A charity based in Manchester will receive a £40,000 windfall as part of Ecclesiastical Insurance Group’s annual Movement for Good awards.
After receiving a £10,000 award last year, Sharks Community Trust is one of five charities chosen by a panel of judges that will benefit from the larger grants.
The additional £40,000 will enable Sharks Community Trust, which uses the power of sport to engage, educate and inspire the local community, to develop its alternative education provision to support young people aged between 14-24 who have disengaged from formal education and recognised pathways into employment. The charity will now be able to appoint two new education officers to support young people within a variety of community settings who are at risk of being excluded and who are likely to be engaging in anti-social behaviour.
This programme will help people across the North West improve their confidence, develop life skills, participate in volunteering and work placements, and gain qualifications.
Mark Hews, Group CEO of Ecclesiastical, said: “At Ecclesiastical we believe business should be a force for good. Charitable causes need sustained support and a sense of financial stability. We received so many strong funding applications from deserving charities we decided to give five fantastic causes £40,000 each. We know that these additional grants can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do and we’re looking forward to seeing how these donations will change lives for the better.
“Ecclesiastical, the fourth largest corporate donor in the UK, is a unique financial services group. We are owned by a charity which means all available profits can be given to the good causes that are so important to our customers. As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of our business.”
Alison Warwood, CEO at Sharks Community Trust, said: “We are delighted that Sharks Community Trust has been chosen to receive an additional Movement for Good grant. The charity is dedicated to changing lives amongst the community it works with and this additional funding will help us work with more people, in more areas, particularly those that need it most as they have been disproportionately negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.”
