Foundation Roundup – February 2021

Paying it forward

Donating has always been at the heart of Equilibrium’s business strategy.

We have always felt that it’s our duty to ‘pay it forward’ and commit to bettering the lives of local charities, people in our community and even those based further afield who might benefit from our support.

It’s something we take extremely seriously and forms a large part of our dedication to doing business better.

Last year was, undeniably, a difficult year in a variety of aspects. However, both our team and our clients have shown incredible generosity and determination to help those who are in a less fortunate position.

I am proud to say that, despite everything thrown our way in 2020, the Equilibrium Foundation had a record-breaking year, raising over £130,000 for more than 60 charities.

Our purpose at Equilibrium is ‘making people’s lives better’, and our team have helped to demonstrate that this isn’t just something we say or a quote to hang on the wall. They have not only looked after each other, but the wider community, taking on a variety of challenges last year to inspire people to dig deep for worthwhile causes.

As always, I hope that you enjoy this edition of the Foundation Roundup. Please do let me know if you have any feedback, thoughts or comments.

Hullo

Hullo (formerly chit-chat) have employed their first member of staff following a donation from Equilibrium. The organisation aims to reduce isolation in the UK by simply offering a chat on the phone to anyone who needs it.

So, if you or anyone you know has been feeling isolated, needs to unwind, or just wants to chat with someone new, call them and say hullo. You can find them at www.hullo.org

Libby moves online

Following Libby’s fantastic win at the Money Marketing Awards last year for Best Financial Education Initiative, the pandemic hasn’t stopped her.

We have an online training day on Tuesday 9 March which already has 10 schools booked to attend. If you know a school that could benefit from a free financial skills project, get in touch as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

You can learn more and register your interest here.

Christmas Spirit

A huge thank you again to all the generous client donations to the Toy Appeal before Christmas. Also, a big well done to Jason Lowe (Financial Planner), Sam Patterson (Client Manager), Matthew Dobson (Client Manager), Simon Lister (Client Manager) and Graeme Black (Investment Analyst). The group trained throughout the dark winter weeks in order to run 2km on the hour, every hour for 24 hours on Tuesday 22 December in a bid to raise donations for the organisation.

The combined efforts resulted in an absolutely whopping £11,670 for this year’s Christmas toy appeal. Each toy sack costs £25, so that is an amazing 467 children who will receive presents on Christmas morning this year that would not have done otherwise.

Grant-ing worthy wishes

Our community support scheme has continued to help valuable organisations in the community with their fantastic work. Below, you can read a little more about the recent winners of the £500 grant offered by the scheme.

Friends of the Countess of Chester Country Park help conserve and develop this wonderful community amenity. They hope to enhance its value for all people within the local area, by developing its potential for health & wellbeing and environmental issues. The grant allowed them to install a permanent orienteering course in The Countess of Chester Country Park.

Ronald McDonald House provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families while their child is in hospital. The grant is the equivalent to 20 nights free accommodation to families with sick children in hospital. When a child needs specialist treatment, they are potentially transported across the country away from the family home. Ronald McDonald Houses offer a free home- from-home to keep families together when they need to be the most.

East Cheshire Hospice cares for patients and their families in end-of-life care. Providing care, comfort and compassionate support to patients and their loved ones is their number one priority. The grant covered the cost of providing a sponsorship pack and information. The hospice is only 15% funded by the government, meaning they rely very much on the donations from community, so it’s vital during this difficult time that they can generate more funds for the hospice.

Reuben’s Retreat is a charity born out of the tragic loss of Reuben Michael Graham at just 23 months old from an inoperable brain tumour. His family launched the charity just two days after his death on the 23 August 2012. Their mission is to relieve the distress of families bereaved of their child or those who have a child with a complex/ terminal illness. The grant was used to continue their ‘stay home stay safe’ project, delivering bespoke care packages to those who can’t run basic errands.

Daisy’s Dream provides free-of-charge professional support to children and young people who have experienced the death of someone they love, usually a parent or sibling. A lot of referrals come through schools, as teachers are often well-placed to notice if a child is struggling. Since September, they have seen a rise in referrals to their service. The grant will enable them to support up to 10 families.

The Neuromuscular Centre (NMC) is the Centre of Excellence for people affected by muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular conditions. Following six months when NMC was unable to offer physical services and moved as much activity as possible to be delivered remotely, NMC began a very cautious restart of physically delivered services. The grant will be used towards securing the fabric of the building to ensure that their vulnerable clients are shielded as well as possible.

This quarter’s entries close on Sunday 21 March. If you know of a charitable organisation that could benefit from £500, click here to learn more and apply.