Local insurer’s support for multiple charities helps

NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield agency recently nominated local charities The Fifth Trust, Umbrella Ashford & Tenterden and Wealden Community First Responders, to each receive a donation of £6,443 from NFU Mutual’s national £1.92million ‘Agency Giving Fund’.

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 295 offices nationwide, have been given the opportunity to nominate local charities to receive a share of the fund.

These donations have helped The Fifth Trust, Umbrella Ashford & Tenterden and Wealden Community First Responders to overcome various challenges and continue their much-valued work.

Nikki Marley, Chief Executive Officer at The Fifth Trust, a charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, commented: "We are so grateful to NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield for their generous donation. This donation will help us to create a wonderful sensory garden that will be enjoyed by our students. We are very excited to get started on this project."

Edwin Chambers, Chairperson at Umbrella Ashford & Tenterden, created to help post-hospital patients adjust to life in the community, especially those with mental health problems, said: “Thank you NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield for your nomination. We provide art therapy sessions every week, and the extra funding through this donation will allow us to continue these sessions into next year.

Alex Betts, Team Leader at Wealden Community First Responders, a group of locally trained volunteers who attend emergency calls, commented: “This donation will make a big difference to our team. With it we will be able to replace our aging training manikins and defibs which will enable us to keep on top of our skills and also carry out our public training sessions more efficiently throughout our area.”

Alex Osbourne, Claims Handler at NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield volunteers for Wealden Community First Responders having become an ambulance service community responder earlier in the year.

Doug Jackson, Senior Partner at NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield Agency, said: “We’re extremely proud to have nominated three outstanding 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."