Tag: Movement for Good

Scottish charities receive share of £120,000 festive financial boost

Twelve charities based in Scotland have received a £1,000 Christmas gift thanks to the Benefact Group.

The charities were nominated to win a share of £120,000 by members of the public as part of the Benefact Group’s annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign.

Action Against Stalking, a charity that supports and protects people who are affected by stalking, and Specialist Search Dogs, the organisation that trains dogs to the highest national standards to enable professional search dogs to partake in missing person scenarios, are among the local charities set to benefit from the money following overwhelming public support in the area.

Over 52,000 votes for charities were cast by generous residents of Scotland, helping to spread festive cheer for charities this Christmas.

Thanking supporters in Scotland, Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive of Benefact Group, said: “We are thrilled to be giving £120,000 to 120 fantastic charitable causes across the country and I’d like to thank every single Scotland resident that took the time to nominate a charity close to their hearts. 

“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.

“Benefact Group is the third largest corporate donor in the UK and has an ambition to be the biggest. Owned by a charity, Benefact Trust, all of its available profits go to good causes, and the more the Group grows, the more the Group can give.”

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

The 12 winning charities in Scotland are: 

·       Action Against Stalking

·       St Vincents Hospice Limited

·       Springer Rescue for Scotland

·       The Maggie Fleming Animal Hospice

·       Back Onside

·       Calum’s Cabin

·       Specialist Search Dogs

·       Parklea Association Branching Out Ltd

·       Drummond School Welfare Fund

·       Ardgowan Hospice Ltd

·       Sports Driving

·       Food Train

Scottish charities celebrate share of £1million fund

17 charities based in Scotland are celebrating today after receiving donations of £1,000 each as part of Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards.

For the fifth year running, Benefact Group is giving away over £1million to charities through its Movement for Good Awards. Members of the public were invited to nominate causes close to their hearts, with 150 awards of £1,000 announced today. 

Cat Concern, a charity that helps to rehome cats, The Saturday Café Club, a charity offering young disabled children fun activities, and Touch of Love Outreach, a charity that helps support families in Aberdeen experiencing real hardship, are some of the charities set to benefit from the money, following overwhelming public support in the country.

Kind-hearted Scottish residents donated their time and submitted more than 24,500 nominations for charities close to their hearts, with over 1,200 causes receiving votes.

More than 15,000 charitable causes in the UK and Ireland received votes, thanks to over 250,000 nominations from supporters. The 150 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated, following 150 previous winners being selected in June. Further donations will be awarded throughout the year.

Since the awards began, nearly 2million people have nominated and made a difference to communities all across the UK and Ireland with more than £5million given to over 2,500 charities. 

This year, 420 charities will be awarded £1,000 donations, while 40 good causes will be awarded £5,000 via special grants throughout the year, aimed at helping charities in specific sectors. Winners will be drawn at random and the more times a charity is nominated the more chance it has of being selected.  Further donations totalling £500,000 will also be given in larger amounts later this year.

To find out how to support the Movement for Good Awards and to nominate a cause you care about visit www.movementforgood.com.

Thanking supporters in Scotland, Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive of Benefact Group, said: “We would like to thank every single person who took the time to nominate a good cause as part of our Movement for Good Awards.

“Benefact Group is the third largest corporate donor in the UK and has an ambition to be the biggest. Owned by a charity, all of its available profits go to good causes, and the more the Group grows, the more the Group can give.

“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.”

Full list of winning Scottish charities:

  • Accord Hospice
  • Aunchenblae Pre-School Group
  • Burntisland and District Pipe Band
  • Cat Concern
  • Edinburgh Tamil Sangam
  • Group for Recycling in Argyll and Bute Trust Limited
  • Kenyawi Kids
  • Mearns Kirk Helping Hands
  • Neighbourhood Watch Scotland 
  • PLUS (Forth Valley) Ltd
  • Saving and Rehoming Strays 
  • Scottish Badgers 
  • Start-Up Stirling
  • Stronger Together for Autism and Neurodivergence 
  • The Maggie Fleming Animal Hospice
  • The Saturday Café Club
  • Touch of Love Outreach

Benefact Group has donated almost £200million to charitable causes since 2014 and has been recognised as the third biggest corporate giver in the UK1. The organisation aims to reach £250million in donations by 2025.

Movement for Good is funded by EIO plc, part of the Benefact Group.

Scottish residents urged to nominate a charity to receive share of £1 million 

Residents in Scotland can nominate a good cause to receive £1,000 as part of Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards.

Now in its fifth year, the Movement for Good Awards will once again see more than £1million gifted to charities up and down the UK and Ireland. 

Since the awards began, people in Scotland have submitted over 141,400 nominations and 179 Scottish based charities have benefited from valuable donations. 

While the pandemic and the current economic climate has had an adverse effect on cash donations, the amount of people choosing to volunteer their time for a good cause is rising.

Scottish residents can now give a minute to nominate a charity online at www.movementforgood.com.

The Movement for Goods Awards has gifted over £4million to charities in the UK and Ireland since the initiative started.

Winners will be drawn at random and the more times a charity is nominated the more chance it has of being selected. 150 winning charities will be announced from 1 June, with a further 150 revealed in September. Further gifts will be awarded throughout the year.

Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive at Benefact Group, says: “We are immensely proud to be supporting many hundreds of charities through our Movement for Good Awards for the fifth year running.

“We know that £1,000 can make a huge difference so we’re asking that people give a minute of their time to nominate a cause they care about to receive an award.

“Owned by a charity ourselves, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do and all of our available profits go to good causes. With financial strain continuing to impact many households the Movement for Good Awards represents a great way for people to continue to support causes close to their hearts, without worrying about an additional cost.

“Any charity can win no matter how large or small and even with just one nomination. So find a minute, jump online and nominate – because that small amount of time is invaluable for charities.”

Benefact Group has donated almost £200million to charitable causes since 2014 and has just been recognised as the third biggest corporate giver in the UK2. The organisation aims to reach £250million in donations by 2025.

Movement for Good is funded by EIO plc, part of the Benefact Group.

Visit www.movementforgood.com to nominate a charity now.

Edinburgh Leisure launches Movement for Good challenge

As part of their commitment to keeping people active and well, Edinburgh’s leading sport and physical activity charity, Edinburgh Leisure, is launching a new month-long physical activity challenge that aims to inspire people to get active every day this May.

The Movement for Good challenge is aimed at everyone, not just their members. It’s well-evidenced that moving and being physically active benefits our overall health and wellbeing, but putting it into practice can be hard, with family life, work commitments and household chores often taking precedence over exercise.

Helen Macfarlane, in the newly created role as Edinburgh Leisure’s Director of Wellbeing explains: “Whether people are new to physical activity or need a helping hand to get back into the swing of things, then our new Movement for Good challenge is for them.

“It’s designed to give participants a period of focus when they start to make small consistent changes by being active every day. This is the start of forming healthy habits so that regular activity becomes part of their daily routine, and they build the motivation to stay active because they feel good.

“Being active doesn’t have to mean running a marathon or joining a bootcamp. Even small changes can make a huge difference. Participants are encouraged to find an activity or activities they love, enabling them to create healthy habits and providing them with the motivation they need to stay active. So, for example, someone might wish to step it out, boogie on the dancefloor, or dip their toes into the pool or pump some iron throughout May.

“Participants can also use their challenge to do some good by raising sponsorship money to support local people who need a bit more help through Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities programme, so they too can experience the benefits of an active life.”

Each year, Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities programme supports over 10,000 people affected by health conditions, disabilities, and poverty – empowering them to improve their health, wellbeing, and quality of life. 

This includes enabling care experienced children to enjoy the active childhood they deserve, to helping people with cancer and other long term health conditions to manage their symptoms and have a better quality of life, to ensuring older adults can stay active and connected for longer.

Participants signing up to the month-long Movement for Good Challenge, will receive a pack full of useful resources, along with hints and tips on how to get the most out of your challenge.  This will help ensure participants have fun, keep motivated and experience the health and wellbeing benefits of becoming more physically active.

Sign up today to join the May Movement for Good Challenge and reap the benefits of an active life – www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/movement-for-good

Local charity secures £50,000 from the Movement for Good Awards

Edinburgh-based charity People Know How has won a game-changing £50,000 award as part of the Movement for Good Awards. 
The scheme, set up by Ecclesiastical Insurance, has seen a total of £1million donated to good causes this year and the charity, which is currently based in the former Deutsche Bank House building at Crewe Toll, is among just ten organisations across the UK to receive a £50,000 donation.

Continue reading Local charity secures £50,000 from the Movement for Good Awards