BGF’s regional teams donate thousands to community charities

The independent investment company The Business Growth Fund (BGF), which has financial backing from Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, RBS and Standard Chartered, has announced that it will make donations totalling £100,000 to support local community-based charities across the UK & Ireland following the onset of Coronavirus. Each BGF regional office has nominated a charity that does vital work to support vulnerable people within the communities BGF’s teams live and work in.

In the Midlands, Acorns Children’s Hospice, which has three sites across Selly Oak, Worcester and Walsall, has received £12,500.

Acorns provides specialist palliative care for children and young people with life limiting and life-threatening conditions, as well as support for their families.

The BGF has also announced a £12,500 donation to Maidenhead-based charity Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice.

Alexander Devine, which provides essential support and high-quality care from the point of diagnosis to families of children (age 0 – 19 years) with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions across Berkshire and the surrounding counties, facilitates a wide range of services from specialist play and music therapy to end of life care and bereavement support.

The charity, which cites as its ethos is ‘the child is central to all that we do’, currently supports 135 children who have a life-limiting or life-threatening condition and their families, as well as 36 siblings, and is committed in its mission of reaching out to every child and their family that needs them.

Amid the current challenges facing the nation, Acorns is continuing to provide emergency and end of life hospice care as well as emotional and practical support to 600 families who are in strict isolation at home.The coronavirus crisis has had a significant impact on the charity and the children and families its supports.

Gurinder Sunner, head of BGF in the Midlands said: “The impact of Coronavirus has been devastating for charities. Many charities face a huge funding shortfall because the usual calendar of fundraising events have been cancelled.

“We recognise that, with the support of our shareholders, BGF is in a fortunate position to be able to do more and significantly extend our charitable donations to assist. We’re really proud to have been given the opportunity as regional teams to nominate the charities we feel make a real impact here. With sites across the Midlands, Acorns Children’s Hospice makes an immeasurable difference to the children and families it helps.”

Vicki Rowles, Head of Fundraising for Acorns Children’s Hospice, added: “We’re extremely grateful for this very generous donation from BGF. Covid-19 has had a huge impact on charities, with good causes across the country, including Acorns, experiencing a significant drop in fundraising income.

“We will continue to be there for every family that need us, now and long after this crisis has passed. So, this donation will make a real difference. Thank you to everyone at BGF Midlands for nominating Acorns.”

Harjit Bola, Fundraising Manager at Alexander Devine said: “We are so grateful to BFG for their incredibly generous donation. Circumstances have meant that the majority our fundraising activity in the coming months has had to be cancelled and we have very limited control over income generation.  The donation from BFG will enable us to continue to provide our much needed service to our children and their families, we have adapted and continue to evolve our service to meet the needs our children in these unprecedented times.”