. NFU Mutual’s Agency Giving Fund was first created in 2020 in response to the pandemic, and this ongoing support is helping to change lives, providing both emergency support and building long-term resilience."

Caroline Attreed, Corporate Fundraiser for Julia’s House, said: “a HUGE thank you for the wonderful support with your donation from NFU Mutual. The funds you have raised could help pay for six children to spend the day at Julia’s House, having fun with their nurses and carers, enjoying a stimulating change of scene. We never want to have to turn an exhausted family away and want to ensure we are there for them, before they reach breaking point. Together, we can continue to change lives, thank you all so very much.”

Maria Stevenson, Manager, Salisbury Foodbank, said: “Salisbury foodbank continues to support local people experiencing hardship through the cost of living crisis. As the number of people we support increases year on year, we asked ourselves “what more can we do?”  In autumn 2022 we went beyond the standard ‘typically tins’ food parcel, by introducing a fresh fruit and veg element to compliment it.  We are working with a local greengrocer who is committed to supporting the local community and sustainability, taking pride in working with local farmers to source great quality seasonal fruit and veg from Wiltshire and the surrounding counties direct to foodbank clients’ doorsteps.  This project comes at a high cost to us, but one we believe is worth every single penny.

The donation from NFU Mutual will go directly into supporting this project. This money means over an est. thousand more people will benefit from fresh, nutritious and wholesome balanced diet.  A far cry from having no food on the table”.

Louise Compton, Corporate Fundraiser for Salisbury Hospice Charity, said: “We were thrilled to receive this generous donation from the NFU Mutual Agency Giving Fund. This donation will go towards our Hospice Therapy Team who provide holistic support for patients with specialist palliative care needs. The team use rehabilitation and other interventions to enable people to achieve their goals and remain independent for as long as possible, thank you for your tremendous support.’’

Sharon Keenan, Manager Wimborne Food Bank, said “We are so thankful for being nominated and for the generosity of NFU Mutual Salisbury and Wareham as we have seen a huge increase in people needing our help this year. We will use the donation to buy stock of food items that we are regularly short of and need to purchase every week and will also use the funding for our summer initiative to purchase a day out for the families who receive our support, to help them enjoy the summer. It will make a big difference to the people we are serving – thank you so much”.