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Over £55,000 awarded to causes making communities stronger

At the end of 2024, ACT saw an incredible milestone, reaching £1 million+ in ACT Community Grants awarded since the trust’s inception.

The grant programme continues as strong as ever in 2025, with the announcement of Q1’s recipients – all nominated by colleagues from across our businesses around the world.

Through the quarterly ACT Community Grant programme, all Ardonagh employees can apply for up to £5,000 (or equivalent currency) towards a chosen charity to support a project or initiative in need of funding – with successful applications selected by ACT’s board of trustees.

The Q1 Community Grants sees 12 causes supported with over £55,000 of funding – with initiatives supported including woodworking skills for people with autism, wellbeing services to support young adults through cancer care, and community programmes to protect biodiversity.

Read the stories behind each of the causes supported this quarter and why they matter to the colleagues who nominated them.

Establishing a new Down Syndrome disability football team
Plymouth Parkway FC

Nominated by Darren Warkcup – Carrols, Everywhen, UK

Established just over eight years ago, Plymouth Parkway have been on a mission to make sport accessible to all – giving disabled footballers equal opportunity to play and excel both on and off the pitch.

Colleague Darren is closely connected to the club and has been working alongside it to create a new team specifically for people with Down’s Syndrome, with games and support tailored for this group.

The £2,500 funding from ACT will enable the team to get up and running, including coaching, facilities and kit – enabling players to gain confidence and most importantly enjoy the game.

It is with great pleasure that we receive the very generous funding from Ardonagh Community Trust, which will be used to fund the Down’s Syndrome Team at Plymouth Parkway FC. This will not only give people with Down’s Syndrome the ability to enjoy and train and play the Beautiful Game but also helps people with special needs to grow personal confidence which will allow them to better express themselves and have the confidence to grow in other areas of life such as work and socialising that so many of us take for granted.
Mark Russell, Plymouth Parkway FC

Investing in the Feel Well project aiding young adults with cancer
The Ella Dawson Foundation

Nominated by Andy Neve – Price Forbes, Specialty

The Ella Dawson Foundation works alongside 18- to 30-year-olds and their families to provide tailored support through cancer diagnosis and treatment. Their approach has wellbeing at its centre, with a huge focus on the emotional and psychological implications of cancer on young adults.

Andy has witnessed the incredible services of the charity first-hand, as they helped his daughter Alice and their family navigate cancer. The £5,000 ACT grant will go towards the foundation’s Feel Well project, which has already helped over 335 young people since its launch with specialist counselling. The grant will mean 30 more young people can access this project, making an immeasurable difference.

Andy's daughters, Alice and Lucie. Alice now works alongside the charity which helped her during treatment.

Expanding vital services to women who’ve experience domestic violence
Sporting Family Change

Nominated by Shaun Briddon – GI, Everywhen, UK

Founded in 2014, Sporting Family Change works with communities across Somerset in the UK to help local families to raise aspirations and make positive long-term changes. They offer a range of programmes including health, sport, social and disability.

Recently the charity has expanded its services to provide therapy session for women affected by domestic violence. Access to such help is difficult, with long waitlists and cost being major barriers. The £5,000 ACT grant will enable 250 hours of therapy, leading to 25 weeks of support for many women.

I encountered Sporting Family Change earlier this year and was blown away by their passion and drive to spread kindness. The world can be quite an ugly place and the spread of kindness to all through sport is amazing to witness.
Shaun Briddon

Renovating a community centre for local people in Rio
Seara Espirita do Oriente – A Casa do Caminho

Nominated by Adriana Oliveira – MDS Brasil, Iberia and RoW

Casa do Caminho is an institution located in Irajá, a neighbourhood in the north of Rio de Janeiro and plays an important role in the wellbeing and societal cohesion of the area. For over 40 years, it has hosted events, distributed donations and campaigned to make a difference.

The charity has two buildings on-site, one of which is unfinished due to lack of resources. The ACT grant of £5,000 will help complete the building work, including a staircase, doors and furniture so it can finally be used to provide a space for local people to engage with its services.

My brothers and I have known about charity since we were very young through our parents, who attended and supported this institution before we were even born. I grew up attending and supporting the institution and this is an amazing way to give back and transform the lives of others.
Adriana Oliveira

A music festival to support suicide prevention
Samaritans Dorset

Nominated by Natalie Joyce – RiskSTOP Group, Everywhen, UK

Day in and day out, Samaritans listens to people when it matters most. Their life saving suicide prevention work operates 24/7, with thousands of people everywhere utilising their listening line and resources.

As a business, RiskSTOP have collaborated with Samaritans in Dorset in the UK for many years – and in particular the annual music festival, Chesil Rocks. The day is a major fundraiser for Samaritans and the £5,000 grant from ACT will ensure the 2025 edition is as much a success as ever to raise awareness of the charity and support its work.

RiskSTOP Group has proudly supported Chesil Rocks and Samaritans Dorset for many years. Our team has visited the Samaritans of Dorset office in Weymouth on multiple occasions to see first hand the incredible work their volunteers do for our community. The impact of their service extends far beyond the individual, fostering stronger, more understanding communities.
Natalie Joyce

Enabling students to develop careers skills and access reading support
The Switch

Nominated by Elle Day – Price Forbes, Specialty

Based in Tower Hamlets, London, The Switch empowers children and teenagers to discover their best potential – and provides a vital link between the worlds of education and work.

Elle and members of the Specialty team have been working with The Switch to volunteer on their Reading Partners scheme, helping young children to gain confidence reading, as well as their career development programme – donating time to practice interview skills.

The £4,210 ACT grant will go towards both programmes, with part funding The Switch’s employability skills workshops and part to their literacy skills support – supporting young people in schools across the borough.

Being part of the Reading Partners programme was extremely rewarding. I was partnered with a 6-year-old girl who at first was extremely reserved however by the end of the term – it was amazing to see her confidence grow. For the last few sessions, she was teaching me Spanish and testing me on a weekly basis! I also took part in an Interview Practice workshop where I reviewed CVs with students from a secondary school in London. It was a fantastic way to educate young people on some key life skills, as well as a potential career in the insurance industry.
Elle Day

A summer of learning about nature and biodiversity
Newtongrange Community Garden

Nominated by Robert Joyce – Towergate Health & Protection, Everywhen, UK

Initially a brown field site, Newtongrange Community Garden in Midlothian, Scotland, transformed the space into a haven of nature accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.

As a volunteer, colleague Robert Joyce has felt the benefit of having a community green space on the doorstep. The £5,000 ACT grant will facilitate a range of learning sessions over the summer covering topics such as pollination, foraging and biodiversity to further the sense of community ownership and understanding. Some of the funding will also be used to support children’s nature workshops and tools with disabled adaptations so that even more local people can enjoy the garden.

The garden filled with local people and volunteers.
This cause provides a community resource for the whole village, where you can access organic food grown on your doorstep reducing ecological impact. Thanks to the garden, my son gets to experience nature first-hand, grow food, and access the outdoors in a way he otherwise would not be able. It also helps me with my mental health, reconnecting with nature after a week working indoors. It’s a special place to meet likeminded individuals, build friendships and connect me further to the community.
Robert Joyce

Ensuring support for those affected by a rare disease
GAIN, Guillan-Barré and Associated Inflammatory Neuropathies

Nominated by Ellie Johanson – Price Forbes, Specialty

Guillain-Barré Syndrome, or GBS for short, is a rare and serious inflammatory neuropathy that damages the peripheral nerves. It affects one to two people per 100,000 per year (around 1,300 people each year in the UK).

GAIN is currently working on the development of a specialised emotional health support service aimed at providing bespoke counselling and group sessions for individuals impacted by GBS. Many people diagnosed with this condition experience significant emotional trauma, stemming from the physical, psychological, and lifestyle changes that accompany their diagnosis.

The £5,000 ACT grant will go towards this support service to help people affected by GAIN and their families – helping them to navigate this complex disease and its challenges.

My grandad lost his battle with GBS last year. During his time in the hospital, I saw how emotional and devastating this disease is. GAIN provide expert advice and support for a disease which is little-known but has a huge impact on those affected by it and their loved ones.
Ellie Johanson

Helping children with low mobility maintain dignity
Children’s Hospice South West

Nominated by Gareth Rowett – Rowett Insurance, Everywhen, UK

Since 1995, Children’s Hospice South West has made the most to support the precious lives of babies, children and their families – through care and helping them create invaluable memories.

They are committed to providing the very highest standard of care, with dignity being core to this. The £4,100 funding from ACT will purchase an adapted shower trolley so that young people with restricted mobility can wash in comfort and with compassion.

Harnessing woodworking to support people with learning difficulties
Life Path Trust

Nominated by Aaron Law – Central Services, Everywhen, UK

Life Path Trust is dedicated to ensuring that individuals with learning disabilities and autism are valued, empowered and given the best opportunities to develop work-ready skills.

Based at the charity’s horticultural nursery site, the workshop is an exciting new venture, introducing woodworking activities to foster further opportunities for people to gain skills in a safe and supported way. The £5,000 ACT grant will get the space fit for purpose, so that Life Trust can get make the most of establishing a sustainable and scalable learning experience for over 50 people.

Getting behind a nature reserve to protect endemic species
Bermuda National Trust

Nominated by Ryan Sommerville – Price Forbes Re, Specialty

Bermuda National Trust protects and promotes the island’s unique natural and cultural heritage. Alongside buildings and artefacts, its also cares for Bermuda's many native species.

The £5,000 ACT grant will support the Sherwin Nature Reserve project to establish a stronghold for Bermuda’s flora and fauna. Over the past four years, the project has help to remove invasive species and instead increase native plants and woodland. The funds will further bolster this progress, alongside the project’s volunteer initiative to get more local people involved.

I’ve been involved with the Bermuda National Trust as a member and an active volunteer, participating in community events and restoration projects. Through these experiences, I have witnessed first hand the positive impact of conservation efforts and am planning a Price Forbes volunteering day to further strengthen our relationship with the reserve.”
Ryan Sommerville

Providing counselling support to young people affected by bereavement
Weston Hospicecare

Nominated by Joanna Mill – GI, Everywhen, UK

For over thirty years, Weston Hospicecare has provided palliative and end-of-life care to people from across Somerset in the UK – completely free of charge. Colleague Joanna Mill and her local office in the region have felt the impact of cancer several times in their team recently, ands seen the vital support such services offer.

The £5,000 ACT grant will fund a suite of group and individual counselling sessions, plus art therapy at the hospice – specialist support which makes a huge difference to people and their families.

Children benefitting from support and programmes delivered by the hopsice.
As an office, we have been affected by cancer three times in the past 12 months, including myself personally. As clients, I have visited the hospice and been blown away by the service provided with their care and understanding. A hospice is not only a place for palliative care but for ongoing respite and with this donation, an extension to help young lives impacted by the loss of loved ones.
Joanna Mill

Here for Ardonagh colleagues throughout the year

ACT’s Community Grant programme is open to all Ardonagh people worldwide, through the scheme Group employees can apply for up to £5,000 (or equivalent local currency) towards a charity close to your heart with an initiative in need of funding.