Charities scoop share of £120,000

Six charities based in Scotland have won a £1,000 Christmas gift thanks to nominations from the public.

The charities were nominated to win a share of £120,000 as part of specialist insurer Ecclesiastical’s annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign.

Simpson’s Memory Box Appeal (SiMBA) based in Dalkeith, which offers support to anyone affected by the loss of a baby, and REACH Lanarkshire Autism, which provides support to families who have a young person with an Autism Spectrum Condition living within the authority of South Lanarkshire, are among the local charities set to benefit from the money following overwhelming public support in the country.

27,648 Scotland residents nominated a cause close to their hearts, with 247 charitable causes in the country receiving votes. The 120 winning charities across the UK were picked at random from those nominated.

The full list of the 120 charity winners is available to view online at www.movementforgood.com/12days

Thanking supporters in Scotland, Mark Hews, Group CEO at Ecclesiastical, said: “Owned by a charity, here at Ecclesiastical our core purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, so charitable giving is at the heart of our business.

“We know that £1,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do, and we’re looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better. We hope these donations can bring a positive end to a difficult year and a promising start to 2021.”

A representative from Simpson’s Memory Box Appeal said: “Ecclesiastical’s donation will allow us to provide all of our core services including donating Memory Boxes to bereaved families allowing them to create memories of their much-wanted baby that will last a lifetime. 

“It will mean we can continue to provide our Safe Space virtual support groups, and when it is safe to do so, our monthly Support Groups. It will also enable us to continue to refurbish our Family Rooms and to install our memorial Trees of Tranquillity offering bereaved families the opportunity to honour their baby in a very special way.

“In short, it will allow us to continue to be here and for that we are so very grateful.”

Last year, Ecclesiastical launched its latest Impact Report to celebrate some of the many good causes it has helped.