Private medical insurer Health-on-Line end their charitable year with a record-breaking total of £15,000 for Dorset Mind and Macmillan Caring Locally. Raised through a whole host of events throughout 2018, both charities will receive an equal share of £7,500.
Having started in 2014, Health-on-Line’s charity panel have smashed last year’s £10,000 total and also raised the most since their inception; seeing an increase of 61% in donations.
Dee Swinton, Income Generation and Marketing Manager at Dorset Mind, said:
“We have just moved premises to a larger office and there is a cost in this. Half of Health-on-Line’s considerable donation has enabled us to upgrade our office furniture/equipment and invest in a new printer and phone system which will ensure improved communication and operation.
“As a charity, this equipment had been considered a luxury but as we grow, it’s essential for our staff and volunteers to be able to deliver our support efficiently across Dorset.
“The remaining amount has gone towards funding our vital befriending support. We train volunteers to provide one-to-one help for people with moderate to severe mental health conditions. The aim of which is to encourage their confidence and ability to access and contribute to their local communities. It’s an invaluable service, so thank you so much.”
As one of the largest employers in Bournemouth, Health-on-Line are dedicated to investing back into the local community as well as supporting charities, through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. Over the last four years, they’ve donated more than £50,000 to their nominated charities which are chosen by their staff each year.
Barry Wilson, Community and Events Fundraiser at Macmillan Caring Locally said:
“Corporate support is a major factor to the success of charities big or small so it is humbling that we were chosen by the staff of Health-on-Line. We were astonished by the amount that has been raised throughout the year by the staff of Health-on-Line and wish to thank them for all of their hard work not only in raising the wonderful sum of £7,500 but also for taking part in events and spreading the word of Macmillan Caring Locally.”
As well as internal events held at the Bournemouth office, the charity panel have supported an extra 15 internal staff in their own fundraising efforts for different charities including: Tough Mudder, Jurassic Coast Walk and the Christchurch Christmas 10k; totalling around £1,500.
Speaking about why it’s important to keep raising awareness of local charities, Dee Swinton said:
“Local charities rely heavily on the generosity of their communities and corporate sponsors to help fund them and we’ve been lucky to have the support of Health-on-Line.
“The benefit of donating to a local charity is that your donation remains within your local communities and you can genuinely identify with the services they offer. In addition, for a smaller charity, donations and heightened brand awareness that comes with the partnership can make a considerable impact to the charity’s turnover.”
2019 for the charity panel is set to be even bigger with lots of events already in the pipeline, including headline sponsorship with Bournemouth Bay Run, a Valentine’s Raffle and charity bake-offs.