Allianz Insurance has reached a significant milestone in its partnership with mental health charity, Mind.
Just 18 months after the partnership began, the insurer announced that it has hit the £500,000 fundraising mark, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 lockdown.
In a statement, Allianz said that the money raised by its employees will help support those in need through services such as Mind’s Infoline, which provides confidential information and advice, and the online peer-support group Elefriends.
Among the noteworthy fundraising activities are the “Stronger Together” campaign, where colleagues covered 140,785 km from May to June to raise £30,000, and a virtual exercise class hosted by wellbeing coach Mr. Motivator, which more than 1,000 employees took part in.
Allianz also hosted a “Donate Your Commute” day, where employees raised over £1,000 by donating the money they had saved on travel that day by working from home.
Meanwhile Nick Hobbs, director of broker markets at Allianz, took on the challenge of a sponsored 24-hour kayak. He travelled 152km along the River Thames raising £2,230 in donations, which Allianz then matched to bring the total to £4,460.
“We are so grateful to Allianz for raising an incredible £500,000,” said Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind. “Their support is helping us to be there for everyone affected by a mental health problem. The pandemic has had a devastating effect on the nation’s mental health, especially for those of us with existing mental health problems, and it is vital that everyone has access to the right support, advice and information when they need it. The funding from this partnership with Allianz will enable us to continue to offer crucial support services so that no-one has to face their mental health problem alone, particularly during these unbelievably difficult times.”
