Creating impact with Mind: One year on

Today marks the first anniversary of ACT’s partnership with Mind; a year that’s seen employees across the Group come together to support a collective cause, raising funds and awareness for this fantastic charity.

Mind was chosen as the national charity partner in response to feedback from our employees that highlighted a core interest in delivering tangible, practical support to those experiencing a mental health problem.

Officially one year on, we’re thrilled to share that as a result of the commitment and dedication shown across our Group of companies, over £120,000 has been raised for Mind so far.

The impact of our efforts…

• £120,000 could help Mind send essential information booklets about mental health to 480,000 people.
• £120,000 could pay for 83,916 people to campaign for change on our behalf.
• £120,000 could keep Mind’s online community, Elefriends, open and safe for 3,429 hours.
• £120,000 could offer a lifeline to 8,000 people in desperate need of support from the Mind legal line.
• £120,000 could help Mind keep their Infoline open for 600 hours, helping 21,000 people.
• £120,000 could support 400 young people bereaved by suicide to access 1:1 and group support.
• £120,000 could provide 1,090 people struggling with their mental health a place in a 10-week wellbeing group with team sports and cookery.

With another year of the partnership to go, there’s no doubt this figure will keep growing at an impressive rate as individuals and teams across our Group of companies continue to run, walk, ride, dive, shave, sing, dress up, dress down and who knows what else in support of this great cause.

Reflecting on the achievements of the partnership over the last 12 months, it is not just the fundraising figure that everyone should be proud of.

Significant strides have been made to deliver on our other objectives when it comes to improving understanding and practices in relation to mental health of all employees as well as increasing awareness of Mind as an organisation within and beyond our network.

Progress highlights…

• February 2018
  Group CEO David Ross pens an opinion piece for Insurance Post on how brokers can play an important role in changing attitudes towards mental health.
• March 2018
  Employees share their personal experiences with mental health in a new blog series, #insidemymind, across our internal social media channels
• April 2018
  Finalists at the Group’s employee awards evening, Spotlight, raise over £3,000 for Mind as part of the celebrations
• May 2018
  We mark Mental Health Awareness Week by launching an internal campaign about the different aspects that make up wellbeing
• July 2018
  The Ardonagh Group joins over 700 UK employers in the Time to Change campaign to end mental health discrimination, releasing an action plan to make our companies more open and supportive when it comes to mental health problem.
• July 2018
  A team from our life assurance brand, Lutine, triumphantly complete their 24-hour Paris to London cycling challenge for Mind, raising over £7244 towards the cause.
• September 2018
  The Ardonagh Group signs the Inclusive Behaviours in Insurance Pledge, an insurance industry initiative working to make our industry an inclusive and culturally diverse one, fit for the future for both our customers and our talent.
• October 2018
  As well as raising £35,000 for Mind, Ardonagh employees take time on the second Go Green Day to learn about Mind and the importance of mental health support and services in the local community.
• November 2018
  The first pilots of our Mental Health First Aid Programme take place across offices in Dudley, London, Manchester and Southport. A total of 130 colleagues leave now with the knowledge and understanding to provide support to those experiencing a mental health issue, before professional help is provided.