New health and wellbeing platform on mission to raise £1 million for UK charities

A new digital platform designed to improve the health and wellbeing of employees has announced its plans to raise £1 million for charities across the UK in a bid to truly make exercise count.

Following a successful beta stage in 2021, Redditch-based WellGiving launched this month with the aim of creating a platform that would allow companies to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of their staff through the gamification of physical activity, while also giving businesses the chance to raise funds for charities that were hit hard during the pandemic.

With the effects of the pandemic leaving many workers disconnected from their colleagues as they continue to work from home, and sedentary lifestyles on the increase, WellGiving provides an innovative way for businesses to improve the health and happiness of their staff through their inclusive and varied virtual fitness challenge platform. Offering over 60 sports and physical activities, ranging from yoga, jogging, cycling and numerous team sports, the platform ensures there is something for everyone regardless of physical ability.

Each time employees exercise using WellGiving, which is cleverly integrated with FitBit and Strava, they build up charity points that can be converted into donations for their chosen charities. Funds can also be raised through corporate donations and employee led fundraising through WellGiving’s JustGiving integration. Charities themselves can also become WellGiving partners, allowing them to be nominated for target donations while being promoted through the platform.

Founder of WellGiving, Paul Rhodes, said: “With poor mental health costing UK employers up to £45 billion each year, we wanted to create a way to really address these problems, and could think of no better solution than a platform that not only promotes health and wellbeing in the workplace, but helps fund the important work of charities across the UK.

“We are delighted by the response WellGiving is already receiving, and are truly encouraged to see so many companies already signing up as they seek new and innovative ways to improve the wellbeing of their employees.

“The fact that the WellGiving project is also helping to raise crucial funding for accredited charities such as Great Ormond Street and Teenage Cancer Trust, is immensely gratifying, and we cannot wait to see what 2022 has in store for the WellGiving platform.”

Developers of WellGiving, Green Gorilla Apps, are industry experts in the development of mobile and online platforms, and worked closely with Chief Executives, HR leaders and managers from corporations both large and small to create the WellGiving platform.

The WellGiving project has already secured funding from tech accelerator Betaden worth £50,000, along with additional funding from School for Social Entrepreneurs and Impact Central, and have just been accepted on the Purpose Led accelerator run by NatWest.

Having already recorded a staggering 3.5 million minutes of exercise across 1500 participating athletes, with £65,000 raised for 25 charities while the platform was still in its beta phase, WellGiving is well on its way to achieving its ambitious plans for 2022 and raising £1 million for charities across the UK.