Fidelity Life has pledged to sponsor two local not-for-profit organisations, Outward Bound and Bellyful, which will help bolster the charities’ respective operations and give back to the community.
Based in Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds, Outward Bound helps people learn through various experiences of challenge, success and self-reflection by exposing them to the outdoors and its elements to teach key life skills.
Bellyful is a nationwide volunteer-driven charity that cooks and delivers free meals to families with babies or young children who need support, with a mission to nourish and connect communities.
Fidelity Life CEO Melissa Cantell said the two charities were chosen based on their alignment to Fidelity Life’s brand and its purpose in making a tangible difference to New Zealanders today and in the future.
“As a proud New Zealand business, our brand is deeply rooted in the land, the people and our connection to nature,” Cantell said. “That gives us a sense of responsibility to protect what we’re proud of and ensure we’re contributing towards improving our society for all New Zealanders in a meaningful way. That’s why finding the right sponsorship fit is so important to us. Outward Bound and Bellyful were handpicked as we knew we could make a real impact, together.”
Fidelity Life’s sponsorship of Outward Bound includes scholarships that will allow 20 diverse young New Zealanders to complete a 21-day course at Anakiwa each year. Once a year, Fidelity Life will offer a group of advisers the opportunity to realise their potential by sponsoring them on a five-day Outward Bound Professional course.
The insurer will also launch a special programme for its employees to attend an Outward Bound course to help grow and nurture future leadership talent.
“Stepping outside our comfort zone is often where we learn and grow the most,” Cantell said. “We can’t wait to see our scholarship recipients, our adviser partners and our people harness their Outward Bound experiences and build transferable skills and attitudes to take back to work, study and home, for life.”
Outward Bound CEO Malindi MacLean said the charity’s teamwork with Fidelity Life is “something special”.
“The sponsorship will make a tangible difference to the lives of the young New Zealanders who receive the Fidelity Life scholarships, and we know they will go on to positively contribute to their communities across New Zealand,” MacLean said. “We’re seeing many of our youth struggling with their mental health, including dealing with the ongoing uncertainty from COVID, so providing an opportunity to equip them with skills to look after their wellbeing and build resilience is more important than ever.”
For Bellyful, the support from Fidelity Life will help it scale and expand its operations to reach more families with young children who need support. This includes hosting cook-a-thons and food drives to help source ingredients and prepare meals, as well as harnessing Fidelity Life’s networks to promote and increase awareness of Bellyful.
“We’re grateful to have Fidelity Life’s support, especially as demand for our service is rapidly growing,” said Bellyful general manager Wendy Thompson. “As we deal with the ongoing fallout from the pandemic and our cost of living continues to rise, more families will be under pressure and face new challenges. A little help at the right time can have a huge impact on the families we support and can often have a flow-on effect for future generations. With the contribution from Fidelity Life, we take comfort in knowing we can now be there for a greater number of parents who don’t have a ‘village’ to help raise their family.”
