Wiltshire charities could be in line for festive cash boost

Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards scheme is giving away £120,000 as part of its annual 12 Days of Giving Christmas campaign.

For 12 days in the lead-up to Christmas the specialist financial services group is giving £1000 to ten charities each day - with 120 charities in total benefitting from a festive financial boost.

Nominations are now open and Wiltshire people are being encouraged to nominate a cause they care about to give them a chance of receiving a share of the award money.

Among last year's £1000 award beneficiaries was Youth Action Wiltshire, and charity chief Steve Crawley said: “We utilised the fantastic £1,000 that we received from The Benefact Group’s 12 Days of Giving campaign, to provide a range of exciting respite sessions for Wiltshire young carers. 

"This included arts, environmental and adventure activities, enabling young carers to have a break from their caring roles, have fun, make new friends, and develop their confidence and skills.”

Draws will take place between 1 and 18 December, and nominations can be made at www.movementforgood.com. 

Winners are drawn at random and the more times a charity is nominated the greater its chance of being selected.

Last year more than 2,300 people from Wiltshire nominated good causes to receive an award, resulting in three local charities landing donations.

Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive of Benefact Group, said: “We’re delighted to be giving away another £120,000 in valuable donations to causes around the country. 

"We know that charities are struggling, and for many, the festive season is a critical time. We’re asking residents to take a few minutes of their time to nominate a cause they especially care about.

“Benefact Group is the third largest corporate donor in the UK and has an ambition to be the biggest. Owned by a charity, Benefact Trust, all of its available profits go to good causes, and the more the Group grows, the more the Group can give. 

"We know that £1,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do and we’re looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better.”

Benefact Group has donated over £200million to over 10,000 charitable causes since 2014. The organisation aims to reach £250million in donations by 2025.

Earlier this year, 300 £1,000 awards were donated, followed by £480,000 of larger grants in October.

Movement for Good is funded by by EIO plc, a specialist financial services organisation which is part of the Benefact Group.